As I sit in my room, beginning the long task of packing all my belongings for the year, my stomach is growling because I am fasting in honor of Tisha B'av. It is a sad day when the destruction of both Temples and the fall of Beitar are said to have happened. Now, the fact that different sources may suggest that these events did not necessarily happen on this day is essentially irrelevant. It is a day of introspection and mourning of the loss of Jewish life throughout history and the loss of the Temples in particular.
But right now, I am packing my bags because I will be spending the new year in the modern Jewish State of Israel. So what exactly am I mourning for?
Of course there are many Jews who don't fast. Most don't fast, not because of ideological reasons, but because they simply don't feel a connection and since they don't observe most other traditional Jewish practices, this one isn't high on their list. However, there are some Jews who actively chose not to fast or fast for only half the day since Israel is once again ours. They claim that even though the Temples may have been destroyed on the 7th and 10th of Av respectively, the fall of Beitar (the last Jewish stronghold of the Bar Kochba Revolt) occurred on the 9th. Therefore it seems unnecessary, and almost unseemly to mourn the loss of that which we have recovered.
This is understandable. I myself don't fast on Shva Asar B'tammuz (the day the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem) because we once again have control of the city. However, due to Tisha B'av's special role of remembering all past tragedies, I believe it is an important fast to keep.
However, when the Temple is rebuilt - be it tomorrow or 2000 years from now - I find it hard to imagine that Jews will continue to fast and mourn in Jerusalem, while in the shadow of the Temple. That being said, we would be doing ourselves a great disservice if we ignored the day altogether.
While reading about the arrest of 5 Rabbis for corruption and organ trafficking, it isn't difficult to imagine that the priests of old also fell into behavior that was morally reprehensible. The Jews followed their lead and, according to tradition, were overcome with baseless hatred that in the end led to the destruction. We would be wise to use this day as a pre-Yom Kippur, to examine our actions and take stock of our morals. It could also become a day of judgment for those working in the Temple one day and those in the government. In order to make sure the leaders are morally upright, having one day every year when they would be forced to stand before the people and defend their actions would be an extra safeguard against corruption and backsliding.
On Yom Kippur we stand before God for forgiveness and judgement, perhaps on Tish B'av we should stand before our fellow man as well.
