Today the Jewish People observed Tisha B’Av, the ninth of the month of Av, a day of mourning that marks the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem and a host of other historical calamities.
This Tisha B’Av was an extraordinary day marked by tremendous pain. For this year, observance focused on October 7 and the calamity of that massacre. This is not history, it is NOW.
That tragedy – which has so far claimed some 1,500 lives – is not over, as we are still fighting Hamas in Gaza and still have hostages in captivity.
I recommend the series of videos on the significance of the day put out by Mizrachi, below. They are very well worth viewing and sharing even as Tisha B’Av has drawn to a close here. In these videos you will encounter the words of amazing witnesses who offer testimony to their pain and their bravery and ultimately their faith and hope.
For our conviction, always, is that we will prevail. That is our long view, going forward, and it is what sustains us during this horror.
https://mizrachi.org/reflections
Among the speakers is Rabbi Doron Perez, Executive Chairman of Mizrachi, who lost a son on October 7. The rabbi, a most articulate speaker, is amazing.
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Thousands went to the Kotel last night and today to pray. So heartening to see:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394554
Also very uplifting, the knowledge that 3,000 people ascended Har Habayit (the Temple Mount) today, where Hatikvah was sung, and prayers were said.
Among those seen praying was Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose praying was called a “provocation.”
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As background to this day of mourning, we were ever mindful of the on-going threat of attacks by Iran and Hezbollah. It becomes very tiresome. Yes, intelligence says they will attack; wait, no it looks like they might not attack. They may hit us simultaneously or perhaps separately. It won’t be a very big attack, or it might be much bigger than the April attack.
Part of what is going on is disinformation leaked by our enemies to the north, who enjoy playing with us. Part is the fault of media eager to report “information” that may not be entirely reliable.
But I wake up every morning – as undoubtedly do many of my fellow Israelis – and say, “Well, we weren’t attacked during the night.”
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The latest news now is that Iran may not attack if Israel reaches an agreement with Hamas in a critical meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday. That would bring a ceasefire. (Iran would like that for then there is no worry about a reprisal attack from Israel.)
But with regard to that meeting, Hamas has declared it won’t attend, and the facilitators (US, Egypt, Qatar) say they will hold the meeting anyway. Not certain if Israel will attend, not sure what the point would be except to avoid charges that we are the cause of delays.
Hamas charges, according to the NYTimes, that Netanyahu made changes. He denies this, saying he merely reinforced his previous points, while Hamas added 29 new points.
This is, you realize, something of a circus.
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Keep praying to Heaven for Israel.
Pray for the safety of all Israel.
Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages.
Pray in a spirit of hope.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
