The Ninth of Av

On the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, Jews remember tragic events throughout history include wandering the desert for 40 years; the destruction of the first and second temples; the Spanish Inquisition; and the conflicts between Israel and Gaza. Courtesy of Emily Saperstein. Google Images

 

It started with a cry
“Are we all going to die?”
But really they cried out for nothing

The wrong words were said
They thought they’d end up dead
They forgot it was HE they were trusting

They threatened to go back
Their leader they would sack
And return to the place of enslavement

“What should I do with them?”
Said the leader to Hashem
For HIS gift they’d refused with resentment

“You cry today lishav”*   
Said the voice from above
“For generations today you’ll now cry”

The opportunity they had squandered
Forty years they then wandered
In the desert that generation did die.

 

It continued with idols, immorality and bloodshed
The streets of the cities flowed red
And Bavel was sent to invade

The Jews were expelled
For against Hashem they’d rebelled
And from HIS teachings they’d strayed

Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Mikdash
All that remained was ash
And heavy smoke filled the air

The first temple, destroyed
In Yisroel’s heart was a void
It was almost too much to bear

 

Seventy years later Jews returned
And rebuilt the temple that had burned
The most magnificent man-made creation

Four hundred twenty years it stood
While Am Yisroel did good
For a while things went well for the nation

But then hatred hit
The nation was split
Jews treated each other with spite

Rome laid siege to the holy city
They acted with no pity
For three years Yerushalmim were stuck tight

They would have had enough food
Had together they stood
But instead they decided to fight

Divided they would fall
But perhaps worst of all
Each other’s food they burned in the night

“Victory!” Rome yelled
And the Jews were expelled
And the Mikdash was burned once again

All that remained was the West Wall
For divided we’d fall
United we must turn to Hashem

 

It did not end there
I must say with despair
As we saw in fourteen ninety-two

All was good, it appeared
But that soon disappeared
When Spain expelled every Jew

 

One would have thought tragic events
Had reached the extent
Sadly it is not so

By 2005
Gush Katif began to thrive
When its inhabitants were told to go

Gaza was given the land
Hamas took command
Peace was Israel’s desire

It wasn’t achieved
No peace was received
In its stead Israel received rocket fire

 

Centuries now we have cried
Since Canaan was spied
When will the mourning cease?

When we stand together
No hatred, no anger
And have a nationwide peace.

* lishav means in vain