From the days of my early childhood, I remember the observance of the 9th of Av, or in Hebrew, Tisha B’Av. Around the world on this day, the Jewish community observes a day of grieving and fasting, as we remember the many calamities that befell our people on this day of the calendar.
A short list of just a few of these catastrophes in order of the events are: In 1313 BCE, the 10 men that Moses sent into Egypt to spy out the land returned with their bad report. On this date the, 1st Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, and the 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. In 133 CE, the Bar Kochba Rebellion against Rome ended with the loss of the battle of Betar. On this same day of the Jewish calendar, Jews were expelled from England in the year 1290 CE. In 1492, The Jews were expelled from Spain on this date.
While each of these events is heartbreaking to the Jewish people, the destruction of both Temples brings with it not only the heartbreak of the loss of the central place of worship for the Jewish people. The lack of a Temple also brings with it a unique hopelessness that can only truly be felt and understood by those who believe what the Torah teaches about the importance of the Temple, the priesthood, and the Sacrificial system.
In order for the Jewish People, Israel, to receive atonement for their sins, a sacrifice had to be made in the Temple once each year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The single sacrifice was necessary for the nation to receive atonement for their sins. Without the completion and acceptance of this once a year offering, Israel was without hope of atonement.
Because there has not been a Temple in Jerusalem since 70 CE, there has also been no atonement sacrifices made to cover the sins of Israel from year to year. It was the acceptance of this annual Yom Kippur sacrifice by G-D, which was demonstrated when the red cord tied around the neck of the scapegoat turned white, that provided for Israel the certain hope that they had atonement and remained within covenant relationship with G-D (Leviticus 16).
Because the Jewish people understand this truth, they live their lives with a unique sense of hopelessness unknown and unfelt by those who live their lives outside of Judaism. This lack of certain hope of atonement is why even the most righteous rabbi, when asked where he will spend his eternity, can only answer, I don’t know, because without this sacrifice, they have no assurance of atonement.
So, every year, when we fasted on Tisha B’Av, I understood that this day was like a huge exclamation point that emphasized the hopelessness of my people. It was a day we went without food for 24 hours to remind us that we no longer had a Temple, which meant we no longer had atonement. I grew up living in a community that lived in a constant state of hope that a Temple would be rebuilt so the Sacrifice could be made and we would no longer live within our current state of hopelessness.
When I was 19 years old, a friend introduced me to a Jewish book I was unfamiliar with, and in the pages of that book written completely by Jewish prophets, I learned that not only did I not have to live in hopelessness anymore, but that my people, the Jewish people, never needed to live outside of complete hope.
That is because within the pages of this Jewish book, I found that before the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, a “once and for all time” Yom Kippur offering was made by a High Priest. An offering that provided atonement for not only my people, the Jewish people, but also provided atonement for every person who would enter into a covenant relationship with the G-D of Israel.
The Jewish book written entirely by Jewish prophets is known by most people as the New Testament. The High Priest who offered the once and for all atonement offering was Yeshua, as we read in Hebrews 7:26-27:
Hebrews 7:26 For such a Kohen Gadol was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need to offer up sacrifices day by day like those other kohanim g’dolim—first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. For when He offered up Himself, He did this once for all.
On Tisha B’Av every year, I still grieve and fast with my people and remember the catastrophe that took place on this date. But, I no longer grieve as one without hope. It is because I read this Jewish book written by Jewish prophets that I have certain hope that my atonement has been provided and that my sins are covered.
And to my Jewish friends who might be reading this, I hope you will note that according to the Talmud, from the very year that Yeshua made this once and for all sacrifice, the red cord tied upon the neck of the scapegoat never turn white again until the Tisha B’Av on which the 2nd Temple was destroyed. This shows that from the year Yeshua made this sacrifice for all of us, on Yom Kippur, the offering in the Temple was no longer accepted to provide atonement for Israel. Talmud:
During the tenure of Shimon HaTzaddik, the lot for God always arose in the High Priest’s right hand; after his death, it occurred only occasionally; but during the forty years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, the lot for God did not arise in the High Priest’s right hand at all. So too, the strip of crimson wool that was tied to the head of the goat that was sent to Azazel did not turn white, and the westernmost lamp of the candelabrum did not burn continually.
(Tractate Yoma 39b)
Comments