The Most Calamitous Jewish Day « The Ettinger Report

The Ninth Day of Av (July 30, 2020) Guide for the Perplexed
Based on ancient Jewish sages
More on Jewish holidays in my eBook: Smashwords, Amazon

Remembrance breeds deliverance, while forgetfulness feeds oblivion. According to a legend, Napoleon heard lamentations emanating from a synagogue, while walking one night in the streets of Paris. When told that the wailing commemorated the 586 BCE destruction of the First Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (on the 9^th Day of Av according to the Jewish calendar), he proclaimed: “People who solemnize ancient history are destined for a glorious future!”
The verb “to remember” (זכור) appears almost 200 times in the Old Testament, including the Ten Commandments. Judaism obligates parents to transfer the lessons of tradition/memories to their offspring.
Some of the most calamitous events in Jewish history occurred on the 9^th Day of Av and are commemorated annually, in order to minimize future calamities, by avoiding past errors, such as ideological polarization which leads to violence.
For example:

*The debacle of the Ten Spies (tribal presidents) – Joshua and Caleb excepted – prolonged the wandering in the desert for 40 years, and barred entrance to the Promised Land to all Jews who left Egypt during the Exodus (other than Joshua and Caleb). This calamity was triggered by the subordination of faith and long-term reality/vision to immediate convenience/gratification and conventional wisdom; the mistrust of the divine promise to inherit the Land of Israel; the understatement of Jewish capabilities in face of adversity; and the slandering of the Land of Israel.

*The destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (586 BCE), resulted in the massacre of 100,000 Jews and a massive national exile. This catastrophe was the result of the failed institution of the monarchy (as forewarned by Gideon the Judge and Samuel the Prophet and inspired Thomas Paine’s 1776 “Common Sense”), the post-King Solomon violent rupture of the Jewish Kingdom into the kingdoms of Judea and Israel (Samaria), paganism, incest, and the corruption of Jewish Kings and Priests.

*The destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple by the Roman Emperor, Titus (70 CE) was a result of severe intra-Jewish polarization, unjustified-hatred, physical fighting, moral decay and paganism. It caused the massacre of one million Jews and another massive national exile. The Roman aim was to erase Judaism and the Jewish people from human memory.

*Ten Martyrs – ten leading rabbis – were executed by the Roman Empire: Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel, Rabbi Hanina Ben Tradion, Rabbi Yishmael Ben Elisha, Rabbi Elazar Ben Shamoa’, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Dama, Rabbi Yeshavav the Author, Rabbi Hotzpit the Translator, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Baba and Rabbi Hanina Ben Hachinay.

*The 132-135 CE Bar Kokhbah Revolt was crushed – by the Roman Emperor Adrianus – with the killing of Bar Kokhbah, the fall of his Beitar headquarters – south of Jerusalem in Judea – the plowing of Jerusalem, and 600,000 Jewish fatalities.

*The pogroms of the First Crusade (1096-1099) massacred tens of thousands of Jews in Germany, France, Italy and Britain.

*The expulsion of the Jews from Britain (1290).

*The expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492).

*The eruption of the First World War (1914).

*The beginning of the 1942 deportation of Warsaw Ghetto Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp.

The 9^th Day of the month of Av was first mentioned in the Book of Zechariah 7:3. It is one of four annual Jewish fast days, commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Temples: the 10th Day of the months of Tevet (the onset of the Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem); the 17th day of the months of Tamuz (the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached); the 9th day of Av (the destruction of both Temples); and the 3rd day of the month of Tishrei (the polarization-driven murder of the Jewish Governor Gedalyah, which led to a murderous rampage by the Babylonians and a massive Jewish exile).
The 9^th Day of Av concludes 21 days of calamity and lamentation, which began on the 17^th day of Tamuz, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by Nebuchadnezzar and Titus, followed by a seven-week period of consolation, ingathering and renewal, which are concluded on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
The centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish history is commemorated on the 9^th day of Av. It is highlighted by Psalm 137:5:

“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.”

According to the Babylonian Talmud (a key source of Jewish law), Ta’anit 30: “He who laments the destruction of Jerusalem will be privileged to witness its renewal.”

