Oneg Tisha B'av Companion by Oneg Shabbos

‫בס"ד‬

OnegShabbos

KINNOS COMPANION 2017

‫תשע"ז‬

RABBI YONASAN ROODYN

JEWISH FUTURES TRUST; ONEG SHABBOS EDITOR IN CHIEF; FEDERATION SHAILATEXT

INTRODUCTION

‫כל המתאבל על ירושלים‬ Tisha B’Av is a unique day. We are extremely restricted regarding what we can do and time seems to move at a slower pace than normal. As human beings we have a natural aversion to pain: Why should we do things that hurt? Why can’t we just hit the fast forward button and start our summer holidays already? We are faced with a choice: We can go through the motions, numb ourselves and look for distractions, or we can choose to engage with the themes and messages of the day. An apocryphal story is told of the great French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. He was once traveling through a small Jewish town in Europe. He entered a synagogue. There he saw an incredible sight. Men and women were weeping bitter tears. They were sitting on the floor, holding candles while reading from books. The synagogue had an elaborate chandelier but only a few candles were lit. If not for those small candles, the magnificent synagogue would have been in complete darkness. It was a gloomy and sad sight to behold. Napoleon asked why the people were weeping and wanted to know what misfortune had just happened here. An educated Jewish French officer told him that nothing new and terrible had happened. The Jewish people have a custom to gather once a year on a day called the ninth day of Av, the day that marks the destruction of their Temple. Twice they built a magnificent Temple in Jerusalem and both were destroyed. After their second Temple was destroyed, the people were scattered all over the world and sold as slaves. Some escaped and built their homes the world over. Somehow the Jewish people exist without their country and their Temple. In order to commemorate these sad events they gather once a year in synagogue. There they fast, pray, and read sad prophetic writings concerning the destruction of their Temple and land. What we see in this town, takes place in all Jewish communities across the world Napoleon inquired as to how many years they have been doing this and was told over 1,700 years. Upon

hearing this, Napoleon exclaimed, “A nation that cries and fasts for over 1,700 years for their land and Temple will surely be rewarded with their Temple.” Whether this story actually happened or not is almost irrelevant! What is important is that it illustrates the statement of Chazal at the end of Gemara Taanis (30b) that anyone who mourns the loss of the Beis Hamikdash and Yerushalayim will merit to see its rejoicing. Our Beis HaMikdash, the focal point of our nation, a place where Hashem’s presence could be felt in the world was destroyed 1,947 years ago. Not a year has gone past without Jews all across the world, mourning and longing for it to return and for us to go back home. One who chooses to disconnect from this and doesn’t appreciate what we have lost, will be totally unmoved when that lost item is returned. The kinnos are written in a poetic language that is difficult to understand. For some people the pain of Tisha B’Av is sitting on the floor, reading passages that they don’t understand, hour after hour. But the pain of Tisha B’Av ought to be far more meaningful than that. The following companion is a collection of thoughts and insights to focus us, so that we will be able to connect to the words and themes. Tisha B’Av is real, our suffering from time immemorial has formed so much of our identity and has strengthened our resolve and belief that this golus is a temporary stage that will pass. Perhaps it is a blessing that time seems to move slower on Tisha B’Av, for many of us there is nowhere to go and nothing to do. This gives us a chance to pause and reflect, to think about the enormity of that which we have lost, and perhaps even more importantly, to resolve to make a positive change so that this will be the last Tisha B’Av fast ever.

DAYAN YEHOSHUA POSEN DIRECTOR OF BEIS DIN OPERATIONS, FEDERATION

THE PAIN OF LOSS Chazal explain that one of the main reasons why Klal Yisroel suffered the loss of the Beis HaMikdosh, and the terrible destruction and holocaust that accompanied it, was because we had become disconnected from Hashem. We relied on the kohanim in the Beis HaMikdosh to do the “Avodoh” on our behalf, and we got on with our everyday lives. A large part of the tragedy is that today, we are so disconnected from Hakodosh Boruch Hu, that we don’t even comprehend what we’ve lost by not having a Beis HaMikdosh. We know that there are halochos we have to keep at this time of year in order that we feel Aveilus, but many find it hard to feel any loss on a communal level, and particularly on a personal level. Yet the Gemoro in Chagigah 5b tells us that Hashem is ‘’‫“ – ’’בוכה במסתרים‬He cries out in hidden places”. The Maharal in Netzach Yisroel explains that the “hidden places”, refers to the neshomos of each and every one of us, which are a small portion of Hashem Himself! Imagine, every one of us has a neshomoh inside us which is crying out for the Beis Hamikdosh to be rebuilt, and yet we are so disconnected, we are completely unaware!

Once a year, on Tisha B’Av, we spend time in Shul focusing, through the Kinnos, at the incredible loss that Klal Yisroel suffered, and in fact are still suffering today. But not only should we think about the pain that we are meant to be experiencing as a result of living in Golus, but we should think about the pain that Hashem is feeling. However, Hashem’s pain is exasperated, because not only is He not able to be close to His dear children - Klal Yisroel, as He is so desperate to be; but His children don’t even feel they are missing out! They don’t begin to comprehend how special life would be if we could only return to that intimate relationship! As we sit near the floor on Tisha B’Av reading through all the special words of the Kinnos, lets allow ourselves to feel the pain of those members of Klal Yisroel who have so many trials and tribulations, whether with health, parnossoh, sholom bayis, those who’ve lost loved ones and those who are worried about losing their loved ones; and let’s feel the pain of our Father, Hashem, who so desperately wants us to come home so He can embrace us once again, bimheiroh veyomeinu, omein.

RABBI JONATHAN GEWIRTZ AUTHOR THE OBSERVANT JEW, MIGDAL OHR

TISHA B'AV: SHARE THE LOVE One morning at shul, I began to have chest pains and difficulty breathing. It wasn’t anything terrible that you might think of and I’d prefer not to go into detail, but it was instead caused by something I witnessed. Many of my readers know I write a weekly Parsha Sheet called the Migdal Ohr. I also put out several others in my shul including one written by a Rosh Kollel in Israel (whom I gave the idea to write weekly) and one on the Haftarah written by someone in his Kollel (also my idea.) I generally print out copies and place them on the Bima so people can take them as they enter. So what shook me to my core and imperilled my health? Someone was “cleaning up” and stacked all my papers up and moved them elsewhere, where people wouldn’t see them. Rather an extreme reaction you think? He definitely did. I said, “Hillel, you’re killing me!” I explained that I put my heart and soul into sharing words of Torah and seeing him just steal that away from me, albeit unintentionally and well-meaning, made me physically ill. He thought I ought to get my head examined because it’s not the biggest deal in the world but I disagree. Every day we say a blessing that Hashem commanded us to “toil in words of Torah.” In essence, Torah is supposed to be our business. If a business owner walked into his warehouse to see vandals destroying everything included things that were not insured, would anyone be shocked if he had a heart attack? Then why should it seem strange that I would feel that way about MY business, which has value for eternity? But that’s not the point of this piece. The point is that this guy couldn’t understand why I was so bothered. But if it had happened to him, in his own version of it, he would have no problem relating or understanding. Another case in point: My daughter has a special gift for doing hair and makeup. While I have a hard time relating (especially to the hair part) I know that it makes her happy when she can make someone feel beautiful. She prides herself on being well puttogether also, and doesn’t feel it’s right to go out looking sloppy. One Friday at camp, after she’d braided, twisted, and pinned hair for half a dozen other girls, she finally got to getting herself ready for

