Esnoga Bet Emunah

227 Millset Chase - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Telephone: (210) 277 8649 - United States of America © 2007

E-Mail: gkilli@aol.com

 

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings

Second Year of the Reading Cycle

Ab 9, 5767 – July 23/24, 2007

Fifth Year of the Sh’mita Cycle

 

Fast: 9th of Ab, 5767 [23rd – 24th of July, 2007]

 

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/tishabav.doc

 

 

San Antonio, Texas, U.S.                                            Brisbane, Australia:

Monday, July, 23, 2007 – Fast begins: 8:32 PM                Monday, July 23, 2007 – Fast begins: 5:14 PM

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 – Fast ends: 8:58 PM                   Tuesday, July 24, 2007 – Fast ends: 5:39 PM

 

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.                                                             Singapore, Singapore

Monday July 23, 2007 – Fast begins: 8:45 PM                 Monday, July 23, 2007 – Fast begins: 7:16 PM

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 – Fast ends: 9:12 PM                   Tuesday, July 24, 2007 – Fast ends: 7:38 PM

 

 

Evening Service:

 

Prophetic Reading:    Lamentations 1:1 – 5:22

 

Nazarean Codicil:      Bereans (Hebrews) 1:1 – 6:20

 

 

Morning Service:

 

Torah Readings:         Reader 1 – D’barim (Deut.) 4:25-29

                                    Reader 2 – D’barim (Deut.) 4:30-34

                                    Reader 3 – D’barim (Deut.) 4:35-40

 

Prophets’ Readings:   Jeremiah 8:13 – 9:23

                                    Job 1:1- 3:26; 42:1-17

 

Nazarean Codicil:      Bereans (Hebrews) 7:1- 10:39

 

 

Afternoon Service:

 

Torah Readings:         Reader 1 – Shemot (Ex.) 32:11-15

                                    Reader 2 – Shemot (Ex.) 34:1-4

                                    Reader 3 – Shemot (Ex.) 34:6-10                      

 

Prophets’ Readings:       Hosea 14:2-10

                                    Micah 7:18-20

 

Nazarean Codicil:          Bereans (Hebrews) 11:1 – 13:25

 

 

 

Roll of Honor:

 

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family, as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family and that of His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and beloved wife, and that of His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and his beloved wife Giberet Karmela bat Sarah. For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

 

If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to ravybh@optusnet.com.au with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!

 

 

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/tishabav.doc

 

Main events that took place on this day:

 

1312 BCE - Exodus Generation Condemned to Die in Desert - On the Ninth of Av of the year 2449 from creation (1312 BCE), the generation of Jews who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership 16 months earlier were condemned to die in the desert and the entry into the Land of Israel was delayed for 40 years.

 

As related in Numbers 14, when the Spies that Moses sent to the Land of Canaan returned with their disheartening report (see "Today in Jewish History" for yesterday, Av 8), the people wept all night -- the night of Av 9th -- proclaiming that they'd rather return to Egypt than attempt to conquer and settle it; G-d decreed that the entire generation will wander in the desert for 40 years until that last of them died out, and that their children, under the leadership of Joshua, will enter the land He promised as Israel's heritage.

 

This is the first of five national tragedies that occurred on Av 9 listed by the Talmud (Taanit 4:6), due to which the day was designated as a fast day. The other four are: the destruction of the two Temples, the fall of Betar, and the plowing over of Jerusalem.

 

423 BCE and 69 CE - Holy Temples Destroyed; Birth of Mashiach - Both the first and second Holy Temples which stood in Jerusalem were destroyed on Av 9: the First Temple by the Babylonians in the year 3338 from creation (423 BCE), and the second by the Romans in 3829 (69 CE).

 

The Temples' destruction represents the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, for it marks our descent into Galut--the state of physical exile and spiritual displacement in which we still find ourselves today. Thus the Destruction is mourned as a tragedy that affects our lives today, 2,000 years later, no less than the very generation that experienced it first hand.

