Rabbi's Blog

During the three weeks and leading up to Tisha B'Av we attempt to act in ways and performing deeds to bring about the end of this exile with the bringing of the ultimate Geula/redemption. One of my small contributions is a Gemara in Megilla that states "Kal HaOmer Davar B'Sheim Amro Meivee Geulah L'Olam" Whoever tells over something i.e. a dvar Torah or even an idea and mentions the source and the person they heard it from, will bring the redemption to the world. On my recent visit to the east coast I heard from Rabbi Hirtzka a Rav in Lakewood give a simple and important understanding of the mourning over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.

A person can only appreciate the loss of something if they actually used or experienced having that something during their lifetime. The difficulty for our generation and all the generations that lived after the destruction of the Temple was that we don't really know what we lost. God forbid f someone loses a loved one the loss, impact and feeling is greater than a person who never had that loved one in their life at all. This challenges the known idea "it is better to have loved than not to have loved at all". That concept may be true, but it is still consistent with the fact that if you never had something you don't know what you're missing.

Aside from not knowing what we are missing, there is also a lack of faith in the future. Rav Gavriel Zinner in his introduction to the Nitei Gavriel writes how a number of times throughout the year we declare "Next Year in Jerusalem". Every Tisha'a B'Av we hope and pray that this will be the last year of fasting and mourning. If we were truly believing then immediately after the ninth of Av we should throw out the Kinnos books instead of putting them back on the shelf for next year. Perhaps we put the book of Eicha back in storage ready for next year because we don't really think Moshiach is going to come speedily in our day? How big of an insult this is to God after a day of lamenting and being hopeful for the future?

Perhaps the answer is similar to the annual commandment to eat marror the bitter herbs on Pesach night and remember the subjugation that was. When we eat something bitter it reminds us of how good and sweet our current life is. Similarly, when the Geula eventually comes we will still remember the lamentations that we said and remind us of the affliction and pressure we endured. This arouses our feelings to sing God's praises and thank Hashem. This is consistent with the notion that the day of mourning will turn into a day of joy. Therefore even in the time when we will be celebrating the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash we will still remember the dark days, and this only increases our joy and gratitude. So when we put away the Kinnos and Eicha books this year we should keep in mind that hopefully we don't need it for another year of sorrow but rather keeping them as a reminder for a greater joy.

There are four Parshios of the Torah that potentially run through the three weeks between the Seventeenth of Tammuz to the ninth of Av. Only one of them Parshas Pinchas sometimes occurs before the three weeks splitting Mattos and Maasei, while other years Pinchas falls during the three weeks and Matos and Maasei are combined. This week's Parsha Dearim always falls this Shabbos before Tisha B'Av. The Sochatchaver Rebbe says there is a hint to learn the laws of Yom Tov because the end of Pinchas discusses the Mussaf offerings, the additional sacrifices brought on Yom Tov, festivals. These sacrifices are also being read about and learning about the holidays in preparation for the time of Moshiach. The Mogen Avraham in siman 549 sif kattan aleph says the three parshios of Matos Maasei and Devarim remind us of a Mishna in Pirkei Avos that gives advice on how to prevent us from sinning. If we remember where we come from, know where we are going, and to whom we will have to give an accounting we won't sin.

The beginning of Matos reminisces some of the places and sins the Jewish people had gone through and therefore reminds us from where we come. Parshas Maasei the travels of the Jewish people of where we are going, and finally Devarim, words are the accounting to God that we will have to give when we go up to heaven. Akavya Ben Mahalalel in the first Mishna of the third chapter of Avos tells us we come from a putrid drop, are going to be buried in the ground surrounded by maggots and worms and eventually our soul must give a full and sometimes embarrassing accounting to the Almighty of all our actions throughout our lifetime.

The Jewish people have now waited one thousand nine hundred forty three years to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash since its destruction. There are many suggestions for us to bring about the redemption. Going through the motions of learning, reducing our sins between our fellow man is all very good and essential. I would like to suggest we focus a little bit more on our bitachon and faith that this really should happen in our lifetime. Perhaps we continue to sin and not take the laws seriously because we don't really believe it is possible for Moshiach to come or even more so don't have a grasp on the concept altogether.

With only a few days left until we must fast again, we need to change our mindset about the reality of our lives changing with the coming of Mashiach. The Devarim the words of the Parsha should be thought out carefully so we won't be embarrassed by our future accounting of our lives. Let us think of the tragedies that occurred in the past so that we can look back at them as part of the old history to praise Hashem more so and bring about the Geula Shelaima Bmiheirah V'Yameinu, AMEN!

Ah Gut Shabbos