Rabbi Weill's Blog

Dear Friends,

We are in the midst of the "Three Weeks" between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, or Tisha b'Av. This period represents the intensifying siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE, culminating with the destruction of the Second Temple. The ninth of Av is the anniversary of other calamities in Jewish history, including the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE and the signing of the edict of our expulsion from Spain in 1492. This three-week period began with a daytime fast (sunrise to sunset) and it will end on Tisha b'Av with a full day fast.

It is good to be aware of these important dates. But it is even better to live them. Jewish holidays, after all, are not mere commemorations; rather, they are reenactments. When we tell the story of the exodus from Egypt, for instance, we must see ourselves as having been redeemed from slavery. The haggadah is not a history book; it is a drama and we are the actors.  

And so, as we approach Tisha b'Av, please engage in its drama by coming to our Erev Tisha b'Av service on Saturday evening, JULY 25 (one week from this Saturday). We will begin ma'ariv at 9 pm. (There will be no 6 pm service that night.)  We will chant from the mournful book of Lamentations. Some of us will sit on the floor, adopting postures of mourning. Our lights will be dimmed, so you can bring a flashlight to help you read the prayer book. (We will have extra flashlights there too.)

Our tradition bids us to fully engage with our holidays, to feel them deeply, even bodily.  Our luach (Jewish calendar) is for living, not merely knowing; for observing, not merely knowing.

Join us NEXT Saturday night, July 25, for Erev Tisha b'Av services. Let us live the luach together.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jeffrey Weill