The Fateful Meeting: Give Me Yavneh and It’s Sages
The setting is Jerusalem, approximately in the year 70 C.E.; the city is in the grip of a terrible famine, and it is surrounded by powerful Roman legions, under the command...
The Tiger at the Gates: The Romans Lay Siege...
The Enemy Approaches, and Famine in Yerushalayim When the Roman Emperor was convinced by Bar-Kamtza that the Jews were indeed mounting a rebellion, he sent against Yerushalayim the great general, Nero....
The Second “Beit HaMikdash,” Holy Temple, in Yerushalayim
The End of Prophecy – The Formulation of the Mishnah The Prophet Yirmiyahu had received a prophecy that the “exile” following the destruction of the First Temple would be relatively “short”...
The First “Beit HaMikdash”: The Temple of Shlomo
The First Beit HaMikdash was actually built in the time of Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon. Shlomo was the son of King David, who had conceived the idea of building a Temple...
The Attempt by David HaMelech to Build a Temple
“…But look, ‘Here am I, Sitting in a House of Cedar…’ ” (Shmuel II, 7:2) “David HaMelech, “ King David, had finally succeeded in bringing the Ark of the L-rd to...
Because of Kamtza and Bar-Kamtza Yerushalayim was Destroyed
“Rabbi Yochanan said, ‘What is the meaning of the verse in The Book of “Mishlei” (Proverbs 28) which reads, ‘Fortunate is the one who is always fearful, but the one who...
Torah Study on Tisha B’Av
On Tisha B’Av, unlike any other occasion, except for the “Shiva,” the seven-day period of mourning for a loved one, there exists a prohibition to study the Torah. This is because...
Digest of The Laws of Tisha B’Av and the...
HALAKHA GUIDE / הלכות (According to the Ashkenazic practice) Notes in based upon contributions from Rabbi Ari Kahn, whom we thank for his valuable input! Abbreviations A.H. = Arukh HaShulĥan...
About the Three Weeks: A Chronology of Destruction
The following is a list of the major events leading up to the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. First Temple: 3316 Yehoyakim ben Yoshiyahu becomes King of...
My Shoulders, Your Shoulders, Our Shoulders
One dimension of the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash is the person-to-person dimension. Tisha B’Av represents discord between Jews. It is this dimension that we can fix today! Presented by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi...
By Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
