In September 1939, at the beginning of the great war that would destroy European Jewry, the Jewish labor union, the Bund, hosted its annual membership banquet in Vilna on the night of Kol Nidrei/Yom Kippur. It did so to show its solidarity with the workers of the world, the socialist and communist progressives, who were dedicated to bringing a brave new world into being. It did so also in order to illustrate that it was freed from any Jewish "particularism" and that the greatness of the universal cause of mankind that it espoused eclipsed any Jewish sensitivities that could be offended by its behavior. In the same vein, the dedicated Jewish communists in the Soviet Union were the first to volunteer to raise pigs on their newly established communal farms, in order to prove that they had been freed from the shackles of that same Jewish "particularism." Alas, Hitler and Stalin did not recognize their universalism and non-Jewishness. They were all condemned to die - originally by the communist commissars in 1940-41, then by the Germans from 1941-44 and then again by Stalin's benevolent rule from 1944 to 1953. To Hitler and Stalin, they still remained "particularly" Jewish.
I recall all of this in light of the callous, insensitive and openly spiteful decision of the Tel Aviv municipality to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to open last Saturday night on Tisha B'Av. What insensitivity! The same progressives who rail at the Haredim for commemorating the Shoah on the fast day of the tenth of Tevet, instead of the Knesset-selected twenty-seventh of Nissan, apparently think nothing of publicly flouting the sensitivities of Jews throughout history and, I am certain, of a very substantial portion of the Israeli population by their loutish behavior. The municipality based its bad decision on a ruling from its legal adviser who, in a Solomonic moment, decided that restaurants, pubs, and cafes are not the places of entertainment that the law prohibits from opening on Tisha B'av. Keep your eye on that legal eagle. With such talent and perspective and respect for public sensitivities and the unity of Israel's population and the Jewish people, he is a certain candidate for our august Supreme Court. Apparently, the first and largest modern Jewish city in the world does not want to be guilty of Jewish "particularism."
What escapes the minds and hearts of those who wish to do away with Tisha B'Av is the simple fact that without Jewish observance of Tisha B'Av throughout the ages, there would be no Tel Aviv or State of Israel today. This is a democratic country and private religious observance is imposed on no one. If, on Tisha B'Av, someone wishes to eat, listen to music, or do whatever catches his fancy, neither the law nor society will prevent him from doing so. But all nations live by symbols and common memories. The destruction of both Temples, the fall of Betar, the martyring of millions of Jews, the expulsion of Spanish Jewry, the first destruction of European Jewry by the Crusaders, all of this and more is encapsulated in the day of Tisha B'Av. Tel Aviv therefore stands shamed before the intensity of Jewish history. In my opinion, it is this insensitivity toward our past that accounts for much of our apathy and despair about our present condition and our confusion as to our future course and goals.
The two pictures that appeared juxtaposed in many Israeli newspapers on Tisha B'Av - one of Jews reciting kinot at the Western Wall and the other of Israelis sitting smiling at an outside cafe in Tel Aviv - confirm the story that appears in the Talmud describing the night of the destruction of Jerusalem long ago. The Talmud says that part of the population of Jerusalem sat weeping and moaning over the flames that engulfed the Temple before their very eyes, while in a different part of the city other Jews sat at festive banquets, ignorant or apathetic about the fate of the Jewish people. Apparently, Arafat has, in spite of all of his heartfelt attempts to do so, not as yet cured all of us Israelis of our disdain for being "particularists." The stones that were hurled down on the heads of the worshippers at the Western Wall on Tisha B'Av by the Arabs were meant for the cafeteers in Tel Aviv, as well. We all remain "particular." It would therefore be wise for us all to unite and be sensitive, not only among ourselves, but to all of the events of Jewish history that have formed us. Closing pubs and cafes for one night does not seem a great price to pay in order to promote such needed sensitivity to Jewish history and destiny.
Shabat Shalom.
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Rabbi Berel Wein, noted author and lecturer, is founder of the Destiny Foundation, dedicated to educating Jews about their historical and ethical heritage (JewishDestiny.com ).
I recall all of this in light of the callous, insensitive and openly spiteful decision of the Tel Aviv municipality to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to open last Saturday night on Tisha B'Av. What insensitivity! The same progressives who rail at the Haredim for commemorating the Shoah on the fast day of the tenth of Tevet, instead of the Knesset-selected twenty-seventh of Nissan, apparently think nothing of publicly flouting the sensitivities of Jews throughout history and, I am certain, of a very substantial portion of the Israeli population by their loutish behavior. The municipality based its bad decision on a ruling from its legal adviser who, in a Solomonic moment, decided that restaurants, pubs, and cafes are not the places of entertainment that the law prohibits from opening on Tisha B'av. Keep your eye on that legal eagle. With such talent and perspective and respect for public sensitivities and the unity of Israel's population and the Jewish people, he is a certain candidate for our august Supreme Court. Apparently, the first and largest modern Jewish city in the world does not want to be guilty of Jewish "particularism."
What escapes the minds and hearts of those who wish to do away with Tisha B'Av is the simple fact that without Jewish observance of Tisha B'Av throughout the ages, there would be no Tel Aviv or State of Israel today. This is a democratic country and private religious observance is imposed on no one. If, on Tisha B'Av, someone wishes to eat, listen to music, or do whatever catches his fancy, neither the law nor society will prevent him from doing so. But all nations live by symbols and common memories. The destruction of both Temples, the fall of Betar, the martyring of millions of Jews, the expulsion of Spanish Jewry, the first destruction of European Jewry by the Crusaders, all of this and more is encapsulated in the day of Tisha B'Av. Tel Aviv therefore stands shamed before the intensity of Jewish history. In my opinion, it is this insensitivity toward our past that accounts for much of our apathy and despair about our present condition and our confusion as to our future course and goals.
The two pictures that appeared juxtaposed in many Israeli newspapers on Tisha B'Av - one of Jews reciting kinot at the Western Wall and the other of Israelis sitting smiling at an outside cafe in Tel Aviv - confirm the story that appears in the Talmud describing the night of the destruction of Jerusalem long ago. The Talmud says that part of the population of Jerusalem sat weeping and moaning over the flames that engulfed the Temple before their very eyes, while in a different part of the city other Jews sat at festive banquets, ignorant or apathetic about the fate of the Jewish people. Apparently, Arafat has, in spite of all of his heartfelt attempts to do so, not as yet cured all of us Israelis of our disdain for being "particularists." The stones that were hurled down on the heads of the worshippers at the Western Wall on Tisha B'Av by the Arabs were meant for the cafeteers in Tel Aviv, as well. We all remain "particular." It would therefore be wise for us all to unite and be sensitive, not only among ourselves, but to all of the events of Jewish history that have formed us. Closing pubs and cafes for one night does not seem a great price to pay in order to promote such needed sensitivity to Jewish history and destiny.
Shabat Shalom.
________________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Berel Wein, noted author and lecturer, is founder of the Destiny Foundation, dedicated to educating Jews about their historical and ethical heritage (JewishDestiny.com ).