Tisha B'Av Post

I had wanted to post this but didn't - I thought it had some very powerful messages. Not to dwell on negativity - I know Tisha B'Av is over and we are approaching Tu B'Av - I still wanted to share these with anyone interested from the Erev Tisha B'Av Hakhel email:


As we sadly noted last year, if we have to sit down this Tisha B’Av, we should take the time out to go over in our mind some of the difficult concepts that we tend to ignore, or at least avoid, during the rest of the year—the churbonos and the tzaros that have accompanied us through the ages and into our day.

Can we not shed a tear over:
The pain of the Shechina over the chillul Hashem of the Galus (the Father’s pain is greater than the child’s)
The void left by the Beis Hamikdosh that is not with us and the concomitant void of sanctity within us (we could be closer to angels, and not closer to animals)
The honor of Klal Yisroel that has been cast to the ground and trampled upon
The hundreds of thousands of Russian Jews who have been numbed by Communism
The sorry hatred of secular Jews to Torah Jews
The Shapiros and Horowitzes of the world who are not Jewish
The Crusades
The Pogroms
The 1648-1649 Massacres
The Holocaust
The Sbarros bombing, the bombing of Bus Number 2, the Leil HaSeder Attack, the drive-by murders, the tractor terror, the Mosad HaRav murders, the hundreds of other terrorist attacks, the murders and maimings, the mortars and bombs, the soldiers and the children all under attack
All of the unnecessary sickness and suffering for 2000 years (multiplied by each second of pain)
The desolation and ruination of the Har Habayis, Har Hazeisim, Chevron, Teveria…
Sinas Chinam—smiling at the mishap of another, failing to properly rejoice at another’s simcha, and finding it hard to accept another's honor and success
The Jews who do not even know that Tisha B’Av exists
The Jews who know that Tisha B’Av exists and do not grow in their resolve to do something to end this Churban as soon as possible
The Navi (Yeshaya 1:3, which we read as part of last week’s Haftora) teaches “Ami Lo Hisbonan--My nation did not consider.”
Rashi adds that the people knew they were acting improperly but “tread with their heels” on this knowledge, and simply “did not take it to heart.”
We all know too well the desperate straits we are in at this time, in which we deal with the Churban of Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim--the defiling of a land and of a people on the one hand; and the turmoil in Eretz Yisroel today--upon which the nations of the world have heaped additional disgrace and scorn, on the other.
Haven’t we yet reached a point where we will, as the Navi asks, at least “consider”? It is not, it cannot, and should not, be beyond us to go off into a room--our bedroom, dining room, study, or even the floor somewhere, to sit down and cry: “Oh, what has befallen us! A nation in ruins, the holiest people on Earth berated by the lowest nations on Earth. What makes us better today than the captives of Judea taken by the Romans more than 1940 years ago. We cannot allow ourselves to be fooled by the amenities, luxuries, or even just the relative comfort in which we live. We have been in exile far too long, and the longer we are here, the worse off we are.
L’Maaseh, living with reality and practically speaking, we are walking about badly wounded in this bitter exile. Even in Eretz Yisroel itself, the very Holy Land, an estimated 40,000 Russian-manufactured missiles, many of which possess long-range capability, are said to be available in Lebanon alone (without even including what the murderers have in Gaza).
We cannot be ashamed to cry. Ashamed?!--Why, and from whom?! Why can we not pour out our hearts to Hashem, as Yirmiyahu HaNavi cries out (Eicha 2:19) “Shifchi Kamayim Libeich--pour out your heart [to Hashem] like water.”
At least today, on the eve of Tisha B’Av, and no less certainly tomorrow itself, on the day of pain and mourning over the Chilul Hashem that exists in the world today, over Hashem’s pain which is infinitely greater than ours, over a world that has been lowered to the bottom of the bottom-most depths, over all the individual and communal pain and anguish, over these and much more, we must cry real, very real, tears.
Yirmiyahu HaNavi further teaches (31:14), “A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rochel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, for they are not.” On this Pasuk, the Mahari Kara (in the Mikraos Gedolos) writes that Rochel Imeinu represents K’lal Yisroel, and that our weeping in exile is heard by Hashem’s ears.
So, as much as we would not like to, we must cry--really cry. We must realize that we are in the nadir of our exile. The Tay-Sachs test, when originally developed, required a person to shed a tear, which was then tested. One had to think of something sad to shed that tear. Is it such a great challenge to cry unabashedly over an unfulfilled world, over the world’s most precious possessions disgraced and derided, over all the unnecessary anguish, unnecessary suffering, destruction, and death that we are currently experiencing?
If, for some reason you cannot cry--at least cry out--as our forefathers did in Mitzrayim. Remember, the gates of tears--and the gates of ruchniyus--are never closed. If we have to sit on the floor in a few hours, it should do more than cause us some temporary physical pain. Plead to Hashem as Dovid HaMelech does: “El Dimosi Al Techerash--Do not be silent to my tears!” (Tehillim 39:13) Hashem, I will not find comfort with the few pleasures I have when the Heavens and the Earth writhe in pain!
Please join with your brothers this Tisha B’Av, as our sincere tears and cries reach the Heavens.
May these tears and cries turn into overflowing sounds of salvation for each and every one of us, as we join together to witness the comforting of our people and the ultimate final and glee-filled redemption--speedily and in our days.

MAY WE BE ZOCHE TO NECHOMAS TZION VEYERUSHALAYIM THIS TISHA B'AV. ALL WHO MOURN OVER YERUSHALAYIM WILL BE ZOCHE TO SEE ITS REBUILDING!

Some Post Tisha B'Av Thoughts

Funny I hadn't posted anything in awhile so I realized I hadn't even looked at the Hakhel email yet from this past Thursday. As usual they have some inspiring insights. But it is amazing bc as I was reading #1 below I was like, wow, I had recently been thinking about a similar idea.

As we find ourselves in Galut (especially in Chutz LaAretz, I suppose) it can be really easy to lose ourselves in enjoying the weather and nature, etc. I realize it's important to appreciate all of our beautiful surroundings that H-shem created for us. But I think an important lesson of 9 Av is to not forget Yerushalayim and as pleasant as life in Galut can be in times this is not where we ideally belong and apart from being tzanua in general we can never "blend in with the surroundings" too much because we are B'nei Yisrael, H-shem's chosen nation. Let's try to remember on our own so we won't have to be reminded in any unpleasant way, or, better yet, let's do all we can to bring the Geulah! :) -EAC

From Thursday's Hakhel email:

1. The Kinnos are in disorder, with Kinnos about the Crusades interspersed among different Kinnos relating to Yerushalayim, the burning of Seforim and Yoshiyahu HaMelech, the Arzei Halevanon and children in exile, because, truth be told, our life in Galus is a life in disarray. Nobody really wants to live with his life turned upside down. We should pity those (and especially ourselves) who have gotten used to (and are actually content ) living in ephemeral conditions and unordinary circumstances. Every so often--look around at the non-Torah world around you and say--'No, this is not my world'.

2. Tisha B'Av is called a Mo'ed, for we 'meet' with Hashem on this day as well--the difference being that on the Yomim Tovim, the Moadim we meet with Hashem and He gives us a kiss, while on Tisha B'Av, we meet with Hashem and he gives us a potch. Both the kiss and the potch are given out of His love for us--one is to reward us and show us how much He appreciates us, while the other is to help set us straight (Telzer Rav). There is a significant difference, however, between the Yomim Tovim and Tisha B'Av in that the Yomim Tovim are referred to as Mo'adei Hashem (Vayikra 23:4), while Tisha B'Av is referred to in Eicha as "Korah Alai Moed" --the Moed is called upon me. Clearly, a Mo'ed of Hashem is superior to a Mo'ed of mine, a Mo'ed of Bnai Yisroel. We should move away from the inferior encounter to the kind of meeting that Hashem would like. All of the Mo'adei Hashem are marked by special activities in the Bais HaMikdash, and Tisha B'Av is not marked--but marred--by the absence of all such activity. When all is said and done, at the end of our 19 Brachos of Shemone Esrei--we finally conclude with the Yehi Ratzon SheYibaneh Bais HaMikdash for it is ONLY there that, as the Yehi Ratzon itself explains, we will: a. finally attain our ultimate potential in Torah; b. serve Hashem with ultimate Yirah; and c. our service to Hashem will be fully and finally pleasing to Hashem. With this realization--that we really and truly need the Bais HaMikdash to attain our own perfection--how can we not recite these concise words of Yehi Ratzon three times a day--paying close attention to the words and with feeling? Perhaps we can even put a hand out while reciting this all-fulfilling request, as we ask and beg Hashem for his extreme consideration. Let us remember that everything we do now is only a replacement for the real. We pray that "Uneshalma Forim Sefaseinu...that the sacred words uttered by our lips serve as a replacement. Lehavdil, if you have a replacement house or a replacement car--don't you want the original back--isn't that the true one, the one that is really yours? Let us turn to what is real: How incredible it was (and will be!!) to enter the Bais HaMikdash and be overtaken by an air of Emunah and Yirah, of Kedusha and Tahara! Even the clothes of the Kohanim, and their partaking of the karbanos brought great Kapparah to us. Outside of the Bais HaMikdash, Yerushalayim teemed with Ruchniyus--as one's physical needs were often met with karbanos and Ma'aser Sheni, and everyone always had a place to s ay. To us, this is not all a world long gone--but a world very much expected back, and very, very much needed. Truly, nothing could be more important than reaching our personal and communal spiritual potential--forever, and ever and ever. Even outside the Shemone Esrei's conclusion we should especially focus our Kavannah when reciting the third bracha of Bentsching (Rachem Na--counting each thing we are asking Hashem to have mercy on as listed there), and at other personal times during the day.

3. The word Mikdash indicates holiness. The Palgei Mayim (the commentary of the Nesivos on Eichah) explains that the antithesis of Kedusha is Tumah--such as when the Greeks or Romans came in and defiled the Mikdash. Something we can do now to demonstrate our affinity to Mikdash is to bring Kedusha into our lives through acts of Kiddush Hashem (such as being punctilious in financial matters), and going to special lengths in avoid Tumah --avoiding and rejecting the pritzus around us --especially during the difficult (but potentially highly rewarding) summer months.