We are now in the month of Av, which is the fifth in the number of months counting from Nisan, and it is therefore called in the Torah:  The fifth month.  "At Adonai's order Aharon the cohen went up on Mount Hor, and he died there on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the people of Israel had left the land of Egypt." (Numbers 33:38) The name Av is of Babylonian origin, and it is also called Menachim-Av in anticipation of the consolation for which we hope, ever since the calamities, which befell us during this month. Some people follow the practice of mentioning only the name Av till the ninth of the month, whereas after the ninth they refer to Menachim-Av. The name Menachim means comforter in Hebrew. Menachim was the son of Gadi: (see 2 kings 15:14.) Within Orthodox Judaism, the month of Av especially the first nine days of the month have strict prohibitions, culminating with a fast on the Tisha B'Av, the ninth day.For those who are unaware why this fifth month of G-d's calendar has such an important reality in the lives and collective historical memory of the people of Israel, let me quickly enlighten you. The first and second Temples were destroyed in this month, on the ninth to be exact. Many other disasters befell the Jewish people including the expulsion of Jews from Spain, which coincided with Christopher Columbus setting out from Spain on the last day given for the Jews to leave Spain, the ninth of Av. The destruction of the first Sanctuary (Temple) in the days of King Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah) occurred in 3338 BCE. The second destruction occurred in the days of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai in the year 3828 CE. It is written in 2 kings 25:8 "In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was also the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard and an officer of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned down the house of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem ' every notable person's house he burned to the ground. Judaism understands that the destruction did not take place the very day that the commander entered Jerusalem but the two days after his entry. It was a combination of disrespect that turned into baseless hatred that caused both of the Temples to be destroyed as well as mankind hating each other but especially hating the Jews to the point of seeking their physical demise. Yet we know that the Messiah will return and bring about righteous judgement as well as deliverance. Rabbi Itzchak said: "During the year in which the Messiah will appear, the kings of the nations will quarrel with one another. The king of Persia (Iran) will quarrel with king of Arabia (Saudi Arabia), and the king of Arabia will go to Aram (Syria) to seek council. The king of Persia (Iran) will destroy the whole world and all nations of the world will be agitated and confused, they will fall on their faces and pains will seize them like birth-pangs. And Israel will be agitated and confused, and they will say: 'What shall become of us, what shall become of us? And God will say to them: 'My children have no fear. All that I have done I have done only for your sake' The time of your redemption has come! And the final redemption will not be like the first redemption. For the first redemption you knew grief and bondage from nations. Whereas after the final redemption you will not again know suffering and bondage. The rabbis have expounded: "When the Messiah will come, he will stand on the roof of the Temple and will proclaim to Israel: 'Modest ones! The time of your redemption has come! And if you have no faith, see my light, which shines, on you. As it is said: 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the Glory of the Lord has shone upon you.' And upon you alone has it shone and not upon the idolators, as it is said, 'For behold the darkness shall cover the land.' That hour God will cause the light of Messiah and of Israel to shine brightly. And all will go by the light of the Messiah and of Israel. As it is said: 'And nations shall go by your light and kings by the brightness of your shining light.'Rabban Sha'ul (Apostle Paul) wrote in regards to Israel "For if their casting Yeshua (the Messiah) aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!" Romans 11:15