Saturday, August 13, 2005

Tears of Mourning on the Ninth of Av


The second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor

The 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av) is a solemn day on the Jewish calendar. On this date, the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed – twice. Jews mark this day (which this year runs from sundown Aug. 13 to sundown Aug. 14) with mourning and fasting.

A story is told about Napoleon passing a synagogue on the 9th of Av. He questioned his aides about why the people inside were mourning. He was told they were grieving the loss of the Temple.

Napoleon replied: "If the Jews are still crying after so many hundreds of years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt!"

To learn more about Tisha B’Av, visit Aish.com:
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