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Shabbos. She must have done something different that day and another girl commented, “Your hair looks weird.” I’m sure she’s a very nice girl, and that she didn’t mean to be hurtful, but to my daughter those words cut like a knife. Here was something she cared about and someone else didn’t appreciate that. Much is said about Sinas Chinam, baseless hatred, and the need for Ahavas Chinam, unconditional love. I would like to suggest that Ahavas Chinam or “free love” is what we give ourselves. We always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and try to avoid hurting ourselves. Why? What have we ever done to deserve that love? Of course, we’ve done absolutely nothing other than exist. My thought here is that Ahavas Chinam is loving myself just because I’m me, and Sinas Chinam is not loving others because they’re not me. If I loved others like I love myself, I would figure out what makes them tick; what’s important to them and what is the proverbial “air they breathe.” I would be sensitive to what gives them the will to live and the drive to produce. When Bar Kamtza showed up at the party, the host could only think of himself. He wanted this man out of his house. If he would have thought a moment about how Bar Kamtza must have felt at thinking the host wanted to make peace and then being embarrassed like that, he would have realized that proceeding to throw him out would be like murdering him. But he didn’t, because he only thought about himself. As we approach Tisha B’Av, and ask ourselves why the Bais HaMikdash hasn’t been rebuilt, we must remember that the answer doesn’t begin with: “Because he didn’t…” or “Because they…” The answer begins with, “Because I still need to…” Let’s focus on sharing the love we have for ourselves with others, and try to see what makes them happy or sad, so we can treat them as we treat ourselves. This will go a long way towards raising our nation up so we’re ready for Moshiach.

Rashi (Koheles, 3:4) brings that Tisha B’Av is a time for crying. Why not simply daven to Hashem and ask for forgiveness and spend time doing teshuva?

RABBI ZVI GEFEN AISH UK

WE CAN START TO CRY When I was learning in Eretz Yisroel I wanted to be a part of a minyan where yidden would really be expressing their pain over the churban. I ended up at Harav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg. I was sitting just a few feet away from him and I will never forget the tears flowing freely from his eyes as he choked his way through the Kinnos. The situation of ‫ כלל ישראל‬is desperate both physically and spiritually. There is so much to cry for ‫על אלא אני בכיה‬. Yet despite knowing how much there is to cry about many of us find it hard to connect. Rav Gershon Miller Shlita explains that one reason that makes it hard to feel the churban that we are in is because we have given up hope. We think to ourselves that we are stuck in this galus and we aren’t really going to get out. Deep in our hearts of hearts we don’t really believe that Hashem will redeem us any time soon. We have lost hope because galus has gone on and on. We have been saying on Seder night ‫לשנה הבא‬, every year at Neila we hear the shofar – and we say‫ לשנה הבא‬yet the ‫ אריכת הגלות‬makes us feel that it can’t happen. If we aren’t confident, and have no hope that Moshiach can come – then there is nothing to cry for.

If the prince is only thinking about himself he will say let’s just start. But if he is a clever prince he will understand that it’s worth waiting and include every person in the kingdom.

We need to build up some real hope and the clearer we know that Moshiach is coming to us the more we can connect to Tisha B'Av.

Says R’ Aron of Karlin, Hashem could have long brought the ‫גאולה‬. But Hashem is keeping the ‫ גאולה‬on hold so that every last ‫ נשמה‬could be a part of the celebrations.

The Torah begins with ‫ פסוקים‬that describe the darkness before creation then Hashem says ‫ויהי אור‬.

Moshiach hasn’t come because he is waiting for us. Everyone else is already there waiting. The great and important tzaddikim are waiting. But Hashem promises ‫כלל‬ ‫ ישראל‬we won’t start the celebrations of moshiach in a hurry, I will wait until the last struggler is able to part of this!!!

The Or Ha’chaim explains these ‫ פסוקים‬to refer to the galus that will be dark physically and spiritually. There will be ‫צרות‬, suffering physically and spiritually The ‫ יצה"ר‬will be so big. The Or Ha’Chaim continues and says from that situation of darkens – that is where there will be light. That is the way it will be. ‫ משיח‬will come from ‫חושך‬. But why does it have to be that way? Why does it have to take so long? We know when ‫ כלל ישראל‬came out of ‫ מצרים‬Hashem took us out in a quick and swift way - ‫כי בחיפזון יצאתה ממצרים‬. But in the future we won’t come out ‫ כי לא בחיפזון‬.‫– בחיפזון‬ we won’t be chased out of ‫גלות‬. R’ Aron Hagadol of Karlin – explains why won’t Hashem take us out in a rush? He says there was a king that had one son. The king wished to make a special event for his son the prince. For months the palace was preparing for this special day. Invitations were sent throughout the country, they worked days weeks and months to prepare this day of celebration.

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The Palace was decorated and preparations were made. Of course the prince was the most excited. Finally the day of the banquet arrives. The prince can’t wait to get started. He tells his father let’s just start I’m hungry. His father the king says we can’t, we need to wait for the important guests and dignitaries to arrive. After two hours they had arrived. The prince turns to his father and says let’s start. The king replies let’s wait for those that are travelling from far. The prince waits and after two hours those living far away arrived. The prince says can we start now? The king responds let’s wait for the stragglers that can’t afford public transport so they can be a part of the celebration.

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Hashem is waiting because Hashem is gathering us all in. When we realise that the ‫ גאולה‬is waiting for us then we start to have some hope, then we can start to cry. There is a ‫בת קול‬, the ‫ שכינה‬itself is longing for ‫כלל ישראל‬. The Maharal in ‫נצח ישראל‬says why is the ‫ שכינה‬described like a dove? He says the dove is unusual amongst birds. It knows it mate. The male knows the female and is loyal and will never mate with someone else. Even after the male dies the dove won’t take another. It’s unusually loyal to its partner. Says the Maharal that Hashem and ‫ כלל ישראל‬are like a pair of doves and Hashem is ‫מנהמת כיונה‬. We know that Hashem is ‫מנמהת כיונה‬. All of our troubles and ‫ צרות‬are all a direct result of ‫חורבן ירושלים‬. We need to hear that ‫ – בת קול‬and know that Hashem is longing for us. When we hear that then we will long for the ‫גאולה‬. Then we will start to cry.

What does crying achieve that it is appropriate for this day?

RABBI MOISHE KORMORNICK AUTHOR, SHORT VORT

WHY DID HASHEM DESTROY THE BEIS HAMIKDASH? The Medrash notes a peculiar choice of words when Dovid describes the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash in Tehillim: “A song of Asaf. O Hashem, foreign nations have entered into Your inheritance.”1 Surely, explains the Medrash, the destruction should not have been referred to “a song of Asaf” which represents joy, it would have been more appropriate to refer to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash as “a weeping of Asaf”? Why was the destruction such a joyful event? The Medrash answers that the joy of the destruction was that instead of taking out His wrath on the Jewish People, Hashem destroyed mere “sticks and stones.”2 A simple interpretation of the Medrash’s answers is that Hashem ought to have destroyed the Jewish People for their sins, but instead, in His abundant mercy, He destroyed their most precious possession — the Beis Hamikdash. However, basing his words on those of the Prophet Yirmiyahu, Rav Pincus introduces a much deeper understanding of the Medrash’s answer, together with the reason why Hashem specifically destroyed the Beis Hamikdash. Yirmiyahu said, “Can one steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely…and [then] come and stand before Me in this House, upon which My name is proclaimed and say, “We are saved” in order to keep doing all these abominations?”3 Rav Pincus explains that the Beis Hamikdash was a place where complete atonement was freely available to all. Any and every sin could be atoned for by bringing a sacrifice. From Yirmiyahu’s words we see that the Jewish People were abusing this power in order to sin, for they would then go to the Beis Hamikdash the following day with a sacrifice to attain atonement for their wrongdoing. As such, performance of mitzvos became light in their eyes, and even potentially sinning became a risk worth taking— because, after all, what’s the worst that could happen: a sin could easily be rectified with a sacrifice to Hashem and perhaps even a small donation to the Beis Hamikdash fund! Therefore, it was not the case that Hashem merely took vengeance on the Beis Hamikdash in place of the Jewish People; He destroyed the very thing that was

