WARNING Haftarah #3: Don't Forget About Tisha b'Av

Memory is a very powerful tool. In Judaism, we emphasize the importance of memory quite frequently, both individually and communally. We even have several services that derive their names from variations on the word for "Remember" in Hebrew, "Zachor":
E.g. Yizkor, Yichronot (on Rosh Hashanah), Eileh Ezkerah (on Yom Kippur), and Yom Ha-Zikaron (a day of remembering Israel's fallen soldiers). But the main reason why we focus so much on memory might surprise you. Sure, it's about holding on to our history, being knowledgeable Jews, and honoring our past. However, it's even more essential - and urgent - than that. Tomorrow night, we commemorate the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha b'Av. The prayer service for Tisha b'Av is almost like a vigil or a shiva service... which is intentional, because we are mourning some of the worst tragedies in Jewish history. I urge everyone to attend - either at Ohev or elsewhere - and not because remembering and perpetual grief is a good thing. No, I hope you'll observe Tisha b'Av for that other, MUCH more important reason.

Now, you may ask: Why on earth should I sit on the floor, in a dimly lit room, holding a flashlight, crying over two Temples that were destroyed 1,950 and 2,600 years ago respectively??? Well, first of all, it's an incredibly powerful service. It taps deep into human emotion, and we create a spiritual and holy space that is unlike almost any other service throughout the Jewish year. It's worth it; I promise.

But then, there's our second reason; an impetus for change. In our Haftarah this weekend, Isaiah hits us squarely over the head with it: "Your hands are stained with crime! Wash yourselves clean; remove your evil doings from my sight: [Namely:] Cease to do evil, learn to do good, devote yourselves to justice, aid the wronged, uphold the rights of the orphan, and defend the cause of the widow!" (Isaiah 1:15-17) Sound familiar? Our courts today may declare racism a thing of the past, our leaders may celebrate that the war on poverty is over (and supposedly we won), and politicians may tell us climate change is a hoax; but folks, we cannot ignore the severity of ALL these problems. In many cases, they're not only still very much plagues on society, they're getting worse. Change MUST happen. But how?

Perhaps you already see where I'm going with this. George Santayana, in 1905, was credited with the famous saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." We sing, pray, chant, talk, and cry about our historic tragedies, because they open our eyes to the present and help us gird ourselves for the future.

And, in fact, we may STILL be doomed to repeat history, even when we learn from it, but we'll be better prepared and less naive. I don't mean to sound so pessimistic (though we ARE getting ready for a day of mourning...), because I actually don't think this is as grim and fatalistic as it may sound. We should study our history, so that we will be grounded and mindful today. Memory may, in fact, make us more grateful for securities and opportunities that we enjoy right now, and we may even find renewed motivation to fight for causes that are important to us. This does NOT have to be a message of doom and gloom. Every ancient prophet who proclaimed disaster was doing so to urge, beg, and plead with the people to make changes and avert calamity. They were all saying: "There is still time!! (Not much... but some!)" The very next line, after the one I quoted above, shifts tone dramatically. "Come, let us reach an understanding, declares Adonai" (v. 18). We can work on this. Always. Let's talk.

On Saturday night, at our Tisha b'Av service, we will chant the Book of Lamentations. It was likely written in Babylon after 587 BCE, when the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple. Its language harkens back to Isaiah's prophecies, even though Isaiah lived 150
years earlier. Isaiah prophesied about a destroyed temple, but no one listened because they didn't see the full devastation that would come a century later. So they ignored him. Every year, we sit in a dark(ish) room and try to take in the words of Lamentations, because we CANNOT ignore our history any longer. Our Haftarah, by the way, is emphatic and explicit that we are NOT talking about religious observance here. Across all religions, fundamentalists are tempted to read Isaiah as saying "get back to religious adherence and faithful prayer to God!" They are wrong; plain and simple. Check out Isaiah 1: 11-17, if you don't believe me. Our history is a vital tool for both putting our situation in perspective and challenging us to make the world around us a better place. Now, you CAN ignore history. It's at your own peril, I would argue, but it's still a choice. Or you can listen and learn. It will make you a better and stronger person, as well as more humble and compassionate, and it will give you energy for the long journey ahead. Moses, in Deuteronomy 25:19, said it best: "Lo Tishkach!" - "Don't forget!"


Images in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of _Alicja_ on Pixabay
2. CC image courtesy of Wikipedia
3. CC image courtesy of johnhain on Pixabay
4. CC image of Gebhard Fugel's "An den Wassern Babylons" ("By the rivers of Babylon") courtesy of WolfD59 on Wikimedia Commons