“Getting to Know You” the 8th day Menachem Av 5772
Throughout our history this summer period of time (traditionally called “the 9 days” ) and the days leading up to it, has been marked with tragedy, mourning and sadness. This year the black cloud continued too follow us as innocent lives were lost through senseless murder.In addition, one of the greatest Torah scholars of our time left the world and undoubtedly in countless places around the world, many people suffered personal pain, through accidents , emotional stress and useless arguments.
Hatred continues to fill the world .This is the same hatred which was the main cause for the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash Sheni, The Second Holy Temple, 2000 years ago, whose destruction sadly continues daily, as we fan the flames of hatred with scenarios of” I am right and you are wrong”. Not only do I think that I am right, I will be sure to remind you every chance that I get. You see, I need to fix the world and you are getting in the way.
So on the 9th day of Av we mourn this destruction. I look back at the past with sadness , dig deep inside myself to know find out what it is that I need to fix in the present and cry tears of hope for the future. A future where hatred will not exist and coexistence will be the order of the day. I want to be there. I want you to be there. I want us all to be back together.
Tomorrow, Shabbat Chazon, in synagogues all of the world, we will read and study the book of Devarim, the book which recaps where we have been and where we are going to. As we are preparing to enter the land of Israel Moshe Rabbenu, Moses our great teacher is described as the one “�.. who explained this Torah.” (to the people)
The Ishbitzer Rebbe, author of the Mai Hashiloach teaches us what Moshe was explaining. He was teaching us the Torah in 70 languages for all the nations of the world to understand.
Reb Shlomo Carlebach in giving over the essence of this teaching said, “it is not just that I need to speak French so I can talk to you when I am in Paris. I need to speak your language. I need to speak in a way that we will understand each other. I need to speak to you exactly where you are at. Not above you, certainly not beneath you. I need to know you so that we can truly connect with respect.
This Shabbat the mourning must stop. There is no mourning on Shabbat. Shabbat is a day when we celebrate the great gift we have received. The gift of Shabbat. A day when we can connect spiritually with each other and do it within the natural realms of our physical realities in this world. A day that is not one of asceticism , but one of families and friends come together to remember the past with joy , celebrate the present moment and yearn for a special future. The day where we can reach higher planes that we did not know the day before .
May we all be blessed to go into Shabbat with joy, experience endless simcha that will continue with us and may we all be daning together and leave the hatred behind.
Shabbat Shalom,
Yehudah