The 9^th Day of Av yields a message of reality-driven optimism, hope and faith over pessimism, despair and fatalism, irrespective of the odds:

*From the WW2 Holocaust to the 1948 reestablishment of the Jewish State; *From exile and subjugation to the ingathering and liberty in the Land of Israel; *From near-extinction and next-to-irrelevance at the end of WW2 to unique Jewish contributions to humanity in the areas of medicine, science, technology, space, education, environment, agriculture, irrigation and military.

The 9^th Day of Av demonstrates that crises are opportunities in disguise, transforming curse and decay to blessing and renewal.

The message “from destruction to deliverance and renewal” is conveyed by the Book of Lamentations, which was composed by the Prophet Jeremiah, who prophesized destruction, exile and deliverance. The Book of Lamentations – The Scroll of Eikhah in Hebrew – is one of the five Biblical Scrolls: Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, the Book of Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and the Scroll of Esther. The Book of Lamentations is read during the first nine days of the month of Av, “the Days of Calamity.” The numerical value of the Hebrew letters of Eikhah (איכה) is 36, which is equal to the number of righteous, legendary Jewish persons, as well as to life (18 – חי) times two. The Hebrew meaning of Eikhah (איכה) could be interpreted as a reproaching “How Come?!”, as well as “Where are you (God)?” or “Why have you strayed away?” The term איכה features in the first chapter of Deuteronomy and the first chapter of Isaiah. Both are studied annually in conjunction with the Book of Lamentations on the 9th day of Av. Thus the 9^th day of Av leverages the unique values of Moses (Deuteronomy) and the two Prophets – Jeremiah and Isaiah.
The Hebrew spelling of Av (אב) consists of the first two letters of the Hebrew Alpha-Beth, the spelling of “father” and “bud,” and the first two letters of “spring” (אביב which also means, in Hebrew, “the father of twelve months”). The numerical value of Av, אב, (א=1 and ב=2) is 3, the combination of the basic even and odd numbers (“A cord of 3 strands is not easily broken,” Ecclesiastes 4:12). The zodiac sign of the month of Av is a lion, representing the Lion of Judah, rising from the ashes of the destruction caused by Nebuchadnezzar, whose symbol was also the lion. The fast on the 9th day of Av is succeeded by the 15th day of Av – a Jewish holiday of love and reconciliation.

More on Jewish holidays in my eBook: Smashwords, Amazon

More on Purim in my eBook: Smashwords, Amazon

“Purimfest 1946” yelled Julius Streicher, the Nazi propaganda chief, as he approached the hanging gallows in Nuremberg (Newsweek, October 28, 1946, page 46). On October 16, 1946, ten convicted Nazi war criminals were hanged (just as the ten sons of Haman were hung in ancient Persia).

Julius Streicher’s ranch served as a camp for young Jewish Holocaust survivors on their way to Israel, one of them was the late Eliezer Cotler, the grandfather of my son-in-law. While reading books at Streicher’s library, he noticed that the Nazi war criminal had a collection of books on Purim, with red ink underlining all references to the fate of the Amalekites and Haman. Streicher assumed that the origin of the Aryan race was in Persia, with a connection to the descendants of the Amalekites, who were the worst enemies of the Jewish people. He believed that Purim documented the fate of the enemies of the Jewish people; hence, Streicher’s yell: “Purim Fest 1946”.

Purim’s historical background:

^A Jewish exile to Babylon and Persia was triggered by the 586 BCE destruction of the 1^st Jewish Temple and the expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria by the Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchadnezzar.

^Persia replaced Babylon as the leading regional power.

^In 538 BCE, Xerxes the Great, Persia’s King Ahasuerus, the successor of Darius the Great, proclaimed his support for the reconstruction of the Jerusalem Jewish Temple and the resurrection of national Jewish life in the Land of Israel.

^In 499-449 BCE, Ahasuerus established a coalition of countries – from India to Ethiopia – which launched the Greco-Persian Wars, aiming to expand the Persian Empire westward.

^Persia was resoundingly defeated (e.g., the 490 BCE and 480 BCE battles of Marathon and Salamis), and Ahasuerus’ authority in Persia was gravely eroded.

Purim is a Jewish national liberation holiday – just like Passover and Chanukah – which highlights optimism and the transition of the Jewish people from subjugation to liberty. It is celebrated seven days following the birth and death date of Moses – a role model of liberty, leadership and humility.

