This day marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
The Sages teach that the First Temple was destroyed because of idolatry, lust and murder; while the Second Temple fell from within because of baseless hatreds, needless conflict, trivial jealousies and petty meanness.
On this day, we read the book of Lamentations. Before we read we may say the following blessings:
We praise You, O God, Sovereign of existence, who has made us captives of hope.
Ba-ruch ata, Adonai E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam, a-sher a-sa-nu a-si-rei tik-va.
We praise You, O God, Sovereign of existence, who has hallowed our lives with commandments and commanded us to read this scroll.
Ba-ruch ata, Adonai E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam, a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mits-vo-tav ve-tsi-va-nu al mik-ra me-ghi-la.
As we remember destructions of the past, we also recall the teaching of our ancestors that our scriptural reading must not end on a negative note. After we have read the Scroll of Lamentations, let us conclude with the following meditation, amidrashthat inspires us about how relationships among siblings in the world could be.
Two siblings dwell on either side of a hill. Each cultivates fields near the bottom of opposite slopes. On the moon-bright night of the harvest’s completion each has gone home to rest, to sleep. Each has laboured strenuously. The garner of each is rich, yet neither sibling can sleep. Each lies awake in worry over the other sibling.
The one thinks: my sibling is not married, all alone. My sibling has no family to help in the work. How could my sibling possibly have reaped enough to be sustained through the year?
The other sibling, too, lies anxiously awake in worry over the large family that is in their sibling’s care. Will they have enough to sustain them through the year from hunger, from want?
In the middle of a moon-bright night each arises; each yokes an ox to a large cart; each heaps his cart to overflowing with all manner of the goods of harvest; each ascends their side of the hill with the aim of secretly storing this provender in the barn of their sibling on the other side.
But at the hill-top they meet. At once they understand. Understanding, they wordlessly embrace, weeping in the joy of love.
At that very spot does God purpose to build the Sacred Sanctuary, the Temple. There it arises. There the people worship.
This scroll of Eicha, of Lamentations follows the teaching and reminds us that affirmation beyond despair is an essential component of our faith. As we look ahead towards the period of self-reflection during Elul and prepare for the Days of Awe, we hold fast to the final verses of this scroll:
Turn us unto You, Adonai,
and we shall be turned;
Renew our days as of old.
Ha-shi-vei-nu Adonai ei-le-cha
ve-na-shu-va;Cha-deish ya-mei-nu k’ke-dem