The Spies dispatched 40 days earlier by Moses to tour the Promised Land return to Israel's encampment in the desert, bearing a huge cluster of grapes and other lush fruits. But even as they praise the land's fertility, they terrify the people with tales of mighty giant warriors dwelling there and assert that the land is unconquerable.
Links:
Generation Gap
The Spies
Fighting breaks out inside the besieged city of Jerusalem between Jewish factions divided on the question of whether or not to fight the Roman armies encircling the city from without. One group sets fire to the city's considerable food stores, consigning its population to starvation until the fall of Jerusalem three years later.
The fast of Tishah B'Av begins this evening at sunset.
Some of the fast's mourning practices--such as refraining from Torah study other than texts related to the events and nature of the fast day--are observed beginning from midday today.
The final meal before the start of the fast, eaten shortly before sunset, is called seudah hamafseket. Only one cooked food is eaten at this meal, customarily an egg dipped in ashes.
"Eichah"--the Book of Lamentations--is read tonight in the synagogue after evening prayers.
See "Laws and Customs" for tomorrow, Av 9, for the particular observances of the fast day.
During the “Nine Days" from Av 1st to the Ninth of Av, we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. We abstain from meat and wine, music, haircutting, bathing for pleasure, and other joyous (and dangerous) activities. (The particular mourning customs vary from community to community, so consult a competent halachic authority for details.)
Consumption of meat and wine is permitted on Shabbat, or at a seudat mitzvah (obligatory festive meal celebrating the fulfillment of certain mitzvot) such as a brit (circumcision), or a siyum celebrating the completion of a course of Torah study (i.e., a complete Talmudic tractate). The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory initiated the custom of conducting or participating in a siyum on each of the Nine Days (even if one does not avail oneself of the dispensation to eat meat).
Citing the verse "Zion shall be redeemed with mishpat [Torah] and its returnees with tzedakah," (Isaiah 1:27) the Rebbe urged that we increase in Torah study (particularly the study of the laws of the Holy Temple) and charity during this period.
Links:
Nine Days laws and customs
Daily live siyum broadcasts
Learn about the Holy Temple in Jerusalem
When the Romans forbade the study of Torah, Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon gathered Jews publicly and taught them Torah.
His teacher, Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma, warned him that the Romans would burn him and his Torah at the stake.
Rabbi Chanina asked, “My master, what will be with me in the next world?”
“Do you have any good deeds?” asked Rabbi Yossi.
“Yes,” he answered. I collected money for the poor on Purim. I inadvertently mixed it with my own. So I gave it all to the poor.”
“If so,” his teacher answered, “may my share of the next world be with you.”
What was Rabbi Chanina’s question? He was literally giving his life to teach Torah!
And what was Rabbi Yossi’s response? Isn’t teaching Torah a good deed?
Because Rabbi Chanina questioned whether he was teaching Torah for sincere motives. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely about what G-d wanted from him. Perhaps he was driven by his personal love of knowledge and ideas, not by his divine inner soul.
Giving, on the other hand, does not come easy to intellectuals.
By giving generously, Rabbi Chanina showed that he did what he did not because he wanted to do it, but because it needed to be done.