Temple Israel – Tisha B’av – What Do You Make of This Day?

“We Jews should’ve known this day was no good” – This is how Rabbi Alex Kress introduces his explanation of Tisha B’av – because, according to tradition, this day, the 9^th of Av, is the day on which major Jewish tragedies occurred – the destruction of both Temples, the reports of the biblical spies, the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt, and more – even supposedly the 1942 expulsion from Spain, and the deportations from the Warsaw ghetto began in 1942, and more.  For Jews, the association with the destruction of the Temples is often connected with the desire for the exiles to return and rebuild the Temple.  For Reform Jews, this meaning often doesn’t resonate as powerfully.  And we are in good company.

Rabbi David Einhorn, an important figure in early Reform Judaism (1800s), is cited here as preaching on the topic of Tisha B’Av, opening with: “Is the present day and its solemn nature meaningful to us also? Do we, indeed, have reason to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem devoutly? Does the religion of Judaism, from our point of view, still take an interest in the incineration of the holy Temple, …”

These are questions we still ask today.  He goes on (and you can read the full sermon) to express that we should take interest in this day but flips the emotional reasoning; rather than a day of mourning and sadness, it should be a day of great value.  He says: “Actually, however, today’s commemoration has, particularly for us, no lesser importance than the revelation of Mount Sinai; for – hear and remember this word, my friend! – the reform of Judaism recognizes in the destruction of the Temple and its consequences a deed in which God, in the most solemn and decisive manner, reformed the law God had revealed to Moses.”  And later: “From the ashes of that one Temple thousands of places of worship came forth; from the grave of animal sacrifice and separate priesthood rose the magnificent phenomenon of the congregation of priests scattered over the entire world, who offered themselves as sacrifices in the holy service of God.”  For Einhorn, the Diaspora from Israel marked a new chapter in the Jewish mission to carry out in his, and our, time.  So perhaps, while bad things happened on this day, it might be good too.

So, I ask you – what do you make of this day?  Is it a day of mourning and longing?  An important day?  A day like any other?  A day of celebration?  A day of hope?  Some or all of these?  That answer is for you to choose.  It is most certainly a day that we remember turning points and low points in Jewish history.  As we study, learn, and remember, what we take away from that history is up to us.  The Sefaria sheet linked above includes a few other sermons or writings from Reform thinkers, from Einhorn in the 1800s to contemporary Reform thinkers – take a look if you want some more inspiration into understanding this day within the breadth of modern Reform thought.  And, I look forward to looking at this more with our Newish to Jewish group this evening.