Articles Tisha B'Av

When we think of Tisha B’Av many images enter our mind – this year sadly more than in the past. Tisha B’Av is the day we mourn our historic tragedies…

“Rav Yochanan said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they followed the laws of the Torah” (Bava Metzia 30b). The Talmud is incredulous at such an…

One does not have to look very hard to find sources within our tradition that allow, encourage, or even demand that we “hate” others.  While the…

Judaism places great emphasis on the proper greeting of people. The Talmudic term for a greeting, a sheilat shalom, invokes a reference to G-d,…

If someone gives you ten answers to a question, the one thing you can be assured of is that none of the answers is a very a good one. If one has a…

“Aharon the priest ascended Hor Hahar and died there in the fortieth year... in the fifth month on the first of the month” (Bamidbar 33:…

"Because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza Jerusalem was destroyed.” (Gitin 55b) So begins the most famous Talmudic story relating to the destruction of the…

With the destruction of the Temple and the Babylonian exile, the period of prophecy came to an end. "Only fools and children continue to…

"Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit seeing its joy" (Ta'anit 30b). Our Sages seem to be offering words of comfort to those…

“Everything is dependent on mazal, even the sefer Torah in the ark”. Certain mitzvoth just luck out, being widely observed across the…

“Do not be afraid of [any] man”. Parshat Devarim, which is always read on the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av, begins with Moshe’s exhortations regarding…

“But the Second Temple, that they were involved in Torah and Mitzvoth and Gemilot Chasadim (loving kindness), why was it destroyed? Because it…