 

Yet the Ninth of Av is also a day of hope. The Talmud relates that King Mashiach ("anointed one"--King Messiah), was born [took office] at the very moment that the Temple was set aflame and the Galut began. [This is in keeping with the teachings of our sages that, “In every generation is born a descendent of Judah who is worthy to become Israel's Mashiach” (Bartinoro on Ruth); “When the time will come, G-d will reveal Himself to him and send him, and then the spirit of Mashiach, which is hidden and secreted on high, will be manifested in him” (Chattam Sofer).]

 

133 C.E. - Fall of Betar - Betar, the last stronghold in the heroic Bar Kochba rebellion, fell to the Romans on the 9th of Av of the year 3893 (133 CE) after a three-year siege. 580,000 Jews died by starvation or the sword, including Bar Kochba, the leader of the rebellion.

 

1290 C.E. - Expulsion from England  - The Jews of England were expelled by King Edward I on this date in 1290.

 

1492 C.E. - The Spanish Expulsion - The Jews of Spain were expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella on the 9th of Av of 1492, terminating many centuries of flourishing Jewish life in that country.

 

1555 C.E. - Ghetto established in Rome. Pope Paul IV moves all the Jews into a foul smelling area near the Tiber River. The Jews were forced to pay for the wall that was built around the ghetto.

 

1571 C.E. – The ghetto of Florence Italy was established.

 

1648 C.E. – Three thousand Jews perished in Konstantynow in what were known as the Chmielnicki massacres

 

1670 C.E. – The last group of Jews were forced to leave Austria.

 

1882 C.E. – The Turkish government, which then controlled the Holy-land, barred immigration of Russian and Rumanian Jews and also banned the sale of land in Palestine to Jews.

 

1914 C.E. – WW1 begins. 75% of all Jews lived in war zones.

 

1940 C.E. – Himler presented his plan to the Nazi Party on the "Final Solution" to the Jewish problem

 

1941 C.E. – Himler’s plan was implemented.

 

1941 C.E. – A decree went forth expelling all Jews from Hungarian Ruthenia

 

1942 C.E. – Deportation from Warsaw Ghetto to the concentration camp at Treblinka began.

 

1989 C.E. – Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait

 

1990 C.E. – Gulf war starts.

 

1994 C.E. – Deadly bombing of the Jewish community center in Argentina, killing 86 and wounding 300.

 

 

On this day there is no teshuva (returning), no repentance – only mourning. Even teshuva (returning) is forbidden in mourning! If we arrive at Tisha B’Ab (9th of Ab) with our teshuva (returning), we have arrived unprepared. We have contributed to the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash, the Temple. It is our duty to build ourselves into the lively stones as a fit place for the Shechina to rest. We must do teshuva (returning) before Tisha B’Ab (9th of Ab)! We must repent while there is yet time!

 

The 9th of Ab is a day totally reserved for mourning and examining what is our contribution to the falling and destruction of the Tabernacle of David, and what is it that we are going to do about it, as it is said:

 

Amos 9:11 In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and I will wall up its breaks. And I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as the days of old;

Amos 9:12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles on whom My name is called, declares Ha-Shem who is doing this.

 

II Lukas (Acts) 15:16 After these things “I” will return and “will build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen,” “and I will build again the things which have been demolished,” and I will set it up,

II Lukas (Acts) 15:17 so as the rest of men may seek the Lord, “even all the Gentiles on whom My name has been called, says Ha-Shem, Who is doing all these things.”

 

If we could gather seven more men this year who are willing to become Nazarean Torah Scholars who are in it not for the money nor for the things that this world can offer, and who are willing to give their all as the 12 Nazarean Torah Scholars who were the disciples of King Yeshuah the Messiah did, then we will cause a great Tikun (reparation) for the sins we have committed that caused the destruction of the Temple and the destruction of the early Nazarean movement – the Tabernacle of David. It is all in our hands!

 

Perhaps, you are not one of these seven “actual” more men needed, but in fact you can be one of them, for your economical support counts a long way to support the ministry and study needs of these seven men. With your financial support we can surely do great things – the widow’s mite as the Master taught can go a long way. I thoroughly believe that this 9th of Ab of the year 5767 will be most important for us.

 

May it all go well over the fast.

 

Shalom UBrachot!

 

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai