️ Tisha B'Av: The Destruction of the Temple That Changed History | The Story Every Jew Must Know

[00:00:00]Nearly 3,000 years ago, Jerusalem was destined to become the spiritual heart of the Jewish people.

[00:00:08]Jerusalem [music] stood atop a rugged hill, protected by towering walls and narrow wall. No army had ever broken through [music] its gates, but David was not looking for a battle of strength. He was searching for another way in. Tural defenses.

[00:00:23]For generations, the Jebusites [music] believed their city was unconquered. As David looked upon Jerusalem, he saw more than an enemy fortress. He saw the future capital [music] of Israel and the place where God's holy house would one day stand.

[00:00:44]>> [laughter] >> YOU WILL NEVER ENTER THIS CITY.

[00:00:50]>> [screaming] >> THERE IS THE SECRET PASSAGE.

[00:00:55]WE will enter [music] through the water system.

[00:01:03]>> Move silent. The promise is close.

[00:01:11]>> [music] >> Open the gates!

[00:01:16]>> King David conquered the city of Jerusalem and established it as the capital of Israel.

[00:01:25]>> [music] >> For David, Jerusalem was more than a political capital. It was to become the spiritual heart of Israel. Here, he hoped to [music] build a permanent house for the Lord, a sacred place that would unite the nation in the worship of the one true God.

[00:01:45]>> I want [music] to build Hashem a beautiful place.

[00:01:50]>> David dreamed of building a house for God. [music] That dream would be fulfilled by his son, Solomon. After David's death, his son Solomon ascended the throne, blessed with extraordinary [music] wisdom. The young king inherited a kingdom at peace and a promise yet [music] to be fulfilled.

[00:02:10]For 7 years, Solomon oversaw the [music] construction of the house of the Lord.

[00:02:15]Built according to the plans entrusted to David, the temple stood as the dwelling place of God's name among his people.

[00:02:33]News of Solomon's [music] extraordinary wisdom spread across the ancient world. Kings, queens, and ambassadors traveled from distant lands [music] to stand in his court, seeking his counsel and honoring the God of Israel.

[00:02:47]During Solomon's reign, Israel entered a golden age unlike any before it. Peace stretched across the land, justice guided the kingdom, prosperity flourished, and Jerusalem became a beacon of wisdom for the nations.

[00:03:02]>> [music and singing] >> After the death of King Solomon, the United [clears throat] Kingdom began to unravel. Israel was divided into two rival kingdoms, and with [music] political division came a gradual spiritual decline. The people turned away from the covenant, embracing idolatry, corruption, and injustice.

[00:03:26]>> This should ensure the right verdict.

[00:03:28]>> As the years passed, the people drifted further from God's ways. Idolatry spread, [music] injustice grew, and the nation began to forget its covenant. God sent his prophets to warn them before it was too late.

[00:03:40]>> before it's too late.

[00:03:43]>> [laughter] >> Many refused [music] to listen.

[00:03:48]>> [laughter] >> Nothing will happen to us.

[00:03:57]Why won't they return to Hashem?

[00:04:08]>> Surround the city for as long as it takes.

[00:04:16]>> [music] >> BARUCH HASHEM!

[00:04:29]>> JERUSALEM HAD FALLEN. NEBUZARADAN, charged with destroying the temple, entered its sacred courts. Generations ago, this is where Zechariah the prophet was struck down.

[00:04:42]>> What's the story with the blood at the gate?

[00:04:45]>> Oh, it's from the offerings.

[00:04:59]>> Doesn't look like to [music] me.

[00:05:02]>> It started on Yom Kippur, 200 years ago.

[00:05:07]On Yom [music] Kippur, Zechariah entered the Holy of Holies. There, in the very [music] place where heaven met earth, he froze. The cherubim had turned away from one another.

[00:05:22]>> Hashem has left us because we left him.

[00:05:27]Return!

[00:05:30]>> Again and again, Zechariah called the nation to repent. His words [music] were rejected.

[00:05:35]>> Get rid of him!

[00:05:37]>> By order of King Jehoash, he was stoned in the temple.

[00:05:41]>> Why did they kill him?

[00:05:45]>> Because he was rebuking the people.

[00:05:49]>> Seeking to avenge Zechariah's blood, Nebuzaradan ordered the execution of countless people. But, when the blood still would not rest, he understood the gravity of his actions. The sages teach that he repented, left Babylon, and converted to Judaism.

[00:06:06]>> King Nebuzaradan has abandoned the mission at the temple.

[00:06:14]>> [screaming] >> When Nebuchadnezzar [music] learned that Nebuzaradan had abandoned his mission, he appointed another commander to [music] finish what Babylon had begun. Jerusalem was left in ruins, and its people were led away into exile.

[00:06:31]Nearly 50 years after Jerusalem fell, the mighty Babylonian Empire collapsed.

[00:06:36]A new ruler arose, Cyrus, king of Persia.

[00:06:40]>> your homeland and rebuild your [music] holy city.

[00:06:45]>> Cyrus gave the Jewish exiles [music] permission to return to their homeland and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

[00:06:53]For the first time in decades, the dream of returning to Zion was no longer a distant hope. It had become a reality.

[00:07:02]Led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David, and [music] Joshua the high priest, thousands began the long journey home.

[00:07:11]When they reached Jerusalem, [music] they found a city scarred by destruction. Its walls lay broken, [music] and the temple had become a heap of ruins.

[00:07:21]But, from those ruins, hope was born once [music] again. Stone by stone, the second temple began to rise, a symbol that God's covenant with his people had not been forgotten.

[00:07:34]The second temple stood for more than four centuries, a symbol of hope restored. Yet, over time, division, corruption, and hatred began to take root among the people.

[00:07:47]Jerusalem noble prepared a lavish banquet. Tonight, >> [music] >> everything had to be perfect.

[00:07:53]It was meant to be a night of joy, but it would become the beginning of a national tragedy.

[00:07:59]>> Go invite my friend Kamtza [music] to the feast tonight.

[00:08:19]>> My master requests your presence tonight. [music] It is weird that I got this invitation, but I'll go anyway.

[00:08:29]Maybe he finally wants to make peace.

[00:08:36]>> Bar Kamtza quietly took his seat among [music] the guests. Surrounded by laughter and celebration, he finally felt a sense of belonging.

[00:08:46]Then, suddenly, [music] the host noticed him. Furious, he stormed across the room and demanded that Bar Kamtza leave at once. [music] >> for my own meal.

[00:08:55]Please let me stay.

[00:08:59]>> No.

[00:09:02]>> I'll pay for half the banquet.

[00:09:06]>> No.

[00:09:09]>> Bar Kamtza looked around the room, hoping someone would speak, but no one did. Even the sages remained seated in silence.

[00:09:22]>> I'll pay for the entire feast.

[00:09:26]>> GET OUT!

[00:09:31]>> [music] >> IF THEY remained silent, they approved.

[00:09:40]Bar Kamza appears before the Roman Emperor.

[00:09:46]The Jews are planning to rebel against you. How do you know they plan to rebel?

[00:09:52]Send an offering and see if they will sacrifice [music] it.

[00:09:56]With a tiny cut to the animal's lip, Bar Kamza ensured the offering would be rejected under Jewish law. Emperor sent the offering.

[00:10:09]They have turned against you. The sacrifice you sent was rejected.

[00:10:13]Rebellion is breathing in the very heart of Jerusalem.

[00:10:18]Jerusalem was placed under siege.

[00:10:24]Jerusalem had become a prison encircled by [music] tens of thousands of Roman soldiers. No food, no supplies, and no escape could reach the city. Famine swept through the streets, and every day brought new suffering. Parents watched their children waste away, and in the depths of starvation, some mothers were driven to the unthinkable, consuming their own children to survive.

[00:10:53]Then came the day that would forever be remembered with sorrow.

[00:10:57]On the ninth of Av, the Roman army breached the temple and set it ablaze.

[00:11:02]Smoke rose over Jerusalem as the Second Temple burned. For the second time in history, the house of God was destroyed, and the hopes of a nation were reduced to ashes.

[00:11:14]The flames that [music] consumed the temple did not extinguish the Jewish people.

[00:11:19]Though scattered across the world, they carried with them a single hope that one day they would return to Jerusalem.

[00:11:26]For nearly 2,000 years, every Tisha B'Av became a day of mourning, remembrance, and longing for the rebuilding of the house of God.