Living Torah Archives

The Ninth of Av commemorates the destruction of both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. It also commemorates many other calamities which befell the Jewish people throughout their exile. Marked by a fast, it is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.

The Talmud states in Tractate Taanit: “Never were there more joyous days for the Jewish people than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur,” listing five or six joyous events that occurred on 15 Av throughout history. What is it about the energy of the 15th of Av that attracts so much joy?

The Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain are living in the lowest spiritual circumstances possible. But specifically for this reason they have G-d’s promise for an even greater ascent, far beyond that attainable by Jews living in free lands.

How is it possible for a Jew, a true believer and recipient of Torah, to entertain the notion that “It is my strength and skill that has caused my success”?