צוֹם of תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב – 9^th of Fifthmonth

The pârâsh•âh′ is D^әvâr•im′ 4.25-40.

The Haphtâr•at′ Teimân•it′ is Yir•m^әyâh′u ha-Nâ•vi′ 6.16-17; 8.13 — 9.23. (The S^әphârâd•it′ and Ash•k^әnaz′it selection is only Yirm^әyâh′u ha-Nâ•vi′ 8.13 — 9.23.)

This 24-hr. fast (from eve to evening) commemorates the breaching of the walls of Y^әrushâ•la′yim in the time of the first Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ (Yirm^әyâh′u 39.2, where the date is the 9^th) and Titus' breaching the walls of Y^әrushâ•la′yim during the time of the second Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′.

The Mish′nâh (Ma•sëk′ët Ta•an•it′ 29a) enumerates five disasters on the 9^th of Fifthmonth [Babylonian "Av"]

1. it was decreed that B^әn•ei′-Yis•râ•eil′, after the Y^әtzi•âh′ from Mitz•ra′yim, should not enter the Promised Land,
   
   
2. Destruction of the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ hâ-Ri•shon′ and
   
   
3. Destruction of the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ ha-Shein•i′
   
   
4. Bei•tar′ (corrupted to Bethar), the last stronghold of the leaders of the Bar-•Kokh′vâ War, was captured in 135 C.E.; and
   
   
5. One year later, in 136 C.E., the Roman emperor Hadrian established a heathen temple on the site of the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ and rebuilt Y^әrushâ•la′yim as a pagan city renamed AeIia Capitolina, which the Jews were forbidden to enter—and renamed Y^әhud•âh′ (corrupted variously as Judah, Judea, Judas and Jew) to "Palestine."
   
   

The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 is said also to have occurred on the 9^th of Fifthmonth. ("Av, the ninth of," Ency. Jud., 3.936).

Tish•a′ b^ә-Av is a day of mourning and fasting from sunset to sunset, in commemoration of the destruction of both Bât•ei′-ha-Miq•dâsh′. "The general rule in the Tal•mud′ for the mourning rites of [Tish•a′ b^ә-Av] is that a person is obliged to observe on it all mourning rites which apply in the case of the death of a next of kin (Ma•sëk′ët Ta•an•it′ 30a)" (Ency. Jud., ibid.).

In addition to remembering these tragedies, the following reasons to fast on the 9^th of Fifthmonth are also sometimes asserted.

• To remind Jews that, according to Tal•mud′ and Josephus, the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ ha-Shein•i′ was destroyed as the result of si•nat′ khi•nâm′
  
  
• To demonstrate to Arabs the historical existence of Jews on Har ha-Bayit
  
  

Relative to the remembrance of si•nat′ khi•nâm′, this isn't, and has never been, a central theme of the 9^th of Fifthmonth remembrance. Si•nat′ khi•nâm′ has never been more than a rarely mentioned afterthought relative to the 9^th of Fifthmonth.

Not only the Arabs and other Muslims, but all misojudaics would simply maintain that this is a fable made up by Jews and doesn't qualify as historic evidence… and on the last point, they're right. The lack of historical evidence fails to convince outside of the y^әshiv•âh′.

Since the reunification of Y^әrushâ•la′yim, as a result of the 1967 War, a number have rabbis suggested the 9^th of Fifthmonth should no longer be a fast day because Rav Papa stated that the 9^th of Fifthmonth and the minor fast days will become days of rejoicing (Tal•mud′, Ma•sëk′ët Rosh ha-Shân•âh′ 18b).

However, these rabbis seem unaware that Rav Papa wasn't his own authority. He was commenting on Z^әkhar•yâh′ ha-Nâ•vi′ 8.19. If the 9^th of Fifthmonth and the other three days mentioned in that pâ•suq′ are declared for the Jews ("the house of Y^әhud•âh′") "for joy and rejoicing" then it will be because Z^әkhar•yâh′ ha-Nâ•vi′ said so, not Rav Papa; and Rav Papa's suggestion is merely an interpretive rhetorical question.

As for the question that Rav Papa asked, Rib′i Y^әho•shu′a had already answered it. If peace is the interpretation of "joy and rejoicing" then that peace must be restricted to the same specification stipulated for the "joy and rejoicing": "for the house of Y^әhud•âh′" (and not, as Christians imagine, the goy•im′ world).

And what is the peace, joy and rejoicing of the Jews? The promised, Biblically prophesied redemption. Rib′i Y^әho•shu′a taught that redemption has two aspects: national (as Jews have always known) and personal. National redemption occurred in 1948. But peace, joy and rejoicing exist not external to a person but as a state of mind. There are people who can be tortured in tranquil surroundings of peace, joy and rejoicing and other people who can experience peace, joy and rejoicing in the midst of torturous persecutions.

