Why are we sitting on the ground in the dark?

by Rabbi Debra Smith

Why are we sitting on the ground in the dark?

The holy day of Tisha B’Av (the ninth if the month of Av) begins Saturday eve Aug 6 and lasts until sundown the next day.

During this time we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples and also mourn other tragic events that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history.

I learned about Tisha B’Av in an embarrassing way many years ago. Friends from out of town were visiting us one hot summer day (Tisha B’Av always falls during the summer). They arrived as we were out in our pool and we invited them to swim. They declined (no swimming on Tisha B’Av they told us). A bit later,  I went in to serve lunch, but they declined lunch (Tisha B’Av is a fast day).

Needless to say, we had an enlightening discussion during their visit and learned all about Tisha B’Av.

It wasn’t until many years later that I had the opportunity as a Jewish educator to teach a class about Tisha B’Av for the local Melton adult school. I was not surprised to learn that none of the students in the class had ever heard of this day!

We observe Tisha B’Av to honor and remember the destruction of our holy Temples.  Whether or not you observe all the practices of this holy day (read more about Tisha B’Av here), it is a good time to take a break from the heat and busyness of summer to reflect, honor, and connect those historical events of our collective Jewish past to our contemporary Jewish lives today.