Why Tisha B'Av Became the Saddest Day in Jewish History

What caused the 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av) to become the most tragic and sorrowful day in Jewish history? The answer is surprising: It was the Jewish people themselves.

It all began when the spies (sent by Moses) returned from the Land of Israel and reported that the land wasn’t right for them, based on their own personal fears and biases. They came back and convinced the people that this land was an “Eretz ochelet yoshveha”—a land that devours its inhabitants (Numbers 13:32). In their view, it was no place for Jews to live.

At that moment, the entire nation sat down and cried, along with their families—“each man at the entrance of his tent” (Numbers 11:10).

In that very moment, G-d said: “You have cried for no reason—tears of baseless fear and mistrust. I, who know what is best for you, gave you the greatest gift: the Land of Israel. And instead of trusting Me, you rejected it. Therefore, I declare that this day will become a day of weeping for generations.”

And so it was: Both the First and Second Temples were destroyed on Tisha B’Av. Even some of the darkest days of the Holocaust fell on or near this date.

When you cry for no reason and express deep distrust in G-d’s plan, you’re essentially saying: “I don’t trust You. I don’t believe You truly know what’s best for me.”

And so G-d responds: “You want to cry? I’ll give you real reasons to cry. Instead of tears without purpose, let them at least have meaning.”

This lesson is not just about Tisha B’Av, but it applies to every day of the year, and to each and every one of us.

If you cry for no reason, you may end up inviting real sorrow into your life. If you choose gratitude instead and thank G-d for what you have, even for the smallest ray of light, and if you say “thank You” even in hard times…

Then G-d will give you many more reasons to be grateful, and you’ll always have something to thank and praise Him for.