LESSON 35: The Ninth of Av
 
Even though the Kohanim and Levi’im officiated in the Mishkan throughout the time in the desert, it was not the ideal circumstance. It had been a very unique situation in which the close proximity of the Shechinah had elevated the camp of the Jewish nation, giving it a holier status than any other place in the Diaspora. Even still, the Mishkan had not functioned at the same capacity as the future temple would. For the desert, it was an ideal situation. With respect to the ultimate goals of Creation and the Jewish people, it was far from it. So, when the Generation of the Spies refused to accept the gift of Eretz Yisroel, they had rejected more than just the land; they had rejected everything they had been redeemed from Egypt to become, as embodied in the temple that was destined to be built. Hence, the intrinsic connection between the disaster of the Spies, and all of those destined to result on the Tisha B’Avs of the future: “The entire assembly raised up and issued its voice; the people wept that night” (Bamidbar 14:1). Rabbah said in the name of Rebi Yochanan, “That night was the night of Tisha B’Av, and The Holy One, Blessed is He, told them, ‘You cry for nothing? I will establish a crying for the generations!’.” (Ta’anis 29a) Hence, was born Tisha B’Av, a day of national mourning for the Jewish people. However, what it is really meant to be is a day of national yearning for the Jewish people, yearning for the temple and the Divine Presence meant to dwell within it, yearning for the return to the temple service of the Kohanim and Levi’im, yearning to live on the land in order to bear witness to all of this, and to participate in it. Eventually, those who survived the 40 years in the desert entered the land, as God had promised: Your young children of whom you said they will be taken captive, I will bring them; they will know the land that you have despised. (Bamidbar 14:31) They fought against the Canaanites, and took the land. Eventually, Shlomo HaMelech built the first temple in 2928/833 BCE, and it stood for 410 years, before being destroyed by Nebuchadnetzar in the year 3338/423 BCE. Exiled to Bavel, once again, the Jewish people found themselves outside the Land of Israel. The Babylonian Exile lasted 70 years, 52 years under the rulership of Babylonian kings, and 18 years under that of Median kings, just as the Torah had predicted. Then it came time to return home, and to re-build what was supposed to have been the second and final temple. The miraculous victory of the Jewish people over Haman in 3407/353 BCE, was meant to initiate that process. The Babylonian Exile should have been the last one, but it wasn’t, and the question is, why?
Monday, February 11, 2008