“The Most Amazing Coincidence in History”

On August 7, 2003, Jews all over the world commemorated Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av). It was on this day that numerous tragedies befell the Jewish people. It all began in the wilderness when, according to the Talmud, the spies returned from the Holy Land with a discouraging report regarding the inhabitants of the land. This report signaled their lack of faith in God who had already promised to deliver the land into their hands. Almost 1500 years later to the day, the first Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. 656 years after that, the Romans destroyed the Second Holy Temple.

The fateful events of Tisha B’Av are not limited only to ancient times. In 1290, King Edward I signed an edict compelling Jews to leave England on the ninth of Av. In 1492, the Jews from Spain were exiled on the same day. Further, throughout the many years of suffering Jews endured in the Diaspora, pogroms and massacres frequently took place on this day. Finally, and perhaps the most jarring for Jews of our generation, the outbreak of World War I occurred on Tisha B’Av. We are certainly familiar with the course of events that resulted for the Jews as a result of the wars in Europe.

It might seem a little far-fetched to argue, as our tradition does, that all of these events occurred on the same day. But whether we buy into this tremendous coincidence or deny it, we should take note of the brilliance of the concept. It would be way too easy for a Jew to lament the plight of his ancestry all year long. So many tragedies have befallen us, and there is certainly no shortage of martyrs to mourn. But Judaism is a religion of joy, not a religion of sadness. We are supposed to rejoice every morning that God has breathed new life into us and given us a world in which to perpetuate His Divine Will. Tisha B’Av, which is the saddest day on our calendar, is meant paradoxically to ensure happiness in our lives.

By commemorating all of these tragedies on one day, we do not need to mark a separate sad occasion every couple of weeks. If one liked, he could probably find a yahrzeit for a different Jewish tragedy on every single day of the calendar. That would be exactly what God does not want for us! Rather, God’s plan for us is to live in peace and harmony and to enjoy the fruits of His creation.
 
This past August 7th, Jews took a moment and lamented all the suffering that our people have endured. We must remember not to forget. We must remember what the other nations did to us and how our ancestors suffered because they were Jews. No matter how long ago these tragedies occurred, we are obligated to remember them. Would we allow Jews a hundred years from now, or a thousand years from now, to forget about the Holocaust? Because the answer must be a resounding NO, then we must take pause to remember the previous calamities and tragedies that befell our ancestors. We are obligated to keep a permanent place in our hearts for the all the victims of Israel. Yet, we are indebted to the wisdom of our sages who determined that all of these tragic events “occurred” on the same day. Every year we shall remember, but every day we shall live content in the shadow of God’s presence.

L’Shalom,
Jeremy Barras