both signed on this day. Pogroms. Shoah. 1 October 7. 2 So much pain is packed into this single day. Why?
Because we are commanded to protect joy.
The Talmudic sage Rav Papa teaches that some fast days, based in historic calamities, are conditional, but that Tisha B’ Av is different,“ because several misfortunes happened on it.” 3
We are encouraged to be whole most of the year, to choose life 4 each and every day. We are commanded to rejoice on holidays. This teaches us that, even the deepest grief must be constrained by our ritual calendar— because Judaism insists that we survive by remembering pain, not by being consumed by it. So tradition carves out one day, just one, to hold it all. Tisha b’ Av became the vessel that contains our heartbreak so that it doesn’ t leak into every corner of our lives.
Still, it is just so heavy.
1
Though Yom HaShoah is a day on its own, Holocaust imagery is o`en included in modern commemoraaons of Tisha B’ Av.
2
It will be important, as this reflecaon argues, to consider how many historic scars should be individually allowed into Jewish calendar. The recent occurrence and magnitude of October 7, 2023’ s devastaaon of Am Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael( as well as the ongoing hostage crisis almost 2 years later, Please God may they be brought home before this collecaon reaches publicaaon) render any decision premature and likely inadequate.
3
Commenang on Zech. 8:19,“… the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fi; h month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month …,” Rav Papa first teaches that, on these fast days( the 17 th of Tammuz, Tisha B’ Av, the Fast of Gedaliah, and the 10 th of Tevet),“ when there is peace they shall be for joy and gladness; if there is persecuaon, they shall be fast days; if there is no persecuaon but yet not peace, then those who desire may fast and those who desire need not fast.” Rav Papa then separates Tisha B’ Av from the list,“ because several misfortunes happened on it.”( Rosh HaShannah 18b)
4
Deut. 30:19
20