Lamentations sat alone: As the fast of Tisha B'Av begins, hundreds of thousands of believers will arrive today (Wednesday) at synagogues and public compounds and read the Book of Lamentations together. In the scroll, the prophet Jeremiah tells of the days of the destruction of the Second Temple. The main ceremony at the Western Wall will be broadcast live on the Israel Hayom website.
At the Western Wall, the remnant of the Temple, many will participate in reading the scroll while sitting on the floor as a sign of mourning, and in reciting lamentations into the night. At the same time, many will participate in conferences and talks about the situation, polarization in the country and other current issues on the agenda. Throughout the country, "Tonight We Don't Learn Torah" gatherings were held with public figures who spoke.
Joint prayer for opponents and supporters of the legal reform at the Western Wall // Credit: Yoni Rikner
Tomorrow, the influx to the Western Wall will continue, and many will also ascend to the Temple Mount, where the two Temples were destroyed thousands of years ago.
Fasting in the midst of a heat wave
The Tisha B'Av fast, which ends tomorrow with the departure of the stars, includes five prohibitions: eating and drinking, wearing leather shoes, bathing, lubricating and using the bed. It is also customary not to study Torah on this day.
Since this year's fast falls in the midst of a severe heat wave, staying in the heat and avoiding food and drink can put fasting at risk, especially the elderly. In any case where general weakness is felt and signs of dehydration appear (dizziness, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting), MDA teams (emergency phone 101), which were deployed with reinforced forces, should be called, as well as the other rescue agencies.
Repair the rupture
Against the backdrop of Lent over the destruction of the Temples, Gesher conducted a survey that found that the Israeli government had failed in its handling of the social crisis – a score of 3.7 out of 10. At the same time, 36% of the Israeli public believes that the solution to the crisis is in the hands of politicians, 40% believe that despite the approval of the law to reduce the grounds of reasonableness, the crisis can end in a compromise between the sides, while 23% believe that only new elections are the solution.
36% of the Israeli public believes that the solution to the crisis is in the hands of politicians. Knesset plenum, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The most optimistic figure that emerged in the survey is that most of the respondents (54%) are still interested in dialogue with the other side of the political map, and there is a genuine desire to hear the other side.
Gesher CEO Ilan Gal Dor: "The survey shows that the general public sees the great importance of Israel's unity, and most of it still believes that the crisis will end in compromise."
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