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The sages explain that God intentionally selected the 9th of the Hebrew
month of 'Av' as the day upon which both the First and the Second Temples would
be destroyed because it was on the 9th of 'Av' that the 12 spies returned from
their mission to scout out the Land of Israel with a pessimistic and libelous
report. The events surrounding the Temple’s destruction are linked back to the
biblical account of the 12 spies to illustrate that all of Jewish history is
inexorably interwoven, and is the unfolding of God’s divine plan. Furthermore,
we must never forget that one of the keys to the rebuilding of the Temple and
the heralding in of the Messianic Era is our unquestioning trust in God. This is
the very trait the spies and the nation failed to exhibit in their rejection of
His land, and one which we must constantly seek to demonstrate. 'Eleh Ezkera'
recounts the Midrash (story) of the Ten Martyrs of Israel who were brutally
murdered by the Roman Empire in the period surrounding the destruction of the
Second Temple and Jerusalem. A center piece of inspiration on Yom Kippur and
Tisha B’Av, this Midrash is the story of what it means not only to die as a Jew
but to live like one, by demonstrating unwavering commitment to God and His
people.
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