Parashat Devarim opens the Book of Deuteronomy, recounting Moses’ final speeches to the Israelites as they stand poised to enter the Promised Land. He retells pivotal events—the appointment of leaders, the report of the twelve spies, and the battles with Sihon and Og—as opportunities for collective reckoning and growth. Moses emphasizes memory, personal responsibility, and courageous leadership in facing the future—even when the past has been tough.

One of the tragedies commemorated on 9 Av is the sin of the spies. Their report sowed fear and despair, causing that generation to wander in the desert and never enter the land—and, according to midrash, this very day would become a “day of crying for generations.” Parashat Devarim revisits that moment, urging us to confront our fears, to choose faith over negativity, and to transform collective failure into lasting spiritual resilience.

Parashat Devarim invites us to remember with honesty: to recognize missteps (like the spies), to reframe our narrative, and to prepare ourselves for the future with courage and unity. Tisha B’Av challenges us to mourn the loss of the holy Temple—yet in that mourning arises the strength and resolve to repair and rebuild.

Tisha B’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. It memorializes five major calamities—including the destruction of both Temples and the tragedy of the spies—marking it as a day of communal fasting and mourning. Through its mournful rites, we cultivate empathy with our ancestors and renew our commitment to spiritual repair and redemption.

“Tisha B’Av isn’t just… mourning which, rather than being a way to process shock… it’s a mourning to contemplate the past and the present and prepare spiritually for a better future.”

This year, Tisha B’Av starts on Saturday, August 2, at 7:30 PM and concludes on Sunday, August 3 at 8:35 PM .

In this day we must fulfill:

• Complete fast no food or water.
• Prohibitions: bathing, washing for pleasure, applying lotions or leather shoes, marital intimacy—just like Yom Kippur, but limited: medical needs and deodorant allowed.
• No Torah study but only limited texts like Eicha (Lamentations), Job, or laws of mourning.
• Sitting on the floor or a low seat until midday; from Mincha, one may sit upright. No greetings until afternoon.

We’re gathering in our Temple on Saturday at 9:00 PM, Sunday at 8:00 AM and Sunday at 7:00 PM. Please join us!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Refael Cohen