by Rabbi Russ Resnik

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Then Yeshua went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. And Yeshua said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 23:37–24:2

The words “Blessed is he who comes!” are still used as a welcome in Modern Hebrew. They also describe our mission in the UMJC of “Welcoming Messiah home,” as we welcome Yeshua back into Jewish life and community, and anticipate the welcome that will arise from the walls of Jerusalem in the last days. But, as much as we love these words, we need to consider the full passage here, which concludes with a warning of judgment and exile. Welcoming Messiah home isn’t just coming home ourselves, personally returning from the exile, as vital as that is. We’re not home, not really restored, until all Israel comes home from the exile that Yeshua describes.

Yeshua’s prediction of the temple’s destruction came to pass on the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av, or Tisha b’Av (August 8–9, 2011), forty years after his resurrection. On the same date centuries before, Solomon’s temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians. In both events, Tisha B’Av was a day of sorrow, defeat, and exile of the Jewish people that has ramifications even to this day. There was, however, one difference between the two events, which led to a discussion in the Talmud (Yoma 9b): “Why was the first temple destroyed? Because during its time there were three sins: idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed…. But in the time of the second temple, they studied Torah, performed the commandments, and did kind deeds. Why then was it destroyed? Because there was hatred without a cause—sinat chinam­­—among them.”

What was this hatred without a cause? In the years leading up to the war against Rome, some Jews were preparing for armed uprising, and others opposed it. Some were in collusion with Rome, and others, called Sicarii, used concealed daggers to assassinate Jews they suspected of collusion with Rome. The Jewish people were divided by Sinat chinam, or hatred without a cause.

The phrase itself comes from the Tanakh, as in Psalm 69:5 [69:4], “Those who hate me without cause—sino’eh chinam—are more than the hairs of my head.” This is a psalm of David, reflecting his experiences, but also prophesying Israel’s exile and restoration, as the ending indicates: “For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall live there and possess it; the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall live in it” (69:36–37 [35–36]). The great 19^th century Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch comments: “David beholds the people of Israel, generation after generation, wandering through the dark centuries of exile, and, in this psalm, he utters the thoughts that rise up in Israel’s soul as it marches through the history of nations.” But David says, not “they hatethem without cause,” but “they hate me without cause.” As king, he embodies the future of his people and identifies so strongly with them that his sufferings are prophetic of sufferings to come upon all Israel.

David’s sufferings not only anticipate Israel’s story, but even more clearly point to the sufferings of Messiah. Thus, when Yeshua drove out moneychangers, “his disciples remembered that it was written [in Ps 69:10 (9)], ‘Zeal for your house has consumed me” (John 2:17). Later, Yeshua says his rejection happened “that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause’” (Jn 15:25). Like David in Psalm 69:9 (8), Yeshua can say, “I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children.”

It would be simplistic to say the temple was destroyed because the religious authorities rejected Yeshua, but surely the rabbinic explanation is on target: “Why was it destroyed? Because there was hatred without a cause among them.” Yeshua so deeply identifies with his people Israel and their sufferings that he becomes the ultimate recipient of hatred without a cause . . . and within a generation the temple is gone.

So, what do we do to reverse sinat chinam and prepare for the end of Exile, promised throughout Scripture and in the words of Messiah himself? The opposite of sinat chinam is Ahavat Yisrael, love for the Jewish people, despite our sins and unbelief. Yeshua displayed Ahavat Yisrael when he wept over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41), anfd said that he longed to gather her children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. In what practical ways can we demonstrate Ahavat Yisrael today? This is a most appropriate question for Tisha B’Av, and I’ll suggest three responses.

1. Stay connected with Jewish life and community.

The Messianic Jewish community might feel that we, like Yeshua himself, have been on the receiving end of sinat chinam. But, if we follow Yeshua, we will continue to identify with all Israel and will seek to undo any unnecessary division we have caused. We will express our solidarity in tangible ways and not allow our legitimate differences with the rest of our people over Messiah to alienate us from them. Even though we may remain marginal because of our loyalty to Yeshua, from our side we must eliminate sinat chinam and stand with our people, as Yeshua did. When we consider the struggles of the land and people of Israel today, and the resurgence of anti-Semitism in the form of anti-Zionism, such solidarity becomes even more compelling. We need to show up at Jewish events, contribute to Jewish causes, and be knowledgeable and informed in the matters that concern the wider Jewish community.

2. Be an advocate for Israel before your Christian friends and colleagues.

The UMJC delegates recently passed a resolution not only supporting Israel as a Jewish state, but calling on Christians—our fellow-believers in Messiah—to stand with Israel as well. We can speak up for Israel, but we can do even more good by encouraging Christians to speak up for Israel in great numbers. To help mobilize advocates for Israel we have prepared a few talking points especially directed toward Christians. We’ll continue this theme in our 2012 conference, which will focus on advocacy for the Jewish people, the Jewish state, and the Jewish Messiah. To read the resolution and download a copy of the talking points, check out “Community News” at www.umjc.org.

3. Pray in and for teshuvah.

Yeshua doesn’t respond in kind to sinat chinam, but offers in its place the promise of teshuvah—return and restoration. Exile always includes the promise of ultimate return, and that needs to be the focus of our prayers. As we pray for return of all Israel, however, we have to begin with our own need for teshuvah, so that we have a foundation for our prayers of intercession. This year, the UMJC is joining forces with the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America to pray for Israel through the month of Elul, August 30–September 28. Our theme is Malachi 3:7—“Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts." Love of Israel holds out for the restoration of Israel, which comes as we turn corporately to Messiah Yeshua.

Tisha B’Av marks not only of the beginning of exile, but also many tragic events during the exile, including the expulsion of the once-glorious Jewish community of Spain in 1492. Paradoxically, the convergence of so many tragedies on this date provides a note of hope, because there is a divine pattern behind it all, a much larger plan of redemption that will eventually make sense of all our sufferings. Thus, one tradition has it that Messiah will be born on Tisha B’Av, because exile is the seedbed of hope. Yeshua foretells exile, but it lasts only “till you say, Baruch haba b’shem Adonai, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Out of Ahavat Yisrael, Yeshua forgives, redeems, and eagerly awaits the welcome of all Israel.