July 30, 2009

Dear Friend of Israel,

The Jewish fast of Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, began this year at sundown on Wednesday, July 29. Throughout history, many catastrophes have befallen the Jewish people on the 9th of Av—the worst of these being the destructions of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem in the years 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., respectively.

The culmination of the mourning period known as "The Three Weeks" that began on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, Tisha B'Av is a day of solemnity, sorrow and remembrance: Jews refrain from ordinary pleasures and indulgences, including a 25-hour fast from eating and drinking. Tisha B'Av is one of only two "full" fast days on the Jewish calendar (Yom Kippur is the other): Adults touch neither food nor drink—even water—from sunset until nightfall the following evening.

We eschew frivolity of any sort, refraining from greeting one another and following other customs associated with mourning: We do not bathe, wear cosmetics, or wear leather shoes, and we sit on low chairs to minimize comfort. Even Torah study—an activity Jewish tradition considers joyous—is restricted to passages describing the laws of mourning, the destruction of the Temple, and other tragic events.

These customs, of course, are not ends in themselves, but a means of reminding us that we are doing much more than simply mourning the loss of buildings. Those buildings—the Holy Temples—were, Jews believe, the holiest spots on earth, where the Divine Presence was most manifest, most immediate. While the Temples stood, they reflected not only God's glory (the Talmud tells us that one who never saw the Holy Temple has never seen a beautiful building) but what went on within them gave common men and women tangible connections to the Divine—concrete ways of atonement and repentance, access to prophecy and God's Divine Will. The buildings' destruction took not just their magnificence, but removed a degree of certainty that we once had in determining God's Will and how we could best serve Him.

God is still present in the world, of course, but He is hidden from us in a way that He was not before. Once, we lived in a world defined by clarity, surety; today, we live in a world of uncertainty and confusion—ambiguity that will not be resolved until the Messianic age.

There are those who say that it would be best to forget all this suffering and move on. In fact, though, the Bible itself exhorts us to remember: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you." (Psalm 137:5-6) We commemorate past tragedies not to wallow in our grief, but to strengthen our memory of history, to correct the missteps that led us to catastrophe, and to ensure that such things do not happen again. And, perhaps, our remembering will help us realize that our survival—through so many trials—is indeed a miracle, a gift from God.

On this solemn day, Jews will remember those who were murdered for being Jewish, whether by Romans, Inquisitors, Cossacks, Nazis, or terrorists. We remember those who died defending the Jewish people, the Jewish State, and the Sanctity of God's Name. We remember that, until the Messianic Age, Israel can never be completely free of the threat of war and destruction.

Remembering our trials is painful, but remembering our survival is redemptive. We will never succumb to despair because we remember that—even at our nation's darkest moments—"The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid" (Psalm 118: 5). And we faithfully believe in His promise to us: "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)

On this Tisha B'Av, I ask you to pray for the welfare of the Jewish people and the Jewish state, and to continue our work together to support Israel and strengthen her people.

I send you my deepest thanks for your faithful support; may God bless you, even as you have blessed His people, Israel.

With prayers for shalom, peace,