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causing them to sin and warrant their destruction. By doing so, He was sparing their lives, because without the Beis Hamikdash, they would begin to realize that they no longer had a means to rectify their sins besides for deep introspection and sincere teshuvah. Rav Pincus explains this with the following parable: An artist decides that he wants to produce a masterpiece, so he goes with a friend to the peak of a high mountain and paints for days on end until he has produced the best painting he has ever seen. After he has put the final touches to the painting, he steps back to get a better view of his work. In getting a better appreciation of his picture, he takes many steps back until he is almost at the cliff’s edge. His friend, who sees what is happening frantically shouts to his friend, but the artist’s focus is so strong that he does not hear his friend’s warnings. Unable to reach him in time, and not able to get the artist’s attention any other way, he does the only thing that he can do — he lunges for the painting and destroys it. The artist immediately snaps out of his trance and realizes that with one more step he would have plunged to his death. Similarly, the Jewish People were so focused on the power and blessings that came from the Beis Hamikdash that they forgot that their role in life was to forge a deep and personal connection with Hashem through His mitzvos. They did not listen to the warning of the Prophets to remove their focus, and so the only thing that was left to do in order to save their lives, was to destroy the Beis Hamikdash.4 Unfortunately, we still lack a Beis Hamikdash, which means that we still need to build our relationship with Hashem directly through taking the mitzvos seriously and approaching teshuvah with sincerity. B’ezras Hashem if we are able to live up to this ideal, Hashem will once again see that we are capable of relating to the Beis Hamikdash properly, and bring it speedily in our days. 1

Tehillim 79:1.

Eichah Rabbah 4:14.

Yirmiyahu 7:8-10.

Sichos Rav Pincus, Galus v’nechama, chap.2.

How do I know if my crying is really sincere?

RABBI YONOSON ZISKIND

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR AND FAMILY COACH

The two main points of this Kinnah are that this is a night of crying and wailing and that this night of Tisha B’Av was destined for tragedy and crying. The opening words “On this night cry and wail my sons…” It’s a night for crying. We have been thrown out the house. Our Father is angry and fed up. He shut the door on us. We are left stranded, out in the dark street. All the love and security that we felt until now has vanished in a flash. We misbehaved and tested the limits numerous times and our Father’s love always prevailed, there was always a second chance. But now all at once that love and security is gone, we feel utterly abandoned, completely forsaken, left to the mercy of the wild beasts and the unforgiving elements with barely the cloths on our backs. To where do we turn? Scared, helpless and forsaken we burst out crying. There is nothing else to do. There’s simply no way to express our anguish, just tears and more tears. We were left to the wolves and they bit us, tore at us and ate us. No mercy, no back door to re-enter. Totally alone and lost we just cry and cry. We never saw Father so angry before. We never saw him so disappointed. We cannot believe He could act so cruelly towards us. Not a hint of compassion on Father’s face. No amount of pleading will help now. Our response- cry,

KINNAH 2

‫איך מפי‬

wail and weep. We simply can’t stop the flow of tears. This was the day when the spies returned with their negative report of the Land of Israel. We refused to enter our Father’s land, we refused His home and His company. We rejected his love and protection. This then became the night that Hashem, our Father, after enduring our rebellious behaviour for so long, threw us out of His house, out of His land and showed us neither love nor protection. This became the night when both Temples were destroyed, the grand city of Beitr with its millions of Jews was wiped out and Jerusalem was ploughed over. This is a night of total destruction. This night we cry, wail and weep. Although the Nechama, the comfort, begins on Tisha B’Av itself in the afternoon, for Hashem will comfort us, but the night of Tisha B’Av, is the darkest night. We don’t yet see the light in the shadows. We feel only the terrifying loneliness. On this night we just break down crying.

RABBI YAAKOV BENNETT HASMONEAN HIGH SCHOOL

This Kinnah written by R’Elazar HaKalir is a bitter expression of the Jewish people’s utter devastation at the Churban Beish HaMikdash and subsequent exile.

‫איכה אצת‬

This Kinnah takes an almost accusatory tone repeatedly asking Hashem ‘How could You do this to Your people?’ It opens with the phrase “How could You rush in Your fury to exterminate Your faithful ones?”

to punish the Jewish people caused the tragic events to unfold. In fact, only once the Shechinah had left the Jewish people could the Churban take place.

The Yalkut on Megillas Eicha explains the process by which the Churban took place. It was not as the Kinnah seems to suggest that Hashem’s rage or desire

“At the moment Hashem wanted to destroy the Beis HaMikdash, He said “Whilst I am amongst them

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KINNAH 7

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There are four fasts that remember the churban. Why then is Tisha B’av treated with the greatest severity?

8 their enemies cannot touch them, so I will remove my gaze from upon them.”

high had been destroyed the Beis HaMikdash in this world was able to be destroyed.

Rav Chaim Friedlander in Sifsei Chaim explains that the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was only possible after Hashem had removed his Shechina, only once the Bnei Yisrael has rejected and devalued their relationship with Hashem could the tragedy of the destruction happen. As the Gemoro in Sanherin (96b) explains when Nevuzaradan began to gloat at his ease in capturing, conquering and destroying Jerusalem “A heavenly voice said ‘It is a slain nation you slew, it is a burned sanctuary that you burned, and it is ground flour that you ground.” The physical destruction was merely an outcome of the spiritual distance that had been caused by the actions of the people. Rav Friedlander explains the building was already a shell in spirit the physical collapse was an inevitable outcome. After the Beis HaMikdash on

The message of the Kinnah is twofold, although we ask “remember what has befallen us” we plead for mercy from our heavenly father to end our suffering, we also recognise that ultimately it is our responsibility to move back towards Hashem. Only once we make space for Him in our hearts and minds will the Geulah come. Just like a petulant teenager grounded by his parents for his misdeeds may complain “how can you do this to me?!” He knows deep down that it is his behaviour that brought about this punishment. Hence the Kinnah concludes “I have complained, but now I will raise aloft (my prayers) to the sphere of Heaven” only once we rededicate ourselves to re-establish that which was lost will the ultimate salvation come. May it be speedily in our days.

RABBI DANNY KIRSCH CHAIRMAN, JLE

In the powerful and painful Kinnah, R’ Elazar Hakalir uses vivid language to describe how the rebukes of the Torah, were realised in the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. One of the statements of the Kinnah is: - “He swallowed up my judges because of their perverted advice”. We can ask why did Hashem punish the judges? The Gemara (Shabbos 139a) quotes a Beraisa which teaches “ R Yossi Ben Elisha says, that if you see a generation upon which many troubles come, go and examine the deeds of the Judges of Israel”. The Torah teaches us that an absolute fundamental of Judaism is the total honesty and integrity of the judicial system. Our connection with the Land of Israel is dependent on honesty. In Devorim 16:20. We are told: “Righteousness, Righteousness, shall you pursue so that you will live and possess the Land that Hashem your G-d gives you”. Painfully, during the First Temple period, the judicial system became corrupt and immoral. Rich and powerful men, judges and even Torah Scholars perverted the Torah and the justice system for their own ends, as the Haftorah for Parshas Devorim famously laments:- Isiah 1:21, “How the faithful city has become a harlot! She (Jerusalem) had been full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers!”

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KINNAH 9

‫איכה תפארתי‬

You may notice that our Kinnah number 9 seems to shift between 1st, 2nd and 3rd person. It is most likely that the persona is shifting between Hashem mourning the calamity whilst expressing disgust at the sins that caused it, and the Jewish peoples own lament. Moreover, the shifting between the persons can also be understood to be the Jewish people hanging the guilt on a third person, but ultimately realising the blame lies with ourselves. Yes, we must take ultimate responsibility for the destruction of Jerusalem and we too in our own way, are judges with an awesome responsibility. The Kotzker Rebbe is known for his very direct mussar. The Possuk in Devorim 16:18 says “Judges and enforcers of justice shall YOU appoint for YOURSELF in all your gates “The Kotzker teaches us that this obligation is also directed to every individual, Become an honest, true judge over yourself. Live up to your values in a true and correct way. Always be completely honest with yourself and others and accept no bribes from your yetzer horah.

Tisha B’Av is one of the four fasts remembering the churban. On all the fast days we read a special reading in the morning and then again at mincha with a special haftora. Tisha B’Av is the exception in that it has a special reading in the morning plus a special haftora. Why this difference?

RABBI YAAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER AUTHOR OF SEFORIM, PARSHAH PSHETL

“‫”אהלי‬: Oh How I yearn for the Return of “My Tent”

KINNAH 12

‫אהלי‬

Each stanza in this Kinnah begins with the word, “‫“ – ”אהלי‬My tent.” The Ibn Ezra explains (Eichah 2:4) that the Bais Hamikdash is referred to as a tent, because just as when a fire touches a tent, it begins to burn immediately, so too did the Bais Hamikdash catch fire in an instant. The Bais Hamikdash was a place where Klal Yisroel could bring themselves close to Hakodosh Boruch Hu with the Avodah of the Bais Hamikdash.

The Ben Ish Chai says on the Posuk in Eichah 2:5 ‫“היה ד’ כאויב בלע ישראל בלע כל ארמנותיה שחת‬ ”‫ וירב בבת יהודה תאניה ואניה‬,‫“ – מבצריו‬The Lord became like an enemy, He consumed Yisroel; He consumed all of her citadels, He destroyed its fortress. He increased within the daughter of Yehudah moaning and groaning.” The posuk is a Remez to the great love of Hakodosh Boruch Hu towards Klal Yisroel, and the reason for crying on Tisha B’Av. The loshon of ”‫ “בלע‬is from a loshon of ”‫“ – “הסתיר‬hidden.” Hakodosh Boruch Hu had great mercy on Klal Yisroel and although He was like an enemy to Klal Yisroel, He did not hand them over to the enemies to destroy and eradicate them. Not only that, Hakodosh Boruch Hu even hid their ”‫“ – “ארמנותיה‬Their citadels” – the Bais Hamikdash. During the time of the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash, Hakodosh Boruch Hu hid the Heichal and the Azaros, so that the enemies could not control them. If so, why do we cry and mourn over the Bais Hamikdash each year if the Bais Hamikdash was not really destroyed, it was just moved and hidden? To that, the Posuk

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answers, ”‫ –“שחת מבצריו‬while it is true that the Bais Hamikdash was hidden and the enemies did not lay their hands on it, nonetheless, where is it? It was here before, and it is no longer here. It is somewhere, but where is it? It was destroyed from in front of our eyes and is hidden from us. For this we cry, for it is lost from us. ‫“וירב בבת יהודה‬ ”‫ –תאניה ואניה‬Therefore, each year our crying and groaning increases, for while the Bais Hamikdash is stored and hidden, nonetheless we are not Zoche to have it with us. Hashem hid the Bais Hamikdash so that the evil enemies should not completely destroy it. Nonetheless, the sting is great, for we are not Zoche to have the holy Bais Hamikdash. It is for that which is hidden that we must cry and mourn. We must cry and mourn this year more than last year over what we are missing, for the greater the introspection, the more we will recognize what we are missing. May we be Zoche to do a complete Teshuva, and be Zoche to see the Binyan Bais Hamikdash, ‫!במהרה בימינו אמן‬

The Mishna (Rosh Hashana 1:3) brings that Tisha B’Av is more severe than any of the other fasts. Tosfos (Rosh Hashana 18b) asks that five things happened on the 17th of Tammuz just like five things happened on Tisha B’Av. Why then is Tisha B’Av more severe?

RABBI YESHAYA STASZEWSKI YESHIVAS NER MOSHE

"‫"כה‬: The Essence

of Our Existence

KINNAH 13

‫אי כה אומר כורת‬

The refrain of this ‫( " ֵאי כֹּה" – קינה‬literally: where is "‫ )"כה‬appears at first glance to be a poetic play on the word "‫( " ֵאיכָ ה‬meaning how) – the catchphrase of Tisha B’Av, with the author splitting the word "‫ " ֵאיכָ ה‬to form the two words "‫" ֵאי כֹּה‬. Having done this, the ‫ קינה‬continues by lamenting over various episodes in Jewish history containing the word "‫"כה‬, yet, many of these appear to bear little or no relevance to Tisha B’Av and the Churban. For instance, the ‫ קינה‬mourns the ‫ כה‬written when ‫ יעקב‬was rewarded with striped and spotted sheep for his work for ‫לבן‬, the ‫ כה‬when ‫משה רבינו‬ killed the 1"‫ מצרי – "ויפן כה וכה‬and the ‫ כה‬mentioned during ‫’בלעם‬s attempt at cursing the ‫בני ישראל‬. Did the author of this ‫ קינה‬just run a search for the word "‫ "כה‬in the ‫ !?תורה‬Surely there is some deeper meaning behind the word "‫ "כה‬that the author intended when choosing the contents of this ‫קינה‬ and making "‫"כה‬the focal point of the ‫?קינה‬ The first "‫ "כה‬mentioned in this ‫ קינה‬is that of ‫ אברהם אבינו‬at the ‫ברית בן הבתרים‬. Here '‫ ה‬promised ‫ אברהם‬that he would have children and brought

him outside to count the stars for “so numerous will be your offspring” - 2"‫"כה יהיה זרעך‬. 3‫חז"ל‬ understand that this episode should not be taken literally, rather that ‫ אברהם אבינו‬was to go out from under the influence of the stars and the ‫מזלות‬ which foretold that he was not destined to have children, and that once above the constraints of the constellations, '‫ ה‬would give him children supernaturally, with Divine intervention. This however, was not a one-off miracle which

'‫ ה‬performed for ‫אברהם‬. The Vilna Gaon4 explains

that all of us, as members of the Jewish nation, are the offspring of ‫ אברהם אבינו‬and accordingly we owe our entire existence to this Divine intervention which enabled ‫ אברהם‬to have children. According to the constellations, the Jewish nation should never have been born; we can only exist in the realm of the supernatural, with the direct ‫השגחה‬ from '‫ה‬. Hence 5‫ חז"ל‬tell us that we are likened to

