Desire For New Jewish Temple Growing In Israel

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Pastor Dale Morgan

unread,
Aug 11, 2008, 11:31:59 PM8/11/08
to Bible-Pro...@googlegroups.com
*Perilous Times

Desire For New Jewish Temple Growing In Israel*

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) The fast of Tisha B'Av, the "saddest" day in the Jewish
calendar, begins on Saturday night as the Sabbath ends, and ends Sunday
evening at sundown. Its name literally means "the ninth day of the
Jewish month of Av," the date of some of the gravest tragedies to have
befallen the Jewish People. Most notably, both Holy Temples in
Jerusalem were destroyed on Tisha B'Av, but the list of calamities
includes also the following:

* G-d decreed, following the Sin of the Spies as recounted in
Numbers 13-14, that the Children of Israel would not be allowed to enter
the Land of Israel until the entire generation had died out.

* The fall of Beitar, the last fortress to hold out during the Bar
Kochba revolt in the year 135 C.E., fell to the Romans, marking the last
milestone in the beginning of our current Exile.

* A year later, the Temple area was plowed under.
* The Jews of Spain were expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella in 1492.
* World War I erupted in 1914.
* The Jews of Gush Katif spent their last legal day in their homes
in 2005, and were expelled three days later.

"Secular Jews for the Temple"

The centerpiece of Tisha B'Av mourning is the destruction of the Holy
Temple (Beit HaMikdash). Among the many groups that have sprouted over
the past several years promoting awareness of the Beit HaMikdash is one
named "Secular Jews for the Temple." Ahuvyah Tabenkin of left-wing
Kibbutz Ein Harod said, "It's true that we don't exactly represent a
majority of secular Kibbutz members... but the pioneers have always been
a minority: the Zionists were a minority among the Jews, those who came
to the Land were a minority among the Zionists, those who worked the
land were also a minority, and now we are a minority as well. But I
hope that soon we will be the leaders."

Tabenkin has nationalist, political and historical reasons why the
Temple and the Temple Mount are important. Asked if he has religious
considerations as well, Tabenkin told Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane, "Well, the
word 'religious' can be the subject of long discussions. Look, the
Gerrer Rebbe once said, 'When the Haskalah [Enlightenment] came to the
world, with science, physics, etc., we [the religious] left it for the
secular Jews; when Zionism came to the world, we gave that too to the
secular; and now we have also left the Repentance Movement for the
secular.' Accordingly, it looks like we [the secular] will also have to
build the Beit HaMikdash."

Asked whether he calls for the actual construction of the Temple, he
said, "There are many religious authorities, including Maimonides, who
say that the Temple must be rebuilt, and so I think it should be
done... As a first step, we must show that we control the Temple
Mount... I call upon all of Israel to come to the Mount on [Tisha B'Av]
and show that it belongs to the Jewish nation."

Prominent rabbis permit the ascent to parts of the Temple Mount after
certain Halakhic precautions have been taken.

Tisha B'Av Laws

The Sages enacted Yom Kippur-like restrictions on Tisha B'Av, including
no eating, drinking, washing, or marital relations. Leather shoes are
not worn, and even Torah study - a major source of Jewish joy - is
restricted to topics connected with the Destruction of the Temples,
Tisha B'Av, and the like.

Though the afternoon before Tisha B'Av is generally marked by
mourning-like practices, this is not true this year, when the eve of
Tisha B'av is on the Sabbath. The afternoon Third Meal is larger than
usual, as it will be the last meal for over 24 hours, and the usual
Sabbath songs are sung. However, one must not eat after sundown on
Sabbath, even though the Sabbath has not yet ended.

When three stars have appeared, the "short Havdalah" is recited
["Blessed is He Who separates between Sabbath and weekdays"], and Tisha
B'Av officially begins; leather shoes are removed and unlaundered
weekday clothes are worn. The evening prayer service is followed by one
of the Havdalah blessings, that of "light," and Eichah (Book of
Lamentations) is read aloud.

The other Havdalah blessings are recited on Sunday evening before
eating; the blessing on spices is not recited at all this week. Those
who feel they must eat on Tisha B'Av for health reasons should consult
an Orthodox rabbi.

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages