The time of the 17th of Tammuz, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached to the time of the 9th of Av when the temple was destroyed. The days of “dire straits” (‘bein ha Metzarim’), Tisha B’Av. Historically, the twenty-one days extending from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of Av represented a notable time of bitterness and destruction for the Jews. This time for our calender year 2009 begins on July the ninth.
Lamentations 1:3 :
After affliction and harsh labor,
Judah has gone into exile.
She dwells among the nations;
she finds no resting place.
All who pursue her have overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
Few readings in the Bible are as unrelentingly sad as the book of Lamentations. It is as if wave after wave of distress and trouble sound forth. If you find yourself in one of these times, follow the Lord’s advice:
“Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things [that you need] will be added to you”
Remember, weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.