The advantage of having the fast days of the 17th of Tamuz (Shivah Asar b’Tammuz) and the 9th of Av (Tishah b’Av) on a Sunday is that you do not lose any days of work. The downside is that I am unable to ride a bike. I missed the Gold Coast Ride on July 13.
I had two Sundays between Shivah Asar b’Tammuz (July 13) and Tishah b’Av (August 3). On Sunday, July 20, I checked the weather. The only possible location that I saw without rain for a significant part of the day — and not too hot — was Jones Beach. The reports said that the rain would stop at approximately 8:15 a.m. I davened early to make sure I could get to the start of my bike ride outside Cedar Creek Park. Within two minutes of my arrival, the rain stopped. Perfect timing, I thought.
I started riding toward Jones Beach. After less than a mile, the rain began again, growing stronger. I had a choice: ride back to my car and wait it out, or continue and hope the rain would pass. I decided to continue. This was one of the few Sundays available, and I felt it was better to keep going even though the short-term outlook seemed bleak.
For the next hour and a half, it rained in varying intensity. By the time it finally stopped, I was soaked. Still, I pressed on and rode another four-and-a-half hours. By the time I finished, the sun had come out.
I want to connect this to Tishah b’Av, the Jewish diaspora experience, and life itself. We set goals and believe we know the best way to achieve them. Then obstacles appear. At that point, we can either give up or plow through. The journey will not be easy, and there will be times we wonder if it was a mistake. But in the end, it works out - even if not as smoothly or successfully as we had hoped when we began.
Throughout Jewish history since the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash, Jews have wandered from place to place. One thing has remained constant: Jews are rarely welcomed. There have always been countries that did not want us - and others that once welcomed us but later turned against us.
Jews have tried to determine the best place to live. They knew the risks of moving to a new country but hoped the problems would disappear or at least lessen. Often, the reality was not as good as expected. The choice was either to turn back - sometimes still possible - or stay and overcome the challenges of the new land.
My father’s parents are a perfect example. They were not like the Jews who left starting in 1938, knowing they had to flee Europe or face disaster. Instead, they left soon after World War I and came to America. Tragically, their only child at the time became sick on the boat and died soon after arriving. My grandmother also had a medical condition that almost resulted in her being sent back to the Old Country. Thanks to good advice from a fellow refugee, she was allowed to stay.
They quickly discovered that the “Goldene Medina” was not golden if you were poor and wanted to remain frum. They could have returned to Europe, as some Jews did - which, given what happened twenty years later, would have been disastrous. Instead, they stayed and endured a hard life. My grandfather insisted on keeping Shabbos back when it often meant losing your job. He lived long enough to see two grandchildren become frum. Sadly, he did not live to see yet another grandchild follow the same path. Today, however, there are many frum great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
On Tishah b’Av we read kinos describing the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people through the ages. Many occurred in places we thought were friendly. It can feel overwhelming, leading to sadness or even despair. Yet despite it all, the Jewish people remain - proud, strong, and with our own country for the first time since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash in the year 70.
If we could overcome all those obstacles, surely we can continue to move forward even now with the challenges facing Israel. May we all be gathered at this time next year in Yerushalayim to see the third Beis HaMikdash.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.