By: Mrs. Miriam Kutoff<\/p>\n
On Tishah B\u2019Av (the ninth of Av), we sit on the floor and cry<\/p>\n
Remembering<\/p>\n
The tragedy of over 2500 years ago<\/p>\n
Our beautiful Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple), the house our glory, the place where heaven kissed earth<\/p>\n
Gone<\/p>\n
Consumed by the flames<\/p>\n
The streets of our city, once praised as beautiful in its vista, the joy of the entire land<\/p>\n
Now filled with the corpses of its noble sons and daughters<\/p>\n
Their blood running in rivers through its once joyous thoroughfares<\/p>\n
The survivors led off to Babylonia in chains<\/p>\n
The Churban (destruction) of our first Bais Hamikdash<\/p>\n
Leaving us shaken, with nowhere to turn<\/p>\n
Except to You, our Creator<\/p>\n
From You, to You, we flee<\/p>\n
Only You can send us trouble, only You can save us from it<\/p>\n
Our oppressors can take our land. They can even take our homes.<\/p>\n
But they can never take our souls.<\/p>\n
Even when Hashem (G-d) hides His face, He is still with us.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On Tisha B\u2019Av, we sit on the floor and cry<\/p>\n
Remembering<\/p>\n
The tragedy of 2000 years ago<\/p>\n
Our Bais Hamikdash, our pride and our joy, the place we experienced connection with Hashem<\/p>\n
Gone<\/p>\n
Consumed by the flames<\/p>\n
Our families and homes being destroyed by the Romans<\/p>\n
The dead of previous battles in the Galilee<\/p>\n
And of battles to follow in Masada and Beitar<\/p>\n
Compounding our devastation<\/p>\n
The Churban of our second Bais Hamikdash<\/p>\n
Leaving us shaken, with nowhere to turn<\/p>\n
Except to You, our Creator<\/p>\n
From You, to You, we flee<\/p>\n
Only You can send us trouble, only You can save us from it<\/p>\n
Our oppressors can take our sovereignty. They can even take our security.<\/p>\n
But they can never take our souls.<\/p>\n
We are forever Hashem\u2019s nation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On Tishah B\u2019Av, we sit on the floor and cry<\/p>\n
Remembering<\/p>\n
The tragedy of 500 years ago<\/p>\n
Our center of Torah in Spain, our wealth, comfort, and prestige<\/p>\n
Gone<\/p>\n
Consumed by the flames<\/p>\n
One Thousand years of scholarship and peace<\/p>\n
Ended by the Expulsion<\/p>\n
Families and communities scattered<\/p>\n
Cast out to face dangers of pirates and storms<\/p>\n
To become second class citizens in many new lands<\/p>\n
And those who could not leave<\/p>\n
Hid their Judaism<\/p>\n
And were caught by the cruel Inquisition and burned at the stake<\/p>\n
Or slowly lost their Judaism through centuries of fear<\/p>\n
The Churban of Spanish Jewry<\/p>\n
Leaving us shaken, with nowhere to turn<\/p>\n
Except to You, our Creator<\/p>\n
From You, to You, we flee<\/p>\n
Only You can send us trouble, Only You can save us from it<\/p>\n
Our oppressors can take our social standing. They can even take our possessions.<\/p>\n
But they can never take our souls.<\/p>\n
Hashem will never forsake us. Not completely. Not forever.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On Tishah B\u2019Av, we sit on the floor and cry<\/p>\n
Remembering<\/p>\n
The tragedy of 65 years ago<\/p>\n
Our scholars, our simple men, our families, our people<\/p>\n
Gone<\/p>\n
Consumed by the flames<\/p>\n
Our once flourishing communities<\/p>\n
Their blood now soaks the earth<\/p>\n
That they lived on, taught on, prayed on, built generations on<\/p>\n
For 500 years<\/p>\n
Destroyed without mercy, by a \u201ccivilized\u201d foe<\/p>\n
Dying as Jews even in the hardest of tests<\/p>\n
The Churban of European Jewry<\/p>\n
Leaving us shaken, with nowhere to turn<\/p>\n
Except to You, our Creator<\/p>\n
From You, to You, we flee<\/p>\n
Only You can send us trouble, Only You can save us from it<\/p>\n
Our oppressors can take our loved ones. They can even take our bodies.<\/p>\n
But they can never take our souls.<\/p>\n
The Jewish people will never perish.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As we continue to walk the tear-soaked path of Exile<\/p>\n
Let us not forget<\/p>\n
Our history is a cycle<\/p>\n
There are glorious heights<\/p>\n
And tragic plunges<\/p>\n
We must learn the lessons<\/p>\n
Of our past destructions<\/p>\n
And forge ever onward<\/p>\n
With renewed determination<\/p>\n
Toward the day<\/p>\n
When death will cease forever<\/p>\n
And Hashem will wipe the tears from every face<\/p>\n
And remove the shame of His beloved nation<\/p>\n
And we will finally understand why all of history\u2019s tragedies had to occur.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By: Mrs. Miriam Kutoff On Tishah B\u2019Av (the ninth of Av), we sit on the floor and cry Remembering The tragedy of over 2500 years ago Our beautiful Beis Hamikdash […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[442,237],"yoast_head":"\n