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The Three Weeks, Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah B'av

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The Three Weeks, Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah B'av THE THREE WEEKS, SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ and Tishah B’AV he most cataclysmic events shaping the history of the Jewish people occurred on Tthe Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah B’Av (the Ninth of Av). Profound mistakes in our relationship with God and our fellow Jews resulted in national tragedies that led to the establishment of these days of mourning, fasting, and introspection. This three-week period is known as “Bein HaMeitzarim” – (lit. “between the straits”) – and is marked by a reduction in our joyous celebration of life. The goal of this class is to understand the underlying causes of the major calamities that occurred on the Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah B’Av so that we can take action to improve our character, and thus restore the glory of the Jewish people and help rebuild the Third Temple. This class will address the following questions: ~ Why should we be concerned with ancient historical events that seem to have no relevance to contemporary life? ~ What events transpired on the Seventeenth of Tammuz and on Tishah B’Av that have impacted the Jewish nation throughout history? ~ Why were the First and Second Temples destroyed? ~ How is our sense of reality profoundly different without the Temple? ~ What can we do to rebuild the Temple? ~ How can introspection, fasting, and mourning on Tishah B’Av help rebuild the Jewish nation? 1 Jewish Calendar SECTION I: WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER SEDER? THE THREE WEEKS, SEVENTEENTH OF The celebration of Seder Night is a celebration of the Jewish national identity. Our nation came into being on Tammuz and Tishah B’AV Pesach night – in fact the prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel 16:4) calls Pesach “the day of your birth.” However, Class Outline rather than just a “birthday party” of sorts, the essence of Seder Night is to integrate and internalize the themes most basic to our identity as Jews. Once a year, on Seder Night, we attune ourselves to the most fundamental aspects of our Jewish identity. Section I. The Golden Calf and the Spies – Seminal Events in Jewish History 1. Aish.com, Seder for the Soul – Celebration of freedom. Section II. The Seventeenth of Tammuz Section III. Calamities that Occurred on Tishah B’Av Part A. The Negative Report of the Spies and the Decree Forbidding Entrance to the Land (1312 B.C.E.) Part B. Destruction of the First Temple and Exile (586 B.C.E) Part C. Destruction of the Second Temple and Exile (70 C.E.) Part D. Capture and Destruction of Beitar (132 C.E.) Part E. Temple Site Plowed Over (133 C.E.) Part F. Expulsions (1290, 1306, 1492 C.E.) Part G. World War I and the Seeds of World War II Section IV. What We are Missing Without the Temple Part A. The Divine Presence 2. Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus, Dissertations on Pesach, p. 52 – Constructing a spiritual Man. Part B. Prophecy Part C. Simchah Part D. Open Channel for Prayer Part E. Miracles at the Temple and Divine Protection Section V. Causes for the Destruction of the First and Second Temples 3. Shemot (Exodus) 13:8 – Source for relating the Exodus from Egypt at the Seder. Part A. First Temple: Three Cardinal Transgressions and Disrespect for Torah Part B. Second Temple: Sinat Chinam, Lashon Hara, and Not Judging Properly Section VI. How We Can Rebuild the Temple Part A. Taking Responsibility for the Jewish People and Ourselves 4. Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf, Passover Survival Kit Haggadah – Why is it called a Seder? Part B. Respecting and Loving Our Fellow Jews Part C. Improving our Speech Part D. Respecting Torah Part E. Developing and Strengthening a Positive Outlook on Life Section VII. Mourning, Fasting, and Introspection Help Rebuild the Jewish Nation Part A. Identifying With the Loss Part B. Fasting is a Catalyst for Introspection and Personal Growth Part C. Restrictions on Tishah B’Av Jewish Calendar 2 THE THREE WEEKS, SEVENTEENTH OF Tammuz and Tishah B’AV SECTION I. THE GOLDEN CALF AND THE SPies – SEMINAL EVENTS IN JEWISH HISTORY As we have discussed in the Morasha shiurim on the Jewish festivals, the cycle of the Jewish year contains a dynamic spiritual energy unique to each season. The same is true of the Three Weeks. The tragic actions of the newly founded Jewish nation worshipping the Golden Calf on the Seventeenth of Tammuz and the acceptance of the negative report of the Spies on the Ninth of Av, created a long-term negative impact on Jewish history. On the other hand, this time period provides each generation with the opportunity to rectify the source of these errors in order to elevate the Jewish people to the highest spiritual levels. 1. Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Mishnas Rabbi Aharon, Vol. III, p. 49 – Although there were several events that occurred on the Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah B’Av, the Golden Calf and the report of the Spies are viewed as the bases for the calamities that subsequently occurred on these days. והנה החורבן והגלות יסודם באלה הימים, מי”ז תמוז The destruction of the Temples and our exile עד ט’ באב, והמתבונן בזה ימצא כאן דברים מפליאים, are based on the days from the Seventeenth דבי”ז בתמוז נעשה העגל, ובליל ט’ באב מעשה of Tammuz until the Ninth of Av. One who המרגלים, והנה הם שני המאורעות גדולים ששינו את contemplates this will find amazing things. On מהלך עם ישראל לדורי דורות, the Seventeenth of Tammuz the Golden Calf was worshipped, and on the evening of the Ninth of Av the episode of the Spies took place. These two major events changed the entire course of the Jewish nation for generations. דקודם מעשה העגל היו כאדם הראשון קודם החטא... Before the Golden Calf, [after having received היינו קודם עשיית העגל היו במציאות אחרת לגמרי, the Torah on Mount Sinai] the Jewish people קרובים לעולמות הרוחניים... reached the stature of Adam HaRishon before his banishment from the Garden of Eden. They had achieved a totally different consciousness, close to the spiritual worlds… וחטא המרגלים גרם לדור המדבר שלא יכנסו לארץ The transgression of the Spies resulted in the ושלא יכנס משה רבינו לארץ, ואילו הכניס היתה inability of that entire generation, including ההנהגה כמו במדבר הנהגה ניסית גלויה, וגם לא היה Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses), from entering the Land אפשרי חורבן ביהמ”ק והגלות מהארץ והכל נסתבב of Israel. If they had entered the land at that ממעשה העגל ומחטא המרגלים. time, they would have enjoyed a supernatural existence with open miracles like the ones they had experienced until now [the Manna, Clouds of Glory, and traveling Spring of Miriam]. Furthermore, the Temple would never have been destroyed nor would the Jews have been exiled. All these events were the outcome of the sin of the Golden Calf and the transgression of the Spies. 3 Jewish Calendar THE THREE WEEKS, SEVENTEENTH OF Tammuz and Tishah B’AV 2. Rabbi Shaul Goldman, Mirrer Yeshiva, Jerusalem – Analogy to the formative period of a marriage. We can provide an analogy: The relationship forged between God and the Jewish people at Mount Sinai is sometimes referred to as a marriage. If, during the formative period of a marriage serious issues arise and are not addressed, they can be expected to resurface later, until they are resolved. Such were the challenges presented by worshipping the Golden Calf and the acceptance of the malicious report of the Spies. SECTION II. THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ What were the five tragedies that took place on the Seventeenth of Tammuz? 1. Rambam (Maimonides), Hilchot Ta’aniot (Laws of Fasting) 5:2 based on Mishnah, Ta’anit 4:6 – The five historical tragedies that all occurred on the Seventeenth of Tammuz. ושבעה עשר בתמוז וחמשה דברים אירעו בו: Five tragedies occurred to our ancestors on the Seventeenth of Tammuz: נשתברו הלוחות, Moshe broke the tablets containing the Ten .1 Commandments when he descended from Mt. Sinai and saw the Golden Calf. ובטל התמיד מבית ראשון The two daily sacrifices were suspended .2 during the First Temple period. 3. The Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem והובקעה ירושלם בחורבן שני, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple. ושרף אפוסטומוס הרשע את התורה, .The wicked Apostumos burned the Torah .4 5. Apostumos placed an idol in the Temple. והעמיד צלם בהיכל. [Some authorities maintain Apostumos lived during the Syrian-Greek conquest during the Second Temple period; others state he was a Roman ruler during the late Second Temple period.] The first calamity to occur on the Seventeenth of Tammuz was the sin of the Golden Calf. Only forty days after the entire nation heard God speak at Mt. Sinai, the Jewish men (not the women) created and worshipped an idol. This weakened their connection to the revelation at Mt. Sinai and created the possibility that in the future, other Jews would also sever their connection to God and the Torah (Gateway to Judaism, Rabbi Becher, p. 238). The next sources discuss this idea: 2. Shemot (Exodus) 32:23-25 – Aaron recounts to Moshe the events leading to the Golden Calf. ויאמרו לי עשה לנו אלהים אשר ילכו לפנינו כי זה משה The people said to me, “Make for us a god that האיש אשר העלנו מארץ מצרים לא ידענו מה היה לו: will go before us, for we do not know what has ואמר להם למי זהב התפרקו ויתנו לי ואשלכהו באש become of this man Moshe who brought us up ויצא העגל הזה: from Egypt.” And I said to them, “Who has Jewish Calendar 4 THE THREE WEEKS, SEVENTEENTH OF Tammuz and Tishah B’AV gold?” They removed it and gave it to me.
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