reminds me of the complaints in the days of the Disengagement when PM Ariel Sharon scheduled the Disengagement during the Nine Days, and then pushed it to after Tisha B'Av. The Disengagement was carried out the morning after 9 Av (still within the mourning customs of the Nine Days because the majority of the Mikdash burned on the Tenth of Av)

the Gemara tells us about different "sins" or bad behaviors that caused the batei mikdash to be destroyed, whether it was sinat chinam, baseless hate, lashon hara, the transgressions of the three cardinal sins, etc..

Interestingly, Kipa is reporting on an initiative by an organization called "The Joint headquarters for Guarding the Holiness of the Kotel".

Last week we pointed to the Rabbanut psak allowing live performances and music for soldiers on duty in and around Gaza during the Nine Days, as it strengthens them and raises their morale.

In that vein we now have another interesting psak.

From INN:

Soldiers in Gaza could eat meat during the coming days, the IDF Rabbinate announced Monday.
The decision contravenes a widely-held Ashkenazi Jewish custom not to eat meat from the beginning of the Hebrew month of Av – which began Monday – until after the Fast of the Ninth of Av next week, during the period generally known as the "Nine Days." Sephardi Jews refrain from the start of the week in which the Ninth of Av occurs.
The ban on eating meat, except for Shabbat meals, is a long-standing one, instituted after the Destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel, as a sign of mourning for the Destruction.
Other customs prevalent during this period include not taking haircuts or shaving, not listening to music, and not attending parties or going to places of entertainment.
While soldiers are not exempted from the ban on haircuts or shaving – most don't have a chance to shave at the front anyway, said the Rabbinate – they could eat meat if they felt the need.
Meat supplies protein and vitamins that are very difficult to get otherwise, especially under battlefield conditions, the Rabbinate said – and since soldiers need their energy and strength to fight Hamas terrorists, they were permitted to eat meat.
However, those who felt they could manage without meat were certainly not obligated to do so, the Rabbinate added.

When will the third Holy Temple be rebuilt? The old school thinks that will only happen in the distant future, when everyone is united by unconditional love. But that future is now. Today’s youth are already linking arms together and putting aside all differences, ready to rebuild. It is the inspiration of the Holy Temple itself, with its promise of hope and peace that brings together all people in unity. This is the generation that will rebuild the Holy Temple.

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the first two editions of this, from previous years, can be found here:
The Children Are Ready part 1
The Children Are Ready part 2

At times one might not know whether or not to actually believe the stories one reads about our gedolim, and this story is an example of that...

Kikar is reporting about Rav Chaim Kanievsky's siyyum during the 9 Days. Besides for his annual siyyum of Masechet Yevamos on the 8th of Av, Rav Kanievsky woke up from a nap on the afternoon of 3 Av and asked his grandson to bring him wine. With wine being a no-no during the 9 Days, Rav Kanievsky realized his grandson was a bit surprised at the request, so he explained his request saying that he was about to make a siyyum for having finished Massechet Brachot in his dream.

When the incident was told over to Rav Shteinman, he said that there is no doubt that by Rav Chaim Kanievsky who has everything laid out before him and has the ability to say that he finished a massechet of gemara in his dream, he definitely will have actually finished it and can have happiness for it.

True story or not, I don't know.

I do know that:
1. they do not tell such stories about me
2. I do not finish, or even start, tractates in my dreams. I usually do not remember my dreams when I wake up, but when I do they have never been like this dream of Rav Kanievsky

I do wonder, assuming the story is true:
1. did he finish the entire massechet in one dream or was it over the course of a series of dreams throughout the year?
2. if he did the learning in the dream, maybe he should only make his siyyum in a dream as well

The person behind this sign is a brilliant entrepreneur!



the sign is offering a new service - it says - if you have found yourself stuck right before the 9 Days with freshly laundered clothes and no time to put them all on, a God-fearing avreich will prepare your clothes for you according to all the hiddurim!! every garment will be worn for at least an hour, in a place with no air-conditioning and without deodorant!

The Children are Ready



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Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. Rebellion

This seemed appropriate for the 9 Days. (new posts are below this)

The gemara in gittin says that on Shabbos a Jew is allowed to buy a house form a non-Jew in Eretz Yisrael. The reason is that it is such an important thing to buy the house form a non-Jew because of the mitzva of yishuv eretz yisrael.

In practical halacha it seems to be a bit more complicated, as there are different opinions as to what is actually allowed to be done on Shabbos. It seems only rabbinic laws can be forgone in the purchase on Shabbos, such as telling a non-Jew to sign the papers. Others say that it is so important it is like a part of a milchemet mitzva and anything can be done on Shabbos to successfully acquire the house away form the non-Jew.

While not quite the same level of prohibition or allowance, Rav Elyashiv has recently paskened, according to reports on Kikar, that because the housing crisis has gotten so bad one would be allowed to buy a house during the 9 Days if the opportunity suddenly presented itself, despite the fact that it causes such great happiness.

How about this for an "Only in Israel" situation -

During the "Nine Days", Channel 2 of Israel Radio, along with the religious stations of Kol B'Rama and Radio Kol Hai, will be broadcasting 28 siyumim. This is in coordination with Rabbi Brod of Chabad. It seems the late Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged public siyumim for the 9 Days.
(source: Haredim)

It raises an interesting question - whether l'chatchila a person can consider that being part of a siyum so he can eat fleishigs during the 9 Days. I guess Chabad might hold yes. But even for Chabad it might not be l'chatchila and might just be for those who are eating meat anyway, this makes it b'dieved ok.

The amazing part of this is that the siyumim are on the radio, and not just on the religious stations but the general radio station is going to be broadcasting them! All this so that people eating meat will have heard a siyum rendering it permissible, without the slightest of effort.

Before Purim, my shul, Beis Tefilla Yona Avraham, in conjunction with the Pirchei Shoshanim Shulchan Aruch Learning Program, made available to the public a collection of questions and answers asked by soldiers as to how to deal with certain situations that arise while serving, and answered by the Rabbonim of Pirchei Shoshanim.

BTYA and Pirchei Shoshanim have again come through with an interesting compilation of questions and answers for soldiers and how they can halachically deal with situations that will arise during the fast of 9 Av. Issues such as; fasting during operations, putting on a clean uniform, wearing leather shoes for operations, and more..

It is very interesting, so thank you to BTYA and Pirchei Shoshanim, and take a look...

Here is a shiur from Rabbi Chaim Richman for this shabbos, Shabbos Chazon, the shabbos before 9 Av.

If you can get there, I can't think of anything more appropriate to do during the 9 days....