TUESDAY. 291 days Swords of Iron War.

Nahariya, Israel.

Time to tear down. 

Bein ha-Metzarim – “Between the Straits" or “dire straits”, three weeks of a mourning period, from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av, begins today.

Fasting is done on the first day and on the last day.

These three weeks commemorate events of disasters in the history of the Jews. Both Temples were destroyed on these dates. The first temple by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586/7 BCE and the second temple by the Romans, in 70 CE. Both events resulted from a siege on Jerusalem and were followed by an exile. The first was to Babylon which lasted 70 years and the second to wherever the Roman Empire was ruling and it lasted 2,000 years and is still in effect for about 16,000,000 Jews in the Diaspora.

(Lamentation 1:3) Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

Over time many other events occurred during that time to the point that on the last day, Tisha B'Av, the list of disasters became extremely long. It includes expelling Jews from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492; the start of WWI in 1914, and the first killing in Treblinka in 1942 which became the mass murder of 6 million Jews.

Special Haftarot (passages from the Prophets) are read in the synagogue on each Sabbath of the three weeks. These prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah predict the fall of Jerusalem.

First Shabbat reading - Jeremiah 1 - 2:3,

2:3 “...Israel was holiness to the Lord, he firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”

Second Shabbat reading - Jeremiah 2:4-28,

which begins with: 2:4 “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols,
And have become idolaters?...

Ends with: 2:28 “But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah”

Two chapters later it admonishes: 4:28 For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken.
I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.

In our prayer time today, we were led to pray against the idols in our lives and in Israel. Last year at this time, we were on the verge of civil war and these ugly arguments have raised their heads again as the war of Swords of Iron continues in its 9^th month. We see a strong emotional fight in the Knesset, the government, the demonstrating groups, and the IDF.

Yesterday, I read about a major disagreement between the religious men and the women who serve together in the field. Today, I saw a petition from the wives of the reserve soldiers asking the IDF leaders to ensure that women soldiers will serve at a different base from the men.

We are praying so hard against all these fights, they are not helping our nation while at war.

Third Shabbat reading - Isaiah 1:1-27.

An angry God calling for repentance

1:9 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.

But He always gives hope

1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

1:26-27 “I will restore your judges as at the first,

And your counsellors as at the beginning.
Afterwards, you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness."

Our only hope - the Messiah's return is always just around the corner.