How do we know that Rosh Hashanah is really the new year for the world? And how do we know it is a judgement day if the Torah seemingly doesn’t say so? Find out in this class! Also discussed is the geographical location of the Garden of Eden, the identity of the Forbidden Fruit, the nature of Satan, and how the current generation is a return of the generation of the Exodus, as well as the connections between ancient Egypt and the modern world.
Category Archives: Holidays
The Powerful Link Between Tisha b’Av and Tu b’Av
What is the true meaning of the ancient and little-known Biblical holiday of Tu b’Av? Where did Tu b’Av come from and what does it have to do with Creation? Finally, how does Tu b’Av rectify the problem of Tisha b’Av, the saddest day of the Jewish year?
Also discussed is the Jewish view of soulmates, the three types of love, the purpose of the Book of Judges (Shoftim), and a deeper look at the lives of Kings David and Solomon.
The Jews Who Destroyed the Temple
‘Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem’ by Francesco Hayez (1867)
On Tisha b’Av we commemorate numerous tragedies in Jewish history, most notably the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The Tanakh outlines quite clearly the events that led to the destruction of the First Temple. When it comes to the Second Temple, however, little is generally spoken of even though we have a lot more historical information about what was going on at the time. We tend to greatly simplify things by reducing it to the same old adage that “the Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam”, baseless hatred. How did the destruction of the Temple really come about? What were the events that led to the Great Revolt and the first Jewish-Roman War? And who, exactly, were those Jews that harboured such immense hatred for each other?