T’sha B’av: How Jews Once Travelled and How Jewish People Travel Today
With the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem came the end of Jewish travel for pleasure and ushered in a sad era, of where Jews travelled to flee pain, persecution, and anti-Semitism.
During the times of the Temples Jews travelled to Jerusalem on pilgrimage three times a year. Thousands of Jews from all corners of Israel and neighbouring countries came to see and be seen during the festivals. On Passover they came to offer the Pascal sacrifice, and eat with family and friends. On Shavout (the harvest festival) they brought the Bikurim (the first fruits) to the priest in the Temple. Back then virtually everyone was a farmer and it boggles the mind to imagine the constant flow of pilgrims coming to Jerusalem with baskets of fruit.
Then there came the festival of Sukkot, and as the Talmud relates: “One who did not see the celebration [of Simcaht Beit Hashoeva, the water drawing] never saw a celebration in his life.” Imagine being there with perhaps hundreds of thousands of fellow Jews celebrating!
And Tisha B’Av brought an end to all of this. The Temples were destroyed and the Jews exiled. For the next two thousand years Jews sought refuge from place to place. Travel was no longer a time to celebrate, more likely it was running for your life with nothing but the shirt on your back. Crusades, Inquisitions, pogroms, a holocaust, and so much more.
Once again in the last couple of decades Jews have begun to travel for the festivals. All inclusive Passover retreats in America and Europe are popular, where participants can eat gourmet, be entertained by singers, performers, and comedians, all while the kids are kept busy with day camp activities. There are Sukkot getaways which offer more or less the same as the Passover ones. Should you choose not to go away for the whole week, there are still plenty of fun chol hamoed activities: fruit picking, circus performances, carnivals, museums, and even DisneyLand.
It is nice to see Jews are traveling again for pleasure, but we must remember that the real place to travel for the festivals is on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Please G-d may the third Beis Hamikdash be build speedily in our days, and we can once again celebrate with all Jews in Jerusalem.
Read more on Tisha B’Av: Hashem is Homeless… And So Are We…
Read more on Rabbi Lawrence Keleman on Tisha B’Av
Read more on Babies, Now You Can Celebrate Tisha B’Av, Too!
Read more on Parshas Devarim & Tisha B’Av: We Have to Look for the Good
Read more on Controversial Music: The 3 Weeks, The 9 Days, and Tisha B’Av
Read more on Avoiding Music & Bringing Jews Closer Together: The 3 Weeks, the 9 Days, and Tisha B’Av
