Teaching Team
Between the Straits
Happy Fourth of July to all you American readers. Baruch HaShem that you live in a country founded on godliness and which allows you to practice the religion of your conscience. For you non-American readers, Baruch HaShem anyway.
Though today is a day of fireworks and celebration in the US, it is a day of semi-mourning in Jewish practice.
Yesterday (July 3; Tammuz 17) marked the beginning of a three week period of mourning commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The three weeks are called "Bein haMetzarim" which means, "Between the Straits." The word "Metzarim" means "straights" or "narrows", but it can also be translated as "troubles" or "distress." In the words of Lamentations, it says, "Judah has gone into exile under affliction and under harsh servitude; she dwells among the nations, but she has found no rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of distress" (Lamentations 1:3, NASB).
The words "in the midst of distress" are "bein haMetzarim", that is, "between the straits." What are these straits? What are these distresses? The Midrash Rabbah interprets them to be the commemoration of the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem on the 17th of Tammuz and the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple on the 9th of Av. Between these two catastrophic events, in the midst of the three weeks, Judah's pursuers overtook her.
During the three weeks, many people observe various mourning rituals, particularly during the nine days of Av which lead up to the 9th of Av. Should Messianic Judaism be concerned with the Bein haMetzarim? What do you think? Why or why not?
D. Thomas Lancaster
Tammuz 18, 5767
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Visitor Feedback:
Good morning,
I read you article with much interest, however, I think perhaps the spelling of 'Straights' should be 'Straits' these are the narrow strips of water between two land masses, and your explanation of the translation in Hebrew leads me to think this may be the more correct spelling. It was the title that caught my eye originally, and then as I read the article, the 'strait' spelling made way more sense.
What do you think?
Adrienne Wilson
DTL: I think you are correct.
Adrienne wilson | July 8, 2007 8:13 AM
"Should Messianic Judaism be concerned with the Bein haMetzarim? What do you think? Why or why not?"
Yes. Though this period of mourning is not an 'appointed time', it is certainly important to remember. HaShem Himself
chose these weeks and the 9th of Av in particular to remind us of serious troubles. It is also good to note that I have read that Messiah may have been born on this day! He, after all, turns our weeping into laughter, our mourning into Joy.
Shalom Aleichem,
~davidmichael
Yochanon 16:33
DavidMichael | July 16, 2007 10:03 AM