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both the stars of the heaven and the dust of the earth, for when we have a close relationship with '‫ ה‬through fulfilling His ‫ תורה‬and ‫מצוות‬, then He elevates us above the physical influence of the ‫ מזלות‬and showers us with His Divine ‫ ברכה‬and 6 ‫שלום‬. Alas, if we forsake His ‫ תורה‬and ‫ מצוות‬and are no longer deserving of His supernatural protection, then we lose the essence of our existence and we fall lower than all the other nations of the world whose physical existence is governed and guided by the ‫מזלות‬. All this is encapsulated by the word "‫"כה‬, when '‫ ה‬told ‫אברהם‬, "‫"כה יהיה זרעך‬. In this ‫ קינה‬we lament "‫"אי כה‬, how once the Jewish nation experienced Divine providence of ‫ ברכה‬and ‫שלום‬, as expressed by the word "‫ – "כה‬with ‫אברהם‬at the ‫ברית בן הבתרים‬, with the Divine bounty rewarded to ‫יעקב‬, when ‫ משה רבינו‬supernaturally killed the ‫מצרי‬, the Divine Providence at ‫יציאת‬ ‫ מצרים‬and ‫הר סיני‬, when '‫ ה‬protected us against ‫בלעם‬, and the many prophecies of the future, supernatural ‫גאולה‬. Each stanza ends with "‫ – "ועתה‬but now by contrast, we have fallen from our elevated existence above the stars to be like the dust of the earth, trampled by the nations of the world, Oh "‫אי‬ ‫ – "כה‬where is our "‫!"כה‬ 1 ‫ י”ב‬,’‫שמות ב‬ 2 ’‫ ה‬,‫בראשית ט”ו‬ 3 ‫ תנחומא שופטים סי’ י”א‬,.‫שבת קנו‬ 4 '‫ ז‬,’‫מגילת אסתר ג‬as, ‫ כ”ה‬,‫וע’ רמב”ן ויקרא י”ח‬ 5 ‫מגילה טז‬. 6 ‫ כ”ג‬,’‫ע’ בעל הטורים במדבר ו‬

8. Which five disasters happened on Tisha B’Av? livingwithmitzvos.com

RABBI ARON LITWIN

RABBI, SEED MANCHESTER & PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Why I don’t hate you anymore…

KINNAH 16

‫זכור אשר עשה צר‬

This Kinnah starts with the word ‘zechor’, ‘remember’… It asks us to remember the atrocities, pain and suffering that our nation endured… it asks us to remember how Titus demolished our Beis Hamikdash and left only the Kotel remaining whist taking our holy vessels away... and finally it asks us to remember the 400 children who threw themselves to their death in the river rather than be violated… Memory is a powerful thing. It has the power to bring our mind back to a place or time that no longer exists. This can bring with it a wave of emotions. Remembering the Churban is depressing and sad… so why does the Kinnah ask us to remember? Why are we sitting here on the floor? What is the point of Tisha B'av? We are taught that the Temple was destroyed because of ‘sinas chinam’ ‘baseless hatred’ between us. This means that we were nasty and uncaring to one another FOR NO REASON! When I think about this, it bothers me and I’ll tell you why. You see, I know a lot of people and there is almost nobody I don’t like for NO REASON! I do come across grumpy people and annoying people who like to kvetch and make trouble so I can understand if people get annoyed with such individuals at times. I mean they are being difficult, right? But I don’t hate anyone for NO REASON? Well last week I heard this idea from Rabbi Frand and it changed my perspective. Completely. DISCLAIMER: actually happened.

the

following

story

never

He continued teaching and was able again to regain the attention span of the boys however seconds later the room could hear yet another ‘clunk’ and drop in the background. This was it! He could no longer contain himself… The teacher grabbed the first item on his desk, ran over to the boy and struck him on the hand. It all happened in a flash… Blood was gushing… boys were screaming… and sirens were wailing… Without realising it or intending it the teacher had cut off the boy’s finger!!! Dan was rushed to hospital but there is a catastrophic end to this story. The doctors were unsuccessful and could not reattach the finger. When Dan’s parents arrived they saw the teacher and cried to him “how could you do such a thing to our child, FOR NO REASON?” The teacher responded “Er… well actually it wasn’t for NO REASON, he was disrupting the class by dropping his pencil on the floor” The message speaks for itself. A reason has to be relative. Every Jew is interconnected to one another and we are all brothers. I read last night in the Tanya how all we all share a part of the same soul.

Dan was 11 years old. He was sitting in his classroom and found the lesson very, very boring so he began fidgeting with his pencil.

There is NO REASON that justifies us being upset with one another. When we are together we are unbreakable. No fight is worthy of keeping us apart.

Do you know that sound when there is a perfectly silent classroom and one boy is scratching his pencil across his desk? Well, today that noise was coming from Dan’s desk.

Let’s take the chance to remind our family and the ones close to us how much they mean and how much we love them.

The teacher was becoming irate, but it didn’t stop there… Every few minutes he would drop the pencil to the floor… and a ‘plop’ and ‘clunk’ could be heard around the quiet, still room. Dan would then pick it back up and continue with the fidgeting. The teacher did his best to ignore the goings on but under his skin his blood began to boil…

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As the teacher was trying to compose himself there was another ‘plop’ and ‘clunk’. Again he felt his blood rush but again he was able to calm himself at least for the meanwhile.

9. livingwithmitzvos.com

So if this inspired you and you can think of someone whom you have hard feelings towards think again if you are willing to let it go or maybe even pick up the phone and talk things through. May Hashem enable to dance in one big circle with the final redemption very soon.

Tehilim 79 discusses the churban. However, its opening words of Mizmor imply that it is a happy time while we know the churban is a sad time. How do we reconcile these two opposite moods?

RABBI BINYOMIN MARKS GOLDERS GREEN KOLLEL HARABBONIM

The words of this Kinnah, composed by R’Elazar Hakalir, starkly recount some of the most brutal scenes known to us from the Medrashic literature. The voice of the writer wails in anguish as he describes the suffering due to the terrible destruction during the period of the Churban. Each stanza begins with a question – how could such calamities befall us? The emphasis here is in the distress not just for those who were starving or who suffered at the hands of the wicked enemy, but for those whose desperation to hang on to life caused them to descend into subhuman behaviour. The opening words of the Kinnah relate how hunger caused mothers to consume their young children. In normal circumstance, the love of a mother is so great that she is certainly willing to do whatever is necessary to protect her child, far be it from causing them harm. Yet the Kinnah relates how women unashamedly planned together to cook their offspring, arguing when one betrays the other to keep the flesh for herself, and not keep to the agreement to divide it. “Woe unto me!” sounds the lament, how could this be? This tragic distortion of human nature is predicted in the Torah in parshas Bechukosai, in the Klalos (Vayikra 26/29) – the Ohr HaChaim Hakodosh deduces there from the possuk that not only would they consume their children, they would not afterwards weep in regret and remorse; this is also seen in the words of the Kinnah. This is logical, since, just like ‘brocho’ means blessing beyond the laws of nature, so too a curse means

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KINNAH 17

‫אם תאכלנה‬

behaviour and events outside of what would normally be possible. Perhaps the message of these extremities of behaviour is to show the depths of the rot which occurred in the Jewish people of the time. The balance of free will in the world means that the more potential which exists for good, the worse the outcome if the opportunity is spurned. During the time of the Beis Hamikdosh, there was so much opportunity to do the Will of Hashem, when this was rejected and twisted so badly, it resulted in a terrible infestation in the soul of the people. A curse need not be a Heavenly decree towards certain behaviour, but rather the result of a failure to live the life of spiritual brocho – the bigger the potential, the bigger the vacuum left empty when not filled. Thus the events depicted in the Kinnah are reflective of the inner state of the people. The Kinnah concludes with a powerful message - “They publicise the tragedies, but that which they perpetrated (which brought about the tragedies) they do not publicise”. To dwell on the calamities of the past is important, but only when we maintain a perspective on their cause – that the failure to live up to our potential is the biggest tragedy of all.

10. When it comes to reading the curses in the Torah the reader lowers his voice. Yet when it comes to reading Megillas Eicha, the reader raises his voice louder for each subsequent chapter. Why?

