From Mourning to Joy

Parashat Devarim opens the final book of the Torah as Moses stands before the Israelites during the last weeks of his life. Devarim is likened to the second set of luchot (tablets), hewn by Moses’ own hand at Sinai. As his hands once shaped the bare stone, so now his voice shapes the words of Torah for Israel. In this, we see one of the recurring hints in Devarim that affirm the enduring importance of the Oral Torah.

Moses delivers a sweeping address that serves as a review, a rebuke, and a final call to faithfulness as the people are poised to enter the Promised Land. This Torah portion is always read on the Shabbat before Tish'a B'Av, the darkest day on the Jewish calendar. As the reader will see, the parasha and the fast day are deeply intertwined in theme and tone. The narrative in Parashat Devarim includes the Sin of the Spies. Moses recalls how the people wept and lost faith after hearing the slanderous report on the Land recorded in Numbers 13:1–15:41–14.

It should be noted that not all of Israel joined those who did not believe God's promises regarding the land. The women of Israel, their children and those over fifty kept their peace:

“They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word, murmured in their tents and did not obey the voice of the Lord.” - Psalms 106:24-25

Their error led to a decree of forty years of wandering in the wilderness. According to the Talmud (Ta’anit 29a), the night Israel cried was the ninth of 9th of Av (Tish'a B'Av). God responded:

“You wept in vain, I will fix this night for weeping throughout the generations.”

The annual, national mourning on Tish'a B’Av has continued through a series of tragic events in the history of the Jewish people:

Destruction of the First Temple (423 BCE)

The Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon. Thousands were killed, and the rest of the population exiled to Babylon

Romans Emperor Titus, destroyed the Second Temple. (69 AD)

This marked the beginning of a long and painful exile for the Jewish people and is the central tragedy commemorated on Tishah B’Av.

The Fall of Betar (133 CE)

After Bar Kochba led the 3rd Revolt against Rome, the Jewish stronghold of Betar was besieged and fell on Tish'a B'Av. Over 100,000 Jews were slaughtered, and this marked the end of Jewish resistance in Judea.

Plowing of the Temple Mount (136 CE)

A year after the fall of Betar, Emperor Hadrian ordered Jerusalem to be plowed over, and a pagan dwelling, Aelia Capitolina, was built on its ruins. Jews were banned from entering the city.

The First Crusade Began (1096)

It was launched in August 1096 (Tammuz–Av), leading to the slaughter of thousands of Jews in France and the Rhineland. It marked the start of many centuries of Christian anti-Jewish violence in Europe.

Expulsion from England (1290)

King Edward I signed the Edict of Expulsion, forcing all Jews to leave England. They were not officially allowed to return until 1657.

Expulsion from Spain (1492)

Fueled with Catholic religious fervor after defeating the Muslims and retaking Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issued The Alhambra Decree, which gave the Jews until Tisha B'Av to leave Spain, convert, or face death. This ended the country's thriving Sephardic civilization.

World War I Breaks Out (1914)

Germany declared war on Russia on the eve of Tish'a B'Av, indirectly setting the stage for the Holocaust by destabilizing Europe and empowering extremist movements.

Mass Deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto (1942)

On Tishah B'Av, the Nazi regime began deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka, the extermination of Polish Jewry, and a major escalation in the Holocaust.

We read Parashat Devarim on Shabbat Hazon. In the Haftarah (Isaiah 1:1-27), the prophet cautions his nation to repent or destruction would follow. This mirrors Moses’ tone in Devarim, which is a fusion of loving exhortation and urgent warning. Both Moses and Isaiah deliver a hazon (vision) and lament the missed potential of a holy people destined to dwell securely in their land. Just as Moses calls for introspection, so too, Isaiah pled for justice and repentance: “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.”

Parashat Devarim concludes by recounting the defeat of Sihon and Og, mighty kings who once barred Israel's path to Canaan. These triumphs hint at renewal and reclaimed destiny. Likewise, within the grief of Tish'a B’Av is a promise of future joy. The fast itself, though saturated with mourning, is meant to awaken hope. As the Midrash teaches, the Messiah will be born on the 9th of Av. This transformative promise is powerfully articulated in Zechariah 8:19:

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah. But you must love truth and peace.”

In this prophecy, days of mourning and fasting are transformed into joy, including the fast of the fifth month—Tish'a B'Av.

The rebukes of Moses, the tears of the prophets, and the losses of history are meant to purify, awaken, and ultimately shape Israel into a people who fully embrace Torah and her laws:

"Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'." - Deteronomy 4:6

Parashat Devarim holds the promise of a future world where Israel worships the Creator in their rebuilt Temple—a House of Prayer for All Nations.