Tisha B'Av: A Matter of Perspective
Last year, Tisha B'av reminded me of my blog. I wrote something about Tisha B'av and understanding what we are missing 2 years ago. Today, Tisha B'Av, i was inspired to begin writing my blog again - mainly to compose my own thoughts and to let them influence whomever they can, and in return to learn from those who choose to respond to me.
This year, i heard an amazing shiur from my rebbe, Rav Moshe Stav, about the meaning of the churban. He began by asking the question of many Chiloni Jews in Israel, specifically after 1967. They asked why should we mourn the destruction of a city, after it is now vibrant and the focal point of the land of Israel? The obvious undertone being - Is Tisha b'av really a historical mourning of a tragedy long gone?
Rav Stav proceeded to explain that in order to understand something fully, it needs to be viewed in context, with a complete picture. He said that when one studies the hand, one can see its beauty, but doesnt even begin to fathom its ultimate splendor if it is not viewed in context of the body. An eye is rods, cones, photosensitive cells, but is an organ of tremendous beauty when these components are put into use to give vision. This is why the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
When asked what we mourn for on Tisha B'Av, many people will respond: The destruction of the beit hamikdash. More sophisticated answers will claim that Tisha B'av is a national day of mourning for all the tragedies throughout the ages. The kinot are a case in point - we mourn the crusades, the inquisition, and even the holocaust. I prefer to say that we mourn something called: "The Churban" or "The Destruction."
Earlier in the year, i heard a shiur from Rav Stav and Rabbi Sholom Carmy that detailed the awesome power of learning Kodshim, the seder of Shas that discusses Korbanot. Korbanot, they explained, are something so foreign and arcane to us, something so difficult for us to find meaning in. But Korbanot are a piece of the puzzle, of the chochma elokit, the God-knowledge that comprises this world.
There is a way of looking at the world where everything is understood in "the grand scheme of things." Torah gives us the right way to understand it all, from the mitzvoth and halachot that apply to every single aspect of life. Korbanot, sadly, is missing from our world view, and by learning korbanot, we can be mishaper, we can correct our perspective.
The truth is, the painful and most horrible loss of all, is that we dont know what we're missing. When we forget, Hashem reminds us, and when we remind ourselves, Hashem forgets our galus, and saves us. But that is the human condition - our natural state is forgetfulness, and we have the ability to earn remembrance.
Can you imagine what is must have been like to go to a navi? Forget going to a navi, imagine how the matzav of the world must have been that there was a navi. God communicated with us. The mesorah, the flow of information as to God's will, our purpose, was clear and uncorrupted. We could acheive so much! We could really be with God! That amazing feeling you get when you learn gemara every once in a while, after a good davening, that was the status quo! Can you imagine? If you can, then mourn because we no longer are at that level. If you cannot, then mourn because you dont even know what you are missing.
Rav Stav explained that understanding this is like trying to explain colors to a blind man. Tisha B'Av is the day where through massive introspection, hitboninut, we can try and put ourselves in the great cosmic context, to feel the pain of millions, to cry for our massive losses, spiritually, physically, emotionally. We are ignorant, spiritually low, emotionally course, and though this generation is physically whole (for the most part), we have suffered much physical tragedy as well. I dont presume to tell you this because you do not know, only to evoke the feelings already burried in you, because they do not come out on their own.
This day is meant to be mi'orer teshuvah - to acknowledge the depressing, but hopeful perspective. Hashem expects things from us, and He will not refrain from collecting. Our potential has been wrested from us, and in order to deserve it back, we need to care that it is gone.
One last frightening thought - i watched an amazingly inspiring aish hatorah video today (http://www.kiruv.com/FromTheAshes/ ) on the holocaust. One Rav mentioned that to him, one of the most frightening and powerful passages of the Torah is the mabul. Through the mabul we learn that it is worth wiping out so many lives, because such tremendous death is better than the world not achieving its purpose. I am not a fan of explaining Jewish history, and attributing tragedies to particular sins. But i do know that the holocaust only happened because we are in galut, and i know we are in galut because we have not yet recognized our loss. We are meant to look at the grand scheme of things, to learn, to be chozer.
May we merit the geulah bimhera biyamenu.
This year, i heard an amazing shiur from my rebbe, Rav Moshe Stav, about the meaning of the churban. He began by asking the question of many Chiloni Jews in Israel, specifically after 1967. They asked why should we mourn the destruction of a city, after it is now vibrant and the focal point of the land of Israel? The obvious undertone being - Is Tisha b'av really a historical mourning of a tragedy long gone?
Rav Stav proceeded to explain that in order to understand something fully, it needs to be viewed in context, with a complete picture. He said that when one studies the hand, one can see its beauty, but doesnt even begin to fathom its ultimate splendor if it is not viewed in context of the body. An eye is rods, cones, photosensitive cells, but is an organ of tremendous beauty when these components are put into use to give vision. This is why the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
When asked what we mourn for on Tisha B'Av, many people will respond: The destruction of the beit hamikdash. More sophisticated answers will claim that Tisha B'av is a national day of mourning for all the tragedies throughout the ages. The kinot are a case in point - we mourn the crusades, the inquisition, and even the holocaust. I prefer to say that we mourn something called: "The Churban" or "The Destruction."
Earlier in the year, i heard a shiur from Rav Stav and Rabbi Sholom Carmy that detailed the awesome power of learning Kodshim, the seder of Shas that discusses Korbanot. Korbanot, they explained, are something so foreign and arcane to us, something so difficult for us to find meaning in. But Korbanot are a piece of the puzzle, of the chochma elokit, the God-knowledge that comprises this world.
There is a way of looking at the world where everything is understood in "the grand scheme of things." Torah gives us the right way to understand it all, from the mitzvoth and halachot that apply to every single aspect of life. Korbanot, sadly, is missing from our world view, and by learning korbanot, we can be mishaper, we can correct our perspective.
The truth is, the painful and most horrible loss of all, is that we dont know what we're missing. When we forget, Hashem reminds us, and when we remind ourselves, Hashem forgets our galus, and saves us. But that is the human condition - our natural state is forgetfulness, and we have the ability to earn remembrance.
Can you imagine what is must have been like to go to a navi? Forget going to a navi, imagine how the matzav of the world must have been that there was a navi. God communicated with us. The mesorah, the flow of information as to God's will, our purpose, was clear and uncorrupted. We could acheive so much! We could really be with God! That amazing feeling you get when you learn gemara every once in a while, after a good davening, that was the status quo! Can you imagine? If you can, then mourn because we no longer are at that level. If you cannot, then mourn because you dont even know what you are missing.
Rav Stav explained that understanding this is like trying to explain colors to a blind man. Tisha B'Av is the day where through massive introspection, hitboninut, we can try and put ourselves in the great cosmic context, to feel the pain of millions, to cry for our massive losses, spiritually, physically, emotionally. We are ignorant, spiritually low, emotionally course, and though this generation is physically whole (for the most part), we have suffered much physical tragedy as well. I dont presume to tell you this because you do not know, only to evoke the feelings already burried in you, because they do not come out on their own.
This day is meant to be mi'orer teshuvah - to acknowledge the depressing, but hopeful perspective. Hashem expects things from us, and He will not refrain from collecting. Our potential has been wrested from us, and in order to deserve it back, we need to care that it is gone.
One last frightening thought - i watched an amazingly inspiring aish hatorah video today (http://www.kiruv.com/FromTheAsh
May we merit the geulah bimhera biyamenu.
Labels: aish hatorah, churban, tisha b'av, tisha bav
posted by Armoth at 2:39 PM
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