Holidays -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 6/8/2002
Last Visited: 6/8/2002
"Tisha B'Av is an appointed day when you relate to Hashem [God] by discovering how far you are from him," said Rabbi Aaron Kahn, a director of the Advanced Institute of Talmudic Studies at New York City's Yeshiva University."Relating to Him gives us the opportunity to do teshuva [repentance]."
Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, has become synonymous with grief because of the tragic events that happened that day and threatened the existence of the Jewish nation.Its designation as a day of sorrow dates back to the ancient Israelites' exodus from Egypt when 10 of the 12 spies sent by Moses from the desert to scout Canaan brought back slanderous reports about the land.According to the Book of Numbers, the disheartened Israelites "raised their voice and wept that night."
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- Rabbi Aaron Kahn
The reason given by the prophets for the First Temple's destruction was that Jews engaged in idolatry, immorality and bloodshed.Because there were no prophecies during the Second Temple's destruction, the Jews had to look inward, Rabbi Kahn said.
They found they were guilty of sinat chinum, or baseless hatred, toward fellow Jews, according to the Talmud.