RABBI ELI BIRNBAUM HASMONEAN HIGH SCHOOL

Accusations of the Accused

KINNAH 18

‫ואתה אמרת‬

The 18th Kinnah represents a sharp departure from the heartrending laments of the previous Kinnahs. Its tone is surprisingly aggressive and belligerent, as Rav Elazar HaKalir uses each stanza to juggle first a painful memory of the closeness that once existed between the A-lmighty and His children, and then to launch a series of accusations demanding justification for the destruction of this closeness... “You said: ‘I will surely act benevolently with you’! And you have distinguished us from the other nations! ...So why have baseless men defiled your Name?! And yet you failed to pour your fury upon them?!” In fact, it isn’t until the final stanza – purposefully omitted from the alphabetised acrostic that makes the bulk of the Kinnah so distinct, that the aggressive tone gives way to humble admission of the truth... “But You are righteous in all that happens...for all this has befallen us as a result of (our own) guilt.” And yet, the bitterness of the previous eleven stanzas lingers on long after this abject confession: G-d chose us from amongst the nations. He crushed Pharaoh, split the sea, nourished us in a barren wasteland and brought us to a Land of Milk and Honey. He aligned the Heavenly Temple with that down on Earth, and established it as a “House of Prayer for all nations”, the epicentre of holiness. Was all of this for nothing?! Like a carpenter who painstakingly carves a spectacular palace and fills it with creations of unimaginable elegance and complexity, but then in a rage burns the whole thing to the ground...here too, the question is inescapable: For all of our laments, all of our introspection and self-criticism; at some level we genuinely struggle to comprehend what on earth it was all for. As heretical as that thought sounds, I would like to suggest that it is precisely what we need to hear on

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Tisha B’Av, or else the day loses much of its purpose. As we know, the Calendar is arranged in such a way that first day Pesach will always fall on exactly the same day of the week as Tisha B’Av. The two are separated by precisely 6 months. Indeed, many authorities explain that our custom to eat an egg in saltwater on Seder night alludes to the egg eaten in teardrops on the eve of the fast (see Rema OC 476:2), permanently intertwining the two ‘festivals’1 in our consciousness. On Tisha B’Av, it is crucial that we see beyond the mourning and the sorrow and remember the single most important fact within our national psyche: We remain, despite all that has been said and done, the Chosen People. The same people plucked from the depths of despair in Egypt to fulfil a unique Divine mission that no other can fulfil. In this Kinnah, I believe that we are being reminded of the one concept that can offer us comfort: The A-lmighty moved Heaven and Earth to grant us that mission, and it remains ours and ours alone to fulfil. As we get up from our stools and move on from our mourning that thought should echo in our minds into the unseen future, and if it does, that future will bring the ultimate comfort: that we may live to see the true fulfilment of that mission. 1 See Eicha 1:15, Tractate Taanis 29a and Shulchan Aruch OC 552 for the halachic implications of referring to Tisha B’Av as a ‘festival’. In any event, the commentaries are in unanimous agreement that Jeremiah’s use of this specific phrase implies that – just like every other festival – there are elements to this day of unparalleled sorrow that should nonetheless bring us joy.

11. We don’t do kiddush levana, sanctify the new moon, before Tisha B’Av. Why? livingwithmitzvos.com

RABBI SHMULI SAGAL

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, THE EVENING BEIS RABBI; SUTTON & DISTRICT UNITED SYNAGOGUE

KINNAH 18

But You said… .‫ ונפלינו אני ועמך‬,‫"ואתה אמרת היטב איטיב עמך‬ "‫ ולא שפכת עליהם זעמך‬,‫ולמה בני בליעל חללו שמך‬ )‫(קינות לתשעה באב‬ Kinnos in general, and this kinna in particular, are a protest. They protest the suffering and indignity inflicted on the Jewish People as a result of the churban and its ensuing tragedies. The great authors of the Kinnos, following in the footsteps of Avraham and Moshe before them, could not remain silent in the face of injustice being carried out under the watch of “The Rock Who is perfect in all His ways.” In this specific instance, Rabbi Elazar HaKalir poses the powerful question to Hashem: You promised us exaltedness, protection and a secure homeland, and instead we have experienced disdain, death and dislocation. Twelve times we read, “You [promised or did wondrous things … Why then [have these terrible things occurred]?” Religious protest is not unique to Tisha B’av and the Kinnos. Throughout the ages there have been those who have raised their voices, or even arms, to protest the desecration of Hashem’s honour. There continues to be many who refuse to allow the denigration of Hashem or deviation from His Torah to go answered. As Yeshayah HaNavi asserted, “For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest” (Yeshaya 62:1). What is striking about this Kinnah, however, is that it protests the desecration of Klal Yisrael’s honour. Instead of standing up for the sake of Hashem, it throws the question back of how

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12.

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‫ואתה אמרת‬

Hashem could allow such tragedy to befall His people. Elazar HaKalir seems to be more perturbed by the plight of the Jewish People than the chillul Hashem caused by the churban. In his sefer Aish Kodesh, the Piacezner Rebbe Hy’’d quotes an astounding teaching of his father the Imrei Elimelech. Commenting on the passuk, “‫ דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו‬,‫“ – ”מה תצעק אלי‬Why are you crying out to Me, speak to the People of Israel so they should travel forward”, he taught that Hashem cares more about the honour of Klal Yisrael than He does about His own honour. With the People trapped between the pursuing Egyptian army and the Yam Suf, Moshe cries out to Hashem to save them for His sake. Hashem responds, ‘Why are you crying out for My sake’ rather ‘speak about the honour of Bnei Yisrael and that will persuade Me to save them and allow them to travel forward through the sea.’ On this saddest day of the Jewish year, this Kinnah drives home the message that our tears should be for the sake of our Jewish brothers and sisters as much as they are for Hashem. In the wake of all the suffering and injustice that the last two thousand years have brought, and continue to bring, our primary concern ought to be for the integrity and unity of Klal Yisrael. The first step to redemption surely must be our concern for the dignity and wellbeing of all our fellow Jews.

The Gemora (Makos 23b) brings that the 613 mitzvos are split into 248 positive mitzvos and 365 negative mitzvos. Rashi explains that the 248 positive mitzvos each parallel one limb meaning that the body should be doing the whole time. The 365 negative commandments parallel the 365 sinews that parallel the 365 days of a solar year where each day says not to transgress any. According to this, the day of Tisha B’Av parallels one of the sinews. Which one?

RABBI AVROHOM ZEIDMAN SENIOR EDUCATOR, GIFT

KINNAH 19

The Ultimate Apology

‫לך ה' הצדקה‬

When distance has been created in a relationship, an apology is the first step in bridging the gap. However, in the world we live in, where success is measured by winning, achievements, and success, we often feel reluctant to admit any weakness. ‘The first one to break is the loser’. If we allow ourselves to look deeper though, we can acknowledge that to apologise requires great strength of character. An apology is an act of courage because it subjects us to the distress of shame, risk of humiliation and rejection. Like most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to apologise. There are 3 essential features:

ÂÂNo glossing over, for example: “I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” A true apology has to be specific. 2. Express remorse

ÂÂShowing

you understand the negative impact of the offense For example ‘I know I hurt you and I am so very sorry’.

3. Accept responsibility

ÂÂKnowing that it is MY fault and my fault alone that created the offense. It is this last component that can be the hardest. The best apologies are ruined by one tiny word that destroys everything that precedes it. The word ‘…BUT’. ‘I was wrong in saying those words to you, I know I hurt you, it was my fault BUT…’ The ‘but’ negates everything said earlier.

