This Thursday (August 3rd) marks the somber day of Tisha B'Av, the Ninth [day of the Jewish month] of Av. The Ninth of Av marks the date of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. It is the conclusion of the solemn period called the Three Weeks, a period of national mourning: no weddings, no new garments, no haircuts, avoidance of celebration and joy. The first nine days of Av, the mourning is intensified, and even the eating of meat is avoided. On the eve of Tish B'Av we sit on the floor, dim the light and recite the Book of Lamentations and the accompanying liturgy known as Kinnos. We even minimize the study of Torah to only sections that deal with the destruction and laws of mourners.We repeat this on the day itself. After noon some of the restrictions are lifted and we sit on regular chairs and benches and resume regular Torah study.
We have been doing this for 1,937 years and we will keep doing this until the final redemption comes and Jerusalem and the Temple will be rebuilt. The Talmud teaches: "whoever mourns over Jerusalem will merit to see it`s happiness". This is the basis for our behavior during this period.
The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris. As he passed by a synagogue, he heard the sound of people weeping inside. He turned to his assistant and asked, "What`s going on in there?"
"Today is Tisha B`Av," came the reply, "and the Jews are mourning the loss of their Temple."
Napoleon looked toward the synagogue and said, "If the Jews are still crying after so many hundreds of years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt!"
Yes; we are still crying over the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. Why? Of what significance is it? To understand this we must understand what we lost. Much is written on this subject. I wish to share with you but one insight.
After the destruction of the Temple, the Greek philosopher, Plato met Yirmayahu (Jeremiah the Prophet) at the Temple Mount weeping bitterly over the Temple ruins. Plato asked him two questions. "How is it befitting for such a preeminent sage in Israel and such intellectual stature, to cry over a building which is really no more than a pile of sticks and stones? And the building is already in ruins, what good will your tears do now? Why cry over the past"?
Yirmayahu responded by asking Plato if as a renowned philosopher, he had any perplexing questions. Plato recited a long list of complicated questions, whereupon Yirmiyahu, humbly and quietly, solved them in a few brief sentences. Plato was dumbfounded. He could not believe that any mortal man could be so wise.
"All of this profound wisdom I derived from those `sticks and stones` and that is why I`m crying. As for why I`m crying over the past, this I can`t tell you because you will not be able to understand the answer."
In this week's Torah portion, V'eschanan, Moshe tells the people: "See, I have taught you statutes and laws as I was commanded by Ad-noy, my G-d, to fulfill within the land that you are arriving there to inherit. You will preserve and you will fulfill [them], for that [displays] your wisdom and your understanding before the nations, who will hear all these statutes and will say, 'The only wise and understanding people is this great nation.' For who is a great nation that has G-d close to it as [is] Ad- noy, our G-d, whenever we call to Him? And who is a great nation that has upright statutes and laws, like this entire Torah that I am putting before you today? The "wisdom and understanding" of the Jewish people stems from G- d's closeness to us and the performance of the statutes and laws that the Torah prescribes for us.
This is what we are mournful of, that due to the sins of the Jewish people that caused the destruction of our holy city, our holy Temple and our people, G-d has distanced Himself from us. But he has only hidden Himself from us; much as a father will tell a disobedient child that he doesn't want to see him ever again. While in truth, the father doesn't mean it. He is hoping that the child will see the error of his ways and want to return home. G-d similarly yearns for us to return to Him. To return to the practices of our forbearers, to the Torah and the religion that he graciously bestowed on us.
The Talmud relates that Rabbi Jose was once traveling on the road, and entered into one of the ruins of Jerusalem in order to pray. Elijah the Prophet appeared and waited for him until he finished his prayer. After he finished praying, Elijah asked him why he entered the ruin and rebuked him for endangering himself by entering there. Elijah then said to him: "My son, what sound did you hear in this ruin"? Rabbi Jose replied: "I heard a divine voice, cooing like a dove, and saying: "Woe to the children, on account of whose sins I destroyed My house and burnt My temple and exiled them among the nations of the world"! Elijah then said to him: "By your life and by your head! Not in this moment alone does it so exclaim, but thrice each day does it exclaim thus! And more than that, whenever the Israelites go into the synagogues and schoolhouses and respond: 'May His great name be blessed'! the Holy One, blessed be He, shakes His head and says: Happy is the king who is thus praised in this house! Woe to the father who had to banish his children, and woe to the children who had to be banished from the table of their father"!
Indeed, we must utilize this special day of Tisha B'Av to cry over our self-inflicted destruction, to yearn to be with our father and to once again enjoy the privilege of sitting at our father's table!
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