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Jerusalem Post
A progressive perspective on Tisha Be'av
By STEPHEN LEWIS FUCHS
07/25/2012 23:27
It is left to us to reconcile the remembrance of genuine tragedy with the
possibilities for the growth and development of the Judaism that has been
passed down to us.
Description: An Orthodox man prays with soldiers in J'lem.Photo: Marc Israel
Sellem
The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, Tisha Be'av, is a day when
traditional Jews fast in memory of the magnificent Temples of Jerusalem
which were each destroyed in their turn first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE
and then again by the Romans in 70 CE.
The day also is a solemn one in memory of other historical tragedies
associated with that date. For example, it is said that the beginning of the
first Crusade in 1095, a time of persecution and slaughter of the Jews of
Europe, and in 1290 the expulsion of Jews from England both took place on
that date. Tisha Be'av also coincides with the expulsion of Jews from Spain
in 1492 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
The meaning of this day of tragedies does not rank high in the consciousness
of most non-Orthodox Jews, and that raises the question of what might
Progressive Jews make of Tisha Be'av today.
The destruction of the two Temples and the exile of Jews from our sacred
land that followed, were occasions of death and suffering and sorrow is
appropriate. Certainly all the other historical tragedies associated with
that date are important to remember, too.
On the other hand, the centrality of the Temple in Jewish life ended
abruptly with its final destruction and there is little merit in reviving
its traditions anew. Much of the Temple's centrality revolved around its
role as a place for animal sacrifice as a sign of repentance, thanksgiving
or celebration.
After the destruction and dispersion, the Jewish people found other ways
worship built around their synagogues and homes.
Rabbis rose up from the community instead of priests, and our post-Temple
practices have served us well as we wandered through the world. I know of no
Progressive Jews who wish to see a reconstructed Temple, a re-institution of
animal sacrifice, and a return of control over Jewish life to a hereditary
priestly class.
While it was a horrific tragedy of the time, the destruction of the Second
Temple liberated Judaism to become what we treasure today, a religion based
on the study of Torah, of prayer and of acts of kindness and compassion: a
religion and a way of life that reaches deeply into everything we do.
The very vibrancy and strength of the Jewish people over the centuries
attests to the wisdom of what we have become and not what we once were. It
may sound odd, but in that sense Tisha Be'av, especially in the age of a
renewed Jewish Nation in Israel, can be seen as both an occasion of hope and
optimism as well as one of remembrance and sorrow.
It is left to us to reconcile the remembrance of genuine tragedy with the
possibilities for the growth and development of the Judaism that has been
passed down to us. In that context I observe a fast on Tisha Be'av until mid
day. During that time I study the traditional text for the day, the biblical
book of Lamentations. At 1:00 p.m. I partake of a mid-day meal grateful for
the Judaism that has been bequeathed to us over the years, a Judaism that no
longer slaughters animals and sprinkles their blood as a sign of gratitude
or as a petition to God.
I celebrate the fact that a Judaism based on the Temple and its hereditary
priestly class has been replaced by a Judaism we can all access and immerse
ourselves in while we absorb the lessons our people gleaned over the
centuries: that each of us should use our individual talents in our own way
to make the world a better place.
TISHA B'AV for me is also the day when I begin preparing for the period of
introspection culminating in the rituals of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
Impetus for beginning the process of repentance comes from the middle of the
book of Lamentations.
"Let us search and examine our ways and return to he Eternal One!"
(Lamentations 3:40).
For Progressive Jews, then, Tisha Be'av can be both a day of mourning and a
day of joy.
We mourn for the destruction of the Temple, but we rejoice that we have
developed a strong, resilient means of surviving as Jews.
Mourning the tragedies of the past we begin to search and examine our way
forward and face the future with hope and courage.
The writer, a rabbi, is president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
