Jews who mourn the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem during the customary three weeks this summer could mourn the deaths of even more Israelis and, for that matter, Palestinians.

To nobody’s surprise, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proclaimed in a radio interview Monday that the government will delay the withdrawal from settlements in Gaza and the West Bank by three weeks out of respect for those who observe Tishah B’Av.

Some analysts speculate that Sharon hopes to mollify enough settlers and their supporters by feigning respect for their religious beliefs, and in so doing reduce active opposition. Those even more skeptical expect that Sharon is buying time because his government is not yet ready to carry out the disengagement process.

Perhaps many of the settlements never should have been created in the first place. They certainly should have been removed early on in the current war. Anyone can argue which party deserves to possess these lands, but Israel’s protection of all settlements in Gaza and the isolated ones in the West Bank has been too difficult a venture.

Too many lives have been lost in Israel’s efforts to defend the settlements. True, a large percentage of victims were killed within Israel’s recognized borders, especially through mass-murder bombings, but an earlier disengagement might have prevented many deaths in the territories. Besides, some of the troops assigned to the territories could have been redeployed to patrol Israel’s borders.

So after nearly five years, what is another three weeks?

Lives might be saved if Israel keeps to the original schedule, which Sharon switched from July 25 to an unspecified date after Aug. 14, the day on which Tishah B’av falls this year. A three-week delay could make the difference between life and death for both Israelis and Palestinians. People have been killed despite the truce last February.

This argument is based not only on pragmatic and humanistic grounds. Retaining the initial schedule conforms with Jewish law since activity to save a life supersedes most other of God’s commandments pertaining to holidays and the Sabbath. In fact, the effort to save a life is required whenever the opportunity presents itself.

A common example for this covers an ill person who is not only allowed to eat on Yom Kippur – a solemn day of atonement accompanied by fasting – but is required to eat if fasting might endanger their health.

Tishah B’Av is not a major holiday on a par with Passover and Rosh Hashanah. It is even debatable as to what it represents. Tishah B’av caps a three-week mourning period for the destruction of the Holy Temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and the destruction of the second Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E.

In his book “Living Judaism,” Rabbi Wayne Dosick writes, “In modern times, for many, the observance of Tishah B’Av has become much more a day of remembrance rather than a day of actual mourning. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and most particularly since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, many feel that Tishah B’Av should remain an historical commemoration, but that the restoration to Israel from the lands of dispersion eliminates the need for any further mourning.”

Being less than personally observant, I was only vaguely familiar with Tishah B’Av until recently. By all means, I respect the holiday and may even actively observe it myself.

Yet, Tishah B’Av necessitates no delay. Since the disengagement might prevent further deaths, Sharon would be acting in the best traditions of Judaism by reverting to the original schedule. Maybe he has been commanded to do so.