The 9 days: Page 2

Welcome to Page 2. If you missed Page 1, scroll down.

We concluded Page 1 with:

Let us look first at the reasons that are shared by the Sages of Israel that G-D's House was destroyed not once, but twice.

One learns that the House that King Soloman built was destroyed because the Nation of Israel turned away from the laws that G-D gave regarding proper behavior in the area dealing with physical relations, intimate relations.

The House that Cyrus and Herod built was destroyed because of baseless hatred among the Children of Israel.

Let us think about both of these reasons.

Page 2:

What is interesting to note, is; the United States has seen a crumbling of moral standards along with its foundation of religious freedom. July 4, 1776, Independence Day coincided with 17th of Jewish Lunar month of Tammuz, the same day that the 3 weeks begins on. That day is a day of Fasting and introspection because that was the day the walls surrounding Jerusalem were breached.

The USA has lead the world in the blending or bending of the lines between what is proper/normal behavior. The women's movements, burn the bra movements, gay movements have all grown up in the petri dish of freedom that the USA has allowed. Many of these movements were spearheaded by those of Jewish birth.

We have seen a large number of cases of child sexual abuse, while it is a tragedy that has happened for a millennium or two, the freedoms of the USA has nurtured this tragedy which has implicated the clergy of many different religions.

So the USA is currently the embodiment of this breakdown of moral/intimate standards.

Ancient Egypt, from which only 20% of the Children of Israel were redeemed also was a cesspool of moral lacking. The 10th plague, the slaying of the first born son was a very scary decree, since there was so much promiscuity that often the husband was not the father or rather, the father was often not the husband.

Now lets turn to this idea of baseless hatred. This came out in the form of noticing differences between each other and focusing on the similarities.

As I said by way of introduction, I am a LISTER. A number of my lists have shared with me and their other readers the 'Halachot' Laws of the 3 weeks and the 9 Days. They have let me know what is restricted, what is forbidden, what Jews from European background do, and what Jew from Oriental/Eastern background do.

Some of my lists have posted specials for the 9 Days (when most don't eat meat or drink wine), some of my lists posted queries about get away resorts/retreats.

So, here is my challenge: what do either the Halachot or 9 day specials or vacations have to do with the destruction of G-D's House(s)

Stay tuned for page 3. In the mean time, please post comments here and share directly with me at: hillel.leib@gmail.com