1313 BCE: The spies returned from the Promised Land with frightening reports, and the Israelites balked at the prospect of entering the land. G‑d decreed that they would therefore wander in the desert for 40 years. Read more.

Both Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on this date. The First Temple was burned by the Babylonians in 423 BCE (read more) and the Second Temple fell to the Romans in 69 CE (read more), unleashing a period of suffering from which our nation has never fully recovered.

The Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans in 133 CE ended in defeat: The Jews of Betar were butchered on the 9th of Av and the Temple Mount was plowed one year later on the same date. Read more.

Later on in our history, many more tragedies happened on this day, including the 1290 expulsion of England’s Jews and the 1492 banishment of all Jews from Spain. Read more.

Quite fitting how for me this past week has been a turmoil, and I don’t think I cried, as much as I did yesterday, ever…well at least for a long time.

Often yesterday I wondered if Hashem counts his people’s faith in him, quantitively. If that was the case, then what am I doing wrong to be struggling so hard to keep up with my finances. Now it is obvious that Hashem doesn’t bless us that way…but I am human, and I don’t understand how my life is being so hard and such a struggle when I feel that I do so much for Judaism, and I believe so much.

Well…I don’t do enough…I keep saying how I plan to read and keep up with the weekly Parashat…and as much as I want to believe that 24 hours in a day is not enough, I know I am not devoting enough time to Hashem.

Since a new Parasha began recently I figured that I would begin my readings…btu have yet to. I guess it is never too late and even though I may not be nsync with daily readings…if I just start somewhere and relate it to what is happening in my life and in the times of life, I am doing something…right?