The Hidden Light of Tisha B’Av

Until the Messiah, the ninth of Av is experienced by the Jewish people as a day of national mourning. Mourning for the Temple, and even more so, mourning for the loss of a glorious way of life. As night falls on the 9^th of Av, we sit on the floor, refrain from food and drink, and reflect on the true scope of what is lost and what we could have been. We continue in this manner until the following afternoon, commemorating the dreadful crescendo of violence and horror which gained momentum on the 7^th of Av and finally erupted two days later onto the Bet Hamikdash itself. On that fateful afternoon, Rage and Fury could be seen from all around Jerusalem, as the Crown Jewel, the Holy House of Hashem, lit the sky with angry hues of red and yellow.

Understandably, it would seem that the fast of Av is simply a shameful memory of Hashem’s fiery rebuke; a past we are eager to bury and forget about. However, our Sages tell us that this is not the case. Historically, noon-time on the 9^th of Av was when the Bet Hamikdash began to burn, yet when noon-time arrives on the 9^th of Av, rather than increase our grief, we actually begin showing signs of consolation! By the afternoon, we no longer sit on the floor, and even read from the Torah during Mincha (afternoon prayer). But during the preceding night and morning, these actions are forbidden due to the sorrow of the day. So why do we reduce our grieving at the precise time paralleling the actual destruction of the Temple?

Our Sages teach us that even though the 9^th of Av is a day designated for sorrow, it is also a day demonstrating Hashem’s unfaltering mercy and love, even in times of reproach. The Talmud in Masechet Sanhedrin (Daf 38) states that out of Righteousness, Hashem hastened Jerusalem’s destruction. But the Talmud then asks, “What is so righteous about hastening a punishment? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if Hashem, in his Mercy, delayed the punishment?” Ironically, the Talmud states that only the greatest mercy and love could necessitate the seemingly untimely destruction of the Temple. The Talmud explains that had Hashem waited until the nation reached a threshold of punishment, their destruction would have been complete. He thus hastened the destruction to allow for an eventual renewal and rebirth. This is akin to a father who severely disciplines his child before the child’s behavior causes irreversible harm.

Hashem similarly acted in our nation’s best interest when He barred Moshe Rabbeinu from reaching the holy land. Our Rabbis tell us that had Moshe entered the Land, he would have immediately built a Temple to Hashem. However, because of Moshe’s exalted holiness, a Temple built by his hand would be everlasting and impervious. Therefore, had Moshe been allowed into the Land and built the Temple, Hashem would have no atonement for the sins of the nation other than total annihilation. As our Sages tell us, Hashem displayed a bulk of his Anger on the stones of His house. Another example of Hashem’s mercy in the face of ruin was evident when he exiled His nation during the summer months. Our sages tell us that Hashem purposely ordained the warm season so that the exiled find ripe fruit along their march and also not suffer the cold winter.

What is clear from the above is that the 9^th of Av is not a time for despair, but rather a time to focus on repentance, renewal and the promise of hope. If we train ourselves to find the silver linings amongst the grey clouds, we will understand that a sun still shines brightly behind the concealment. As much as we look to the past, we must also remember that we can take steps to ensure a brighter future. The 9^th of Av is therefore a crossroads. We lament our deprived state of Exile, but also take upon ourselves to improve and once again draw close to Hashem. May Hashem comfort us with the final Bet Hamikdash, Amen v’Amen.

By Adam Suionov