While these events did not take place on Tisha B'Av itself, on that day we shall remember those who perished and reflect on the implications of these tragedies. This horrible event raised a red flag in the Jewish community, a flag still demanding attention even now. The rabbis teach that the Second Temple was destroyed partly because of senseless hatred, sinat hinam , among the Jews. Unfortunately, even after the collective shock that possessed Jews worldwide following Rabin's assassination, the incivility continues, as name-calling and mutual suspicion among diverse groups threatens the continuation of reasonable discourse. Perhaps refreshing our own memories at Tisha B'Av will remind us of extremism's high cost, and help us recommit ourselves to civility and mutual respect.
Extremism takes many forms.
Several months after Rabin's assassination, scores of people in Israel lost their lives in suicide bombings perpetrated by terrorist groups determined to derail the Mideast peace process. The reverberations of those bombings will be felt for many years to come, as the world struggles to comprehend such barbarism. Perhaps Tisha B'Av will help us defeat this terror by reaffirming our belief in peace, so valued in Jewish tradition. We must remember with sadness the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. We also look with both sorrow and outrage at the recent burning of black churches in the American South.