Taanis 31a: One of the six special events of T”u (15th) b’Av is that it is the day on which they realized that the decree of those destined to die in the desert had ended.
Sotah 35a; Taanis 29a: “The whole Tzibur raised their voices and cried" (BaMidbar 14,1) – Rabbah said in the name of Rav Yochanan: That night was the eve of the Tishah b'Av. HaShem said 'they cried for no reason. I will fix the day to be a day of crying for generations.'
Rashi quotes from the Yerushalmi that all 40 years the Jews were in the desert, on each night of Tisha b’Av, those that were included in the decree to die in the desert would dig graves and then lie in them that night. In the morning the living would separate themselves from the dead left in the graves. In the fortieth year on the night of Tisha b’Av, those left dug graves and went to sleep in them. In the morning everyone was still alive. They said to themselves maybe we erred in the counting of the days. Thus, that night they went to sleep again in the graves. In the morning they all were still alive. Finally, when the 15th of the month arrived, they saw the full moon and Tisha b’Av had surely passed, they now realized that the decree had been completed and they were spared.
Many problems arise in understanding the above:
- How many years did people die?
- How many people died each year?
- Did only the sixty-year-old men die each year?
- Why did they need to dig their own graves?
- Why didn’t Moshe know the exact date of Tisha b’Av in the final year?
- Did those subject to the decree only die on Tisha b’Av and not during the rest of the year?
- Who was spared in the “40th year”?
- Did anyone not subject to the decree die during the years in the desert?
How many years did people die? How many people died each year?
Tosfos (Bava Basra 121a) states that 15,000 died for forty years to equal 600,000. Another Tosfos (Taanis 30b) says that 21,000 died each year plus 15,000 additional over the years. (21,000 X 40 plus 15,000 = 834,000)
Rashbam states that 15,000 died but only for 39 years (= 585,000) since the last year per the Midrash no one died.
Rabbenu Chananel points out that the first two years in the desert, there was no decree. Thus the 15,000 per year was only for 37 years (= 555,000).
Year 2448 the Jews left Mitzrayim in Nissan and received the Torah in Sivan and on Tisha b’Av of that year they were still at Har Sinai.
Year 2449, the Jews left HaSinai and the spies went out and returned. In response to the report of the Spies, the Jews cried the night of Tisha b’Av, and then HaShem pronounced the decree that the 603,500 would die in the desert. They did not die that year.
Year 2450 until 2486 (37 years) the Jews died on Tisha b’Av.
Year 2487 – the year that the decree was lifted and no one died.
Year 2488 in Nissan the Jews entered Eretz Yisrael (Tisha b’Av that year was in Eretz Yisrael).
Chavas Yair poses a wonderful answer to this problem. He states that on the years that Tisha b’Av fell on Shabbos, they did not dig their graves and they did not die. According to the calculations of the Levush, in a thirty-seven-year period in our current arranged calendar system, Tisha b’Av would fall on Shabbos nine times. Therefore, the Jews only died during 28 years (37-9). Therefore, 21,000 X 28 (plus 15,000 spread out during those years) would equal 603,000 that were subject to the decree.
Did only the sixty-year-old men die each year?
Some say only the sixty-year old men died each year. Problem would be that the last year (the 38th year) would have 58, 59 and 60 year-olds left from the decree (since only 37 years that the 60-years old died and these were 20, 21, and 22 years old at the time of the decree.) which were spared.
Additional problem would be that the people in the decree were all born in Egypt during the years of exponential births (many more children than parents), which would indicate that each year’s birth-population would be greater amounts than the previous year’s births (since an increasing amount of the mother-population with the earlier children would now also be giving birth). Therefore, each year’s group should have an increasing amount of births in comparison to all previous years.
Further, after the first two years everyone would have concluded that only the 60-year olds were dying and then the others would not bother to dig their graves until they were 60.
Thus, others say that a mix from all age groups from those subject to the decree died each year.
Why did they need to dig their own graves?
Sifsai Tzedek answers that most of the food eaten in the desert was holy meat from the sacrifices offered in the Mishkan. If the large amount of people were die each year, another large amount of people would have become occupied in the burial and become impure to eat the holy meat for at least a week, then there would not be enough people to eat all the holy meat. In such an event, large amounts of meat would not be eaten (which was its purpose) but would become “left-over” and been destroyed.
Why didn’t Moshe know the exact date of Tisha b’Av in the final year through prophecy?
Every year in the desert since such a large amount of people faced death on Tisha b’Av (and almost every family had such an individual in their family unit) the people were in a deep state of sadness. Prophecy can not occur with an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness, and thus, Moshe was unable to provide clarification since his prophecy was unable to be effective during this period.
Did those subject to the decree only die on Tisha b’Av and not during the rest of the year?
Some say that they only died on Tisha b’Av. This emphasized the Midah c’neged Midah that they cried needlessly on Tisha b’Av and thus, were destined to die on Tisha b’Av. Some say this was a special reward for this generation (to know when they would die) since they chose to leave Mitzrayim, accepted the Torah, did not worship the Golden Calf, etc.
Others state that some died during the year, but the plurality died each year on Tisha b’Av.
Who was spared in the “40th year”?
Some say they thought the decree included those that turned 20 during the year following the first Tisha b’Av. Thus, in the final year they dug the graves but did not die since they were not included in the original decree.
Others say certain individual due to their own personal merit (or Teshuvah) were exempted from the decree by Divine chesed in the final year.
Did anyone not subject to the decree die during the years in the desert?
Most seem to indicate that anyone alive at the time of the decree (over 60 or under 20 or female or Levi) and not involved in any later misadventures that resulted in selected deaths, did not die in the desert but were rewarded with entry into Eretz Yisrael in the year 2488.
SIX REASONS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF CHAMISHAH ASAR B'AV
- THE TRIBES MAY INTERMARRY
- THE TRIBE OF BINYAMIN MAY REJOIN THE NATION
- THE GENERATION OF THE DESERT CEASES DYING
- THE BORDER GUARDS WERE REMOVED
- THE DEAD OF BEITAR WERE ALLOWED TO BE BURIED
- THE END OF THE SEASON OF CUTTING WOOD FOR THE ALTAR
