Tish’a Be’av & Tu Bishvat (5 shorts)

The worst thing about Tish’a Be’av, aside from being the longest, hottest fast of the year, is that it falls in the middle of the summer, when there is no school.

At some point, there was an idea to combine Holocaust Day into Tish’a Be’av. After all, argued those in favor, we already have a national mourning day. Let’s tag all our national troubles to that one. The founders of our State said no (by the way, there was also a suggestion/inquiry to cancel Tish’a Be’av because of the State’s establishment). Therefore, lucky for us, whether we like it or not, at least about the Holocaust, we know a thing or two, which can’t be said – for a large segment of the our people – when it comes to Tish’a Be’av.

While there are holidays that religious and secular Jews experience quite similarly, such as Hanukkah, and there are holidays that have a special atmosphere, family and sense of camaraderie, such as Passover and Yom Kippur, Tish’a Be’av is a day that secular and religious people experience in a completely different way.

According to the data of the Zohar Index for Judaism and Tradition, only 8% of the seculars observe Tisha Be’av, compared to 98% of the religious and ultra-orthodox, and 41% of the traditional (from the “Zohar” website). Or, if to mention one of my past students who said to me, “Wait, Tish’a Be’av? Isn’t that the day we plant trees? Oh, that’s Tu Bishvat? My oh my, they do sound similar…”

So it happened that for years, we’ve had discussions about how to find meaning on this day. This year, following “October 7th,” these discussions are different, of course, but still, not really: we treat this day as a chance to mark and experience, again, a pain that’s ours, most often, without any connection to the original Tish’a Be’av. After all, what does it mean that the Temple was destroyed? Who cares? It’s been 2,000 years! As another one of my students said to me, “If a building collapses, or whatever happens to it, and you want it fixed, then fix it! Why the whining?”

To treat the destruction of the Temple in this manner is like living in a world devoid of sunlight, and for someone to say, “What are you complaining about? Here, plug in this little night light, you’ll be fine.” This is one of the biggest tragedies of this day in our time, that we don’t know what we’re missing, and what this is all about.

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In one of the groups I’m in, a friend wrote about “our brothers in Israel who are paralyzed with fear”… Just last week I was at the Zohar summer conference: in the parking lot near the train station, there was barely one last spot for me; it wasn’t easy to find an empty seat on the train; and at the conference itself, there were thousands of people. You might say, well, well, these religious people… and then you’ll find me looking for a table at a random cafe in town, listening to friends talk about the kids’ surfing summer camps at Carmel Beach. It’s true, there are fewer people on the streets. We are careful. The saferoom is prepared. And everyone, no matter what Siddur they are holding or not, prays. But paralyzed? That’s too far.

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The 1st Temple was destroyed because of great sins: bloodshed, incest and idolatry. And the 2nd Temple? “Sin’at Chinam,” baseless hatred. What is “baseless hatred”? People just hated each other for no “reason,” just because of how Gd made them, different from them.

During the time of the 2nd Temple, everyone was “righteous,” and since they were both “righteous” and “right,” everyone thought that anyone who disagreed with them should be eliminated because he was unnecessary in the world… “If only ‘they’ were not here (substitute according to the speaker), everything would be fine,”… and: “You’re not one of those who…? because they should…” (and here comes some elimination term).

In Talmud class, we read from the stories of the destruction. The descriptions are difficult, and yet, everyone thinks of someone – someone else – that this “really, really suits him,” someone who didn’t behave well, someone who mistreated, only, of course, not me. I? I am the most open, the most accepting, the most logical, the most thinking, the most doing, the most knowledgeable, the most… the most “right.”

I avoid the news, not sure about the headlines. But this kind of talk, this scares me more than anything.

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The two shabbatot before and after Tish’a Be’av: the one before is called Shabbat Chazon – Shabbat of Vision, and the one after, this Shabbat coming up this week, Shabbat Nachamu – Shabbat of Comfort. And I’m puzzled: shouldn’t it be the other way around? First comfort, in preparation of the calamities ahead, and then, once we survive, IF we survive, we’ll work on our vision…

But the sages tell us – opposite: going into disaster, you don’t need comfort. We need strength; we need focus; and we need – vision. We need the ability to see beyond. Later, we’ll sit, comfort and be comforted.

And, in this Torah reading Moses also introduces a new value – love: “You shall love you G-d”… (Deuteronomy 6:4). What is this? Can love actually be commanded?? Who can be forced to truly love? Not possible. Is it a request, as some suggest?? Also, strange. Gd usually does not ask. He commands. And he says.

I think, it’s simply a fact. This is how it’s going to be. Just like with people, your relationship with G-d will not always be predictable, not always neat and organized. There will be crazy moments, unexplainable events, passionate break ups and emotional come-backs, but always, together, guided by the most simple, complicated, healing and powerful force in the universe – love.

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On Tish’a Be’av, the 1st and 2nd Temples were destroyed; the expulsion from Spain took place; world wars began; and the disengagement from Gush Katif. And on Tish’a Be’av, says the Jerusalem Talmud, the Messiah is born. Should we look through people’s birthdays? Probably not. Rather, it’s a reminder that, maybe, Tish’a Be’av and Tu Bishvat are not that different, and that we should keep growing from darkness to light.

Bsorot Tovot.