5770 (2010.05)

Nәviy•im′	Translation	Mid•râsh′ Rib′i Yәho•shu′a (NHM)	NHM
Yirmәyâh′u 9.11-13 Who is the intellectual man who shall understand this? And to whom the spokesman 'ה speaks and he shall relate it? For what was the land lost, and parched in the mid•bâr′ without [so much as] a trekker? 12 And 'ה says, "For abandoning My Tor•âh′, which I gave before them; but they didn't hearken to My Voice, nor walk in it; 13 and they walked after the willfulness of their heart; and after bәal•im′ that their fathers taught them. Yirmәyâh′u 7.14 Then I shall do to the Bayit wherein My Name is called ([the House] in which you trust [instead of in Me]) and to the Place that I gave to you and your forefathers as I did to Shil•oh′.		Then, coming out, Rib′i Yәho•shu′a was proceeding from the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ 24.1.1 and his tal•mid•im′ 5.1.1 came near to show him the buildings of the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ complex. Replying,24.2.1 he said to them, "Don't you behold all of these things? •mein′! I tell you, it shall all be demolished. Not one stone upon another shall be left remaining there." 24.2.2	24.2

Yirm^әyâh′u ha-Nâ•vi′ (7.14 above) unavoidably implied that the Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ [1] was merely an appurtenance, not a core essential (since 'ה neither requires a physical dwelling nor eats physical sacrifices and Yis•râ•eil′ would survive in its absence) and [2] Yis•râ•eil′ was mistaking it for the central focus, displacing and supplanting 'ה.

Ergo, absent the physical Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′, what then is the eternal Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ described by Y^әkhëz•qeil′ ha-Nâ•vi′? Yet another non-essential appurtenance-temptation to distract Yis•râ•eil′ to trust men, buildings and a human system (do even some excessive rabbis come to mind?) instead of 'ה?

Rather, the stones of the eternal Beit ha-Miq•dâsh′ are the n^әphâsh•ot′ of Yis•râ•eil′, the nëph′ësh of the Mâ•shi′akh being

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים; הָיְתָה, לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָה‮:

Ha•leil′, T^әhil•im′ 118.22

Tor•âh′, and Rib′i Y^әho•shu′a, taught that redemption — for a Jew — was a matter of personal t^әshuv•âh′ to the practice of Tor•âh′, the standard set by ha-Sheim′ as a requirement for Him, through His khës′ëd, to bestow upon the individual Jew a place in ha-O•lam′ ha-•Ba′. (For non-Jews, it is learning, and conforming one's life practice to, Tor•âh′ rather than t^әshuv•âh′ to Tor•âh′. Otherwise, the same Tor•âh′ applies, as appropriate, to both Jew and non-Jew.)

Considerable range has developed among Orthodox Y^әhud•im′ in the observance of the 9^th of Fifthmonth.

Thus, since Rib′i Y^әho•shu′a, as the Mâ•shi′akh of ha-Sheim′, has revealed the redemption of ha-Sheim′, the cited pâ•suq′ has been fulfilled and it would seem that a strong argument can be made that the four minor fasts cited (these do NOT include Yom Ki•pur′) should transition to occasions "for joy and rejoicing."

When with mainstream Orthodox Jews, however, tal•mid•ei′ N^әtzâr•im′ must accommodate their particular practice concerning the following traditional rites:

• Complete abstention from food and drink.
  
  
• Bathing for pleasure is strictly forbidden. Washing of face and the hands is permissible for cleansing purposes only (Ma•sëk′ët Ta•an•it′ 13a).
  
  
• The use of any oils for anointing and the application of perfumes is forbidden by Orthodox rabbis. However, some Orthodox Jews use deodorant and cologne. See also, in this context, The Netzarim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matityahu (NHM) 6.16-18.
  
  
• Marital sexual relations are forbidden.
  
  
• It is forbidden to put on footwear, belts and accessories made of leather
  
  
• One must sit either on the ground or on a low stool.
  
  
• In some communities, it is customary (as contrasted with Halâkh•âh′, which is mandatory) to abstain from work and business. However, in Israel this is a work day. While Yom Ki•pur′ is a Shab•ât′, these restrictions are similar in many of its other respects to Yom Ki•pur′. However, another difference is that Yom Ki•pur′ is from sunset to sunset.
  
  

According to tradition, this צום concludes three weeks of mourning, which began with the צום of the 17^th of Fourthmonth (Babylonian "Tammuz").