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Kinnah 19 has all the above aspects of a ‘perfect apology’: 1. Name the offense

ÂÂEvery stanza we name a different offense: hypocrisy, rebellion, golden calf…

blasphemy,

the

2. Express remorse

ÂÂ‘Ours is the shamefacedness’ 3. Accept responsibility

1. Name the offense

The challenge is to admit responsibility entirely. Only this type of apology can truly repair a damaged relationship.

ÂÂBy contrasting Hashem’s righteousness to our guilt we highlight that the fault lies in us alone. But why are we doing all of this on Tisha B’Av? Tisha B’Av is described as a ‘mo’ed’ – ‘meeting point’ or ‘festival’ (Eicha 1:15). How the saddest day of the year a festival, and what is the connection between a festival and point of meeting? A meeting point is when you get together and find out where your relationship is at. What is worse than a broken relationship? When you don’t even know that the relationship is broken. The goal of Tisha B’Av is to recognise the gulf between ourselves and Hashem. Facing up to the truth about being distant is the first step to closeness. We have to apologise. We have to realise we are in the wrong. The festive aspect of this day is that the realisation of our distance brings a tremendous desire for closeness.

13. Are there any other fast days for remembering the churban besides for the four public fasts (of Asara BiTeves, the 17th of Tammuz, Tisha B’Av and Tzom Gedalia)?

RABBI AMRAM NEMETH MAGGID SHIUR MONTEFIORE KOLEL

In the year 1492, following years of persecution, the Jews were expelled from Spain. Although the decree was passed in January of that year, Tisha B’Av was declared as the date that Spain was to be completely Jew free. A Priest, Andres Bernaldez, vividly describes the Jews’ departure from Spain:” “They experienced great trouble; some falling, others rising; some dying and others being born; some being stricken with illness. Christians along the way persuaded them to be baptized, but those who converted were very few. The rabbis encouraged them and made the people sing and play instruments to enliven them and keep up their spirits.” A horrific and terribly depressing description, but also very perplexing. Why would the Rabbonim of the time encourage the Jews to play live music in what must have been one of the saddest days in Jewish History? Not only is music very unbecoming for such a sad time it is forbidden on Tisha B’Av? A Converso was the name given to a Spanish Jew who converted to Christianity. They were also called in Hebrew Anusim or more colloquially the derogatory name, Marranos, which means swine. One of the reasons King Ferdinand and Isabella gave for the inquisition was that the practicing Jews would try and influence the Conversos to carry on keeping the Mitsvos even after they had ‘converted’. They therefore felt that the Jews were a danger to the faith and should be expelled from the country. There is a famous conversation that took place in fifteenth century Spain between a Priest and a Converso. They were both walking together in a beautiful flower garden and as they walked past each flower the Priest explained to his student which of the world religions it represented. When they walked passed the Cactus, the Converso asked the Priest “What does this represent?” The Priest replied to him “The Jews” To which the Converso cleverly retorted “That is true, because people step on and destroy all the other flowers in the garden, but not the Cactus, this has never and will never be destroyed. Chazal learn something incredible from a Passuk in the beginning of Parshas Shemos.

‫וַ ֵּת ַת ַּצב ֲאחֹתֹו ֵמ ָרחֹק לְ ֵד ָעה ַמה ּי ֵָע ֶׂשה לֹו‬ And his sister watched over him from a distance to see what would happen to him The simple meaning of the Possuk is that Miriam watched over Moshe to see what would happen to him.

KINNAH 21

‫ארזי הלבנון‬

The Gemorah in Sotah 11a tells us that the word ‘sister’ here is actually referring to Hashem, who was standing with them although they thought he was far away. The Maharsho explains the Gemorah in further detail. At this point of Golus Mitsrayim many of the Jews were on the verge of despair. After Moshe was taken to the water, even Amrom, the Godol Hador, felt that Miriam’s prophecy was not going to be fulfilled as we see later on in the Gemarah. The Possuk is telling us that even when the Jewish people were on the verge of giving up, Hashem was standing with them, orchestrating their redemption. Hashem arranged for Moshe to be by the water so that the daughter of Pharaoh would take him and prepare him to ultimately lead the Jewish people out of Mitsrayim. Although the Yidden perceived Hashem to be far away from them in every sense of the word, in fact the reverse was true, he was standing with them and preparing a G-d Fearing man called Moshe to be the redeemer. As the Jewish People were leaving Spain, the Rabbonim were scared that the nation would forget this timely message and the basics of our Emunah in Hashem. Therefore, says Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, they permitted the Jewish People to listen to music even on Tisha B’Av. They wanted to remind their precious flock that Hashem was standing with them and He never leaves them even if it may be close to impossible to see. However down and persecuted the Jews felt, they heard the music and remembered that Hashem our loving father would never leave them. As we sit and mourn and recall the myriad challenges and persecutions that the Jewish people have suffered over the past two thousand years, we must not forget this timely message. Although in Golus Hashem hides himself, he is still standing with us and as we speak, preparing the world for the ultimate Geulah, may it come speedily in our days. Was it just a coincidence that at the same time that the Jewish People were expelled from Spain, Christopher Columbus set sail, allegedly with maps created by a Spanish Rabbi, to discover America which was to be a safe haven for Jews until today? Next year in Yerushalayim.

RABBI DOVID EISENBERG

RABBI OF THE PRESTWICH HEBREW CONGREGATION

KINNAH 21 This Kinnah tells of the tragic story known as “the ten martyrs”. In the time of the Roman rule, there were ten of the greatest rabbis who were slaughtered and tortured by the Romans. The Emperor had come upon a Sefer Torah and had seen that the punishment in Jewish law for kidnapping was the death penalty. He called together ten of the greatest rabbis and brought them into a room that was filled with shoes.

‫ארזי הלבנון‬

This was an allusion to the opinion that the sons of Yaakov had sold their brother Yosef and bought shoes with the profits. He then asked them to tell him what the halacha would be for a person that had kidnapped and sold someone into slavery. The rabbis said that the penalty was death. To this the Roman emperor said that the tribes had sold Yosef and they had never received a punishment for their actions. It was now time that the ten tribes receive their punishment and these ten rabbis would be put to death on their behalf. The midrash continues that the sages had a way of finding out whether this was a Divine decree and the answer came back to them from heaven the this was their fate and they must accept it. The Kinnah then continues to elaborate about the brutal ways these ten scholars were put to death. One of the most troubling things about this story is that it seems unfair. Here are ten rabbis living over 1000 years later; why they should get the punishment for the sin of the ten tribes. How can we understand the

justice in this system? I think that the answer is something that many people struggle with, but it is also something that is fundamental to Tisha B’Av. We do not understand the divine system of justice and we never will understand it. This does not mean to say things are haphazard or that there is no system. G-d is just and we know that everything he does is true and correct. It is us, with our limited capacity of understanding and with our incomplete view of the entirety of time and space that fail to understand why things happen the way they do. On Tisha B’Av, we will read of a tremendous amount of Jewish suffering and torture and we would be correct in asking the question about how we deserved all of this. This Kinnah and many others are the answer in the form of a reminder that we don’t really understand why and our acceptance of this fact is a step in the direction of our redemption.

RABBI BENYOMIN HOFFMAN

TORAH TIDBITS

THE TEN MARTYRS

KINNAH 21

‫ארזי הלבנון‬

The stories of the Ten Martyrs have moved the hearts of Jews for generations. These stories of Jewish heroism have inspired Jews throughout the ages. During the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust and through the birth of modern Israel whenever Jewish dedication to G-d was challenged and threatened, the memory of the Ten Martyrs served as an example of selflessness, devotion and service to our people. The Talmud taught that the Roman Empire were the genetic

were so great, it made it more difficult for people to mourn the

and idealistic heirs to the biblical Esav. The Romans were obsessed

destruction. However, as great leaders, they were responsible to

with Esav’s hate and need to take revenge against his brother

ensure that the nation did not view them as an alternative.