Purim is celebrated (evening of March 7 – day of March 8, 2023), when the cold and stormy winter shifts into the upbeat, warm and pleasant spring.

Purim is celebrated on the 14th/15th day of the Jewish month of Adar, which ushers in happiness. Adar is the root of the Hebrew adjective Adir (אדיר), which stands for the adjectives glorious, exalted and magnificent. It is, also, a derivative of the Akkadian word Adura (heroism).
Remembrance is at the core the Purim holiday. The Scroll of Esther – which narrates the Purim saga – is also named The Book of Remembrance. The pre-Purim Sabbath is called The Sabbath of Remembrance (זכור), commemorating the deadly threat of the Amalekites (the ancestors of Haman), who aimed to annihilate the Jewish people following the deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

Queen Esther is Purim’s heroine. The Scroll of Esther is one of the 5 Biblical Scrolls, which are highlighted on Jewish holidays: Song of Songs (Passover), Scroll of Ruth (Pentecost), Lamentations (the 9^th day of Av – destruction of the Jewish Temple), Ecclesiastes (Feast of Tabernacles) and The Scroll of Esther (Purim). Esther (Mordechai’s niece or cousin) symbolized the centrality of women in Judaism, as did Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah (the Matriarchs), Miriam (Moses’ older sister), Batyah (who saved Moses’ life), Deborah (the Prophetess, Judge and military leader), Hannah (Samuel’s mother) and Yael (who killed Sisera, the Canaanite General).

Esther was one of the 7 Biblical Jewish Prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther (Megillah tractate of the Mishnah, 14:71). Sarah lived 127 years and Esther was the Queen of 127 countries.

The name Esther was a derivative of Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of beauty and fertility, as well as Stara, the Persian morning star, which is a symbol of deliverance. The name evolved into Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman goddesses of love, beauty and fertility. The Hebrew word for Venus is Noga, which is a Biblical divine light and the second-brightest star after the moon. It is the name of my oldest, very special granddaughter. The Hebrew name of Esther was Hadassah, whose root is Hadass, which is the Hebrew word for the myrtle tree. The myrtle tree features prominently during the Feast of Tabernacles. It is known for its pleasant scent and humble features, including leaves in the shape of the human eye. Greek mythology identifies the myrtle tree with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

Mordechai, the hero of Purim and one of the deputies of Ezra the Scribe – who led a wave of Jewish ingathering from Babylon to the Land of Israel – was a role model of principle-driven optimism in defiance of colossal odds, in the face of a super power, and in defiance of the assimilated Jewish establishment. The first three Hebrew letters of Mordechai (מרדכי) spell the Hebrew word “rebellion” (מרד). Mordechai did not bow to Haman, when the latter was the second most powerful person in the Persian Empire. Mordechai was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, the only son of Jacob who did not bow to Esau. Mordechai was a descendant of King Saul, who defied a clear commandment to eradicate the Amalekites, sparing the life of Agag, the Amalekite king, thus precipitating further calamities upon the Jewish People. Mordechai learned from Saul’s crucial error and eliminated Haman, a descendant of Agag the Amalekite, thus sparing the Jewish People from a major disaster. The aim of Mordechai who became the chief advisor to the King of Persia – was to alert the assimilated Jewish community of Persia, that forgetfulness and detachment from their Jewish roots would lead to oblivion, while the attachment to historic and religious roots is the foundation of growth, security and respect by fellow human beings.

Purim’s (פורים) Hebrew root is “fate” as well as “casting lots” (פור), commemorating Haman’s lottery which determined a designated day for the annihilation of the Jewish People. It also means “to frustrate,” “to annul” (הפר), “to crumble” and “to shutter” (פורר), reflecting the demise of Haman.

More on Purim in my eBook: Smashwords, Amazon

Support Appreciated

Recent Articles

Search

The Most Calamitous Jewish Day

The post-1967 turning point of US-Israel cooperation

Israeli benefits to the US taxpayer exceed US foreign aid to Israel

Iran - A Clear And Present Danger To The USA

Exposing the myth of the Arab demographic time bomb

Purim Guide for the Perplexed 2023

The post-1967 turning point of US-Israel cooperation

Israeli benefits to the US taxpayer exceed US foreign aid to Israel

Iran - A Clear And Present Danger To The USA

Exposing the myth of the Arab demographic time bomb