The Antidote

Yesterday was Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5770. Once again, we find ourselves in the final stages of The Three Weeks culminating next week, with the darkest date on the Jewish calendar: Tisha B'Av. It is axiomatic, as it is recorded in the Talmud that both Batei Mikdash (Temples) were destroyed on this day. Each one was destroyed, says the Talmud, for a different reason. The first was destroyed due to the fact that the Jews were transgressing the three major sins. The second was destroyed due to שנאת חנם  (or baseless hatred). For many years, I have heard speech after speech exhorting us to counter the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash Number 2 with acts of אהבת חנם or acts of selfless love. By doing so, the speakers would always say, we were providing the antidote to the destruction and we would help lead the way to the ultimate rebuilding of the Bet HaMikdash.

While it could very well be a true statement, I think that we need to look a little deeper and farther back in history in order to find the true antidote. What is the reason that both Batei Mikdash "just happened" to be destroyed on the same day? The Talmud records that when the "spies" came back from spying out the Land of Canaan, they gave a poor, slanted report. As a result, the Torah tells us that וַתִּשָּׂא֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנ֖וּ אֶת־קוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא  ("The entire congregation raised its voice and cried on that night). IN light of this, the Gemara tells us that . ליל תשעה באב היה, אמר להן הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל: אתם בכיתם בכיה של חנם ־ ואני אקבע לכם בכיה לדורות.  (That night was the 9th of Av. G-d said to them, you have cried a useless, pointless cry, I will establish this night as a night of crying for future generations.) In other words, your baseless, false claims about the Land of Israel and the crying that ensued due to this are the root cause of this day (the 9th of Av) becoming a day of tragedy after tragedy for the Jewish people.

If indeed that is the case, then the antidote to the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash is not only Ahavat Chinam...it goes much deeper than that! The antidote is also speaking positively about the Land of Israel...being an advocate for her citizens...it means VISITING the land to see and extol its beauty...and it means living in the Land as well. All of these actions--each and every one of them relative to the Land of Israel--can indeed act as the antidote we all need in order to change the world and lead to the rebuilding of the bet HaMikdash בב''א !

Tish'a B'Av at Ground Zero

While I have had the opportunity to be in Israel over the years many times, I have NEVER been here for 9 Av in my entire life. So, I decided that I needed to have "a plan" for the day of 9 Av in order to fully appreciate the day. Last night, I along with a few hundred others, sat on the floor of Pnei Shmuel (the "Down Shul"), in Maale Adumim for Maariv, Eicha and Kinnot. (It was strange for me to not be one of those reading part of Eicha and even stranger to know that the next morning, I would not be sitting and explaining all the Kinnot we would be saying. But, it is a new point in life and things move on!)

On 9 Av in the morning, I got up earlier than I had planned and decided to put my plan into action. I got on a bus here in Maale Adumim at 6:15am and headed to Yerushalayim. I felt that it was the "place to be" on the darkest day of the Jewish Calendar. I was not disappointed...the Kotel plaza was filled with people. Hundreds sat on the stone floor davening and reciting Kinnot. As I sat there and joined in reciting Kinnot as well, I paused to look around. I was looking at the Western Wall, the retaining wall of the mountain upon which stood the Bet HaMikdash, whose destruction we mourn today. Suddenly, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of both sadness and joy. Sadness, as I contemplated the loss of both the first and second Bet HaMikdash. But, I also felt a sense of joy to know that I was sitting at "Ground Zero" so-to-speak. HERE IS WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED! HERE IS THE PLACE FOR WHICH I AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER JEWS ARE RECITING KINNOT! And I felt this sense of peace to know I had the zechut to be HERE...

When I finished and headed back to the Central Bus Station, I paused for a moment near the Davidson Center, home to the Southern Wall Excavation site. I was disappointed that I could not GO to the Southern Wall. It actually is more significant archeologically than the Western Wall, and I wanted to stand THERE...but, at least I could stand nearby and look upon the area where centuries ago, tens of thousands of Jews passed through the (currently sealed) gates to the Temple Mount. I understood with much deeper insight the vast loss we have suffered for thousands of years without our ability to ascend Har haBayit and see a Bet HaMikdash standing there!

I am now back home in Maale Adumim, and I got a very quick reminder of what kind of Galut we still face: I went to change my profile on Facebook to Maale Adumim from Chicago. When I entered in the name, I was surprised to see it come up on a list of names that Facebook recognized. BUT...I was doubly surprised to see the default read: "Maale Adumimm, Palestine." I thought this issue had been resolved. Oh well.. yet another thing to deal with at some point!

Hope that your Tish'a B'Av is meaningful and that you will alll join me next year dancing at the rebuilt Bet HaMikdash!