Rabbi Yigal Cohen Calls for Unity and an End to Hatred on Tisha B'Av

On Tisha B'Av, Rabbi Yigal Cohen urged the Jewish people to stop internal divisions and senseless hatred. Speaking on the day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples, he emphasized the need for introspection and unity, saying, "Enough already with Tisha B'Av, enough with baseless hatred." He called for the nation to come together, learn to love and accept one another, and stressed that change is neither distant nor impossible. According to Cohen, the path to repair begins with personal improvement, particularly refraining from speaking ill of others, which he affirmed is achievable.

Tisha B'Av is the most severe fast day among rabbinic fasts, observed from sunset to nightfall the following day. It marks numerous tragedies in Jewish history, including the destruction of the Temples, the Babylonian exile, the capture of Betar, and later calamities such as the Spanish expulsion and the Gaza disengagement. Observers abstain from eating, drinking, washing, anointing, marital relations, and wearing leather footwear.

Traditionally, mourners sit on low stools and recite kinnot (lamentations) recounting these disasters. In recent years, the fast's conclusion has become a poignant event in Jerusalem, where thousands gather at the Western Wall to sing songs of yearning, consolation, and messianic hope. After evening prayers, participants sanctify the new moon and share food and drink to break the fast, echoing the ancient words from the Book of Lamentations: "Return us, O Lord, to You, and we shall return; renew our days as of old."