Tisha Be’Av is a day of fasting when we mourn over five tragedies that occurred to the Jewish people:
1) In the year 1312 BCE, the spies returned from Israel with a bad report about the land of Israel. The Jews believed them, as a result of which it was decreed that the entire generation perish in the desert. According to our sages, during the next 38 years in the desert, the men who turned 60 (which was more than 15,000 each year) would die on the ninth of Av of each year.
2) The first Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed by the Babylonians in the year 423 BCE.
3) The second Beit HaMikdash was destroyed by the Romans around the year 69.
4) Turnus Rufus, the governor of the Judean province after the destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash, had the Temple Mount plowed under on that day.
5) In the year 135, the rebellion of Beitar was suppressed, resulting in the death of millions of Jews.
More recently:
- The Jews were expelled from England on July 18, 1290 (9 Av 5050).
- The Jews were expelled from France on July 22, 1306 (10 Av 5066).
- The Jews were expelled from Spain on July 31, 1492 (7 Av 5252).
- Germany declared war on Russia in the start of World War I on August 1, 1914 (9 Av 5674).
- The Jews were expelled and forcibly removed from Gush Katif and the Gaza Strip beginning on August 5, 2005 (10 Av 4765).
This article is a brief digest of the laws pertaining to this day: For more information please see Orach Chaim 552 – 559 and commentaries.
