The
Ninth of Av
Tisha BAv
By Cheryl
Glover, New Thought Kabbalah
Thursday August
3, 2006 this year, is the 9th of AV-Tisha
BAv.
The
ninth day of Leo in the Hebrew calendar. 'AV' named by Abraham after
the word for Father.
Tisha BAv is
considered the most Light-deprived day of the year! Some of humanity's
greatest tragedies have taken place on this day: the destruction of
both Temples, the signing of the "Final Solution", the Expulsion from
Spain. It was the day
that an Al El jet crashed, on and on.
The
Kabbalistic view is though this day reveals incredible darkness, by
restricting our behavior during the three weeks preceding the 9th
of Av, we can reverse this process and help to create a positive
environment. How do we restrict our behavior?
Religious Jews
will fast and meditate on this day. Others will restrict their ego.
What would this look like? It might mean doing something extra nice
for another. It might be giving to charity. It might be going the
extra mile.
The Kabbalistic belief behind 9th
of Av is that there is a metaphysical balance: out of darkness we find
light. This is also the day on which the Maschiach (Messiah) will be
born. In Kabbalah we learn that where you find the greatest
negativity, you can also find the greatest positive light through
spiritual change.
In
Kabbalistic terms the Messiah is not a human but a concept. When we
defeat our reactive natures we bring the Messiah consciousness about
through internal spiritual growth. Tisha B'Av is a reminder that we
need to commit to this process. Instead of focusing on the destruction
of the first and second Temples, we focus on bringing about the
building of the final Temple. The final Temple is the inner Temple.
When enough of us have built the inner Temple, then the world will
reflect this Messianic event. Tisha B'Av is the Event Horizon warping
us into the new dimension where the final Temple grows.
With every
generation that fails to rebuild the Temple, it's as if the Temples
were destroyed again. Now is the time to link our consciousness
towards the future. Now is the time to link our consciousness to our
inner Maschiach and grow this consciousness. The Zohar speaks of two
choices: war or messiah consciousness through personal spiritual
growth. If spiritually sophisticated people commit to be this
spiritual warrior, to bring about this divine consciousness, there
will be more Light in the world. The Zohar says that if enough of us
bring about this consciousness we can prevent that war.
This is a
call to all spiritual warriors to build the final Temple. As it says
in the Torah:
"My heart, my
heart! For their slain ones. My insides, my insides! For their
murdered ones. For you, Hashem, have burned her down with fire, and
with fire, You are destined to rebuild her, as it is written: I shall
be for her, so did Hashem proclaim, a wall of fire all around, and for
glory, shall I be within her. "(Zecharyah 2:9)
Blessed are
You, Ha Shem, Who builds Jerusalem.
Blessings for
a safe journey,
Steps for
Thursday.
The following
comes from www.hillel.org:
Tisha B'Av
Introduction
Tisha B'Av (the Ninth day of the Hebrew month Av) is the second
most severe fast day of the Jewish calendar (behind Yom Kippur).
It marks the culmination of a three-week period mourning the
destruction of both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem,
known as "bein ha-metzarim" (literally, "between the straits")
or more colloquially known as the "Three Weeks". The period
begins with another fast day, the 17th of Tammuz, when the
second Temple walls of Jerusalem were breached in 70 CE. On
Tisha B'Av both the first and second Temples were burned to the
ground. Tisha B'Av and the Three Weeks period has become a
national time of mourning for the Jewish people, commemorating a
host of tragedies that have befallen us throughout the
generations. Restaurants and theaters are closed in modern day
Israel on Tisha B'Av.
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http://www.hillel.org/Hillel/NewHille.nsf/0/138741D17ED3951B85256BF1004CE89F?OpenDocument
Tisha B'Av : 9th of Av Jewish View:
Tisha B'Av means
"the ninth (day) of Av." usually occurs in the English Calendar during
July or August. The Fast of the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to
commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people,
many of which coincidentally have occurred on this ninth of Av. The
worst of Jewish tragedies occurred on the 9th of Av. Most notably the
destruction of both Temples. (the first by the Babylonians in 586
B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.).
Although this holiday is
primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is
appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the
Jewish people. In chronological order it's source began with the sin
of the spies whom spoke negatively about the land of Israel to the
Jewish nation (noted in the book of Bamidbar of the Torah). That same
night the Jews mourned for lack of faith. Ever since, G_d had given
the nation a real reason to mourn in correction of this lack of faith.
Throughout history, the Temples burned, the Jews were expelled from
Spain in 1492, Pogroms and World War I and II have all occurred on
this momentous day. In the future this day of mourning will completely
turn into a day of rejoicing as the true Moshiach will be born on this
day removing the yoke of the nations around us.
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