It has becum my custom to beign each of these hapters with a story. Today will be no different. Sunday the 29th of July will be the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av. This is a commemorative day in Judasim. the name of the holiday is simply Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, and it is a day of mourning. On the 9th of Av, the sin of the 12 spies was committed, but, more strikingly, other events continued to happen on the 9th of Av. In 536 BCE the Temple was destroyed by babylonians, and Isreal was thrwon into exile. Then, after our return, on Av 9, 70 CE, the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans. the Bar Kechbar revolt fell in 136 CE on the 9th of Av. Torquemada and Hitler btoh anounced their plans for the Jews on the 9th of Av, in 1492 and 1942 respectively. Tisha B'Av is a time of mourning, but hidden within is a message of hope. Every year, hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Jews world-wide remember the Temple that fell, and mourn her, and hope for the time when she we be rebuilt. No one mourns Rome, and Babylon is fallen, is fallen. But Isreal is now, as she ever has been, and ever will be, strong.