By Zanna Linskaia
Tisha b’Av is a day of commemoration of the 1 st and 2 nd Beit Hamikdash
destructions. On this day Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Second revolt
against Rome by Bar Kohba also happened on 9 b’Av. In Jewish tradition,
during 3 weeks before 9 b’Av, Jews are mourning, not having weddings, eating
meats, cutting hair or shaving and keep fasting.
At this day we read book of Lamentations – Ei’ha –description of the fall of
Jerusalem with 5 poems and 22 acronyms from the top to the bottom of book.
According to the Talmud, King Solomon, son of David built the first Temple in 980
BCE. In 586 BCE the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, destroyed Temple and
slaved Jews to Babylon. After 70 years some Jews returned to Israel, and began
to rebuild Temple.
The second Temple by King Herod was enlarged becoming one of the true
wonders. The 2sd Temple stood about 500 years, but in 70 CE it together with
Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome on the 9 th Day of Av.
When Napoleon was in Jerusalem he saw Jews crying and praying at the Western
Wall. He asked his minister about the reason of their sadness. The minister
explained him about the Temple’s destructions.
- If people can commemorate the events happened thousand years ago, this nation will exist forever,- said Emperor.
Thank you for sharing this.