Yaacov and they did everything in their power to eradicate Jews and Judaism from the face of the Earth. Although hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered by the

While the Midrash Eleh Ezkera does not seem to indicate that the Ten Martyrs were reincarnations of Yosef and the brothers, the Arizal does make such a claim. According to Kabbalistic tradition

hands of the evil Roman Empire, our Midrash focuses on ten great

the souls of Yosef and the brothers were reborn into these rabbis,

Tannaic leaders and luminaries. Although most of these sages

and thus their deaths literally atoned for the sin of the sale of Yosef.

lived during the Hadrian era, it is well known that the ten martyrs

The Kabbalistic book Sefer Hatziuni, in the name of Sefer Heichalos

discussed in this Midrash spanned a period of at least one hundred

explains the connection between each brother and each martyr. He

and fifty years. There is also controversy as to who amongst the

explains that Reuven was not part of the sin, because he went to

hundreds of leaders that were brutally tortured and killed were

serve his father while the sale of Yosef was taking place. Binyamin

the “ten” martyrs. Nevertheless, the Midrash and Zohar see these

was also not party to the sale, being the youngest son he stayed at

killings as outstanding and united parts of one particular decree

home with his father. However Yosef is also considered responsible

on our people.

and guilty for his own sale, and therefore required atonement

The Midrash Eleh Ezkera - “These I will remember” - is a Midrash

through the death of one of the Ten Martyrs. The brothers and the

which describes the murder of the ‘Ten Martyrs’ at the hands of

martyrs can be matched as follows:

the Roman Empire. The Midrash seeks to find some purpose and

ÂÂ Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua = Shimon (Shimon contains the

reason for the suffering of the people and the Ten Martyrs. It finds

letters Shamua; in addition, he may have been from the tribe

three ‘sins’ which caused the deaths of these martyrs:

of Shimon)

1. There were those among the Jewish people who did not mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. They said “What have we really lost with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash? We still have wise scholars to guide the world with God’s Torah and His mitzvos”; 2. The Rabbis themselves were held accountable for teaching Torah to Caesar; and 3. The deaths of the Ten Martyrs atoned for the sins of Yosef and his brothers. As the leaders of Israel, the Rabbis were held responsible for the sins of their entire generation. They should have shown the people the enormity of the loss of the Beis HaMikdash. Although Judaism

ÂÂ Rabbi Yishmael = Levi (as High Priest, Rabbi Yishmael was a descendant of Levi)

ÂÂ Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel = Yehuda (He was the prince of the Sanhedrin, and a descendant of Yehuda)

ÂÂ Rabbi Chutzpis the Interpreter= Yissachar (the blessing of the tribe of Yissachar was “chamor garam” - “a crouching donkey”, the letters of which are contained within the name Chutzpis HaMeturgeman)

ÂÂ Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef = Yosef ÂÂ Rabbi Chanina ben Teradion = Dan ÂÂ Rabbi Yehuda ben Teima = Zevulun

has adapted and survived for almost two thousand years, the loss

ÂÂ Rabbi Yeshavav = Gad

of the Beis HaMikdash is irreplaceable. The Rabbis themselves

ÂÂ Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava = Naftali

were punished for allowing people to think that they could be an

ÂÂ Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai = Asher

alternative to the Beis HaMikdash. Ironically, because these Rabbis

RABBI DANIEL FINE

COMMUNITY RABBI, STANMORE AND CANONS PARK US AND THE HASMONEAN BEIS PROGRAMME

‫"שׁנֵ י ִמ ְק ָד ִּשׁים ֲאׁשר ְב ַּמ ְעלָ ּה ְּוב ַמ ָטּה זֶ ה ַעל גַ ֵּבּי זֶ ה ָה ֳא ָפלּו‬ ְ "‫ּיטה‬ ָ ‫ת ַא ֲח ִריׁש ֶא ְת ַא ַפּק וְ ַא ִב‬ ּ ָ ‫ַב ֲּעלָ ָטה וְ נַ ְמ‬ "The two Temples, one high, one below; each on top of the other, they darkened…"

KINNAH 24 ‫על חורבן בית המקדש‬

This emotive Kinnah depicts incremental destruction. It begins with the destruction of the building of the Mikdash itself, it then moves on to its holy keilim, it then moves onto the people who served in the Mikdash – the Kohanim and Leviim. Interspersed are references to the malachim – it was a tragedy on all levels. Relatively rarely, this Kinnah makes use of the inverted Alef Beis order – it begins with a Taf and ends with an Alef. Perhaps the message is the following.

would look like a Mikdash, but would be spiritually empty and bereft of power and meaning. Our mitzvos maintain the Mikdash, and ultimately our mitzvos have a hand in building it too. And the reverse is true too: our aveiros destroy the Mikdash. As Chazal describe, when the Mikdash was destroyed physically, it was akin to grinded grain being ground again – the spiritual core had been removed already via our sins.

In the above line, our Kinnah makes mention of the concept (also found in Gemara Ta’anis) that there are two Mikdash’s – a heavenly Mikdash and a Mikdash down here on earth. In the words of the Gemara, Hashem reports I won’t come to the Mikdash on earth until I arrive in the Heavenly Mikdash. The Mikdash is not simply a building of physical grandeur and awe. The Mikdash reflects the spiritual secrets of the universe; it is a place that can house Hashem’s Shechinah – a place we are susceptible to being inspired and feeling His presence, as the Sefer Hachinuch writes. For a physical shell of a building to exist without our behaviour being spiritually appropriate would be meaningless. The building

The Kinnah utilises the inverted Alef Beis to remind us that our current world is inverted. To lack the Mikdash and what it gave us is to be living as bare bones with no flesh, as the Kuzari puts it. Yet the inverted Alef Beis order also reminds us that when we do rebuild the Mikdash we must start from the bottom. First we must make sure our behaviour is conducive to a Mikdash, then it will express itself in the spiritual grandeur of the Mikdash itself. We first make sure that the core is holy, that Hashem will return to His Heavenly Mikdash, and then we will merit a Mikdash in this world.

RABBI DOVID ROSE LANIADO HOSPITAL UK

KINNAH 27

‫אז במלאת ספק‬

Considered among the most beautiful of all Kinnahs, the events recorded here occur prior to those of Kinnah 26, where Jeremiah beseeches each of the patriarchs and matriarchs to pray for the Jewish people at the time of the Temple’s destruction. The preface to that visit is an earlier encounter, described as a seemingly surreal meeting between the prophet and a woman of perplexing appearance. Her figure is described in conflicting and contradictory terms. She is both yefas to’ar - of beautiful appearance, yet ‘menuveles’ - dishevelled, dirty – even repulsive. Responding to Jeremiah’s request to identify herself, she tells him that her mixed appearance represents the Jewish people. ‘I belong to the 1, the 3, the 12, the 61, the 71’ she says.

A physical personification of the spiritual essence of the Jewish people, she hails from Abraham - who brought to the world recognition of the One creator. From the three patriarchs, the twelve tribes, the 60 plus myriads that constitute the Jewish people, the Sanhedrin of 71 judges. Yet through iniquity, her beauty has waned.

RABBI YEHOSHUA BAMBERG

GRADUATE OF OHR LAGOLAH RABBINIC LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE

Tisha B’av is approaching once again and we KINNAH 28 have to ask ourselves why yet again this day has not turned out to be the Yom Tov we have been yearning for it to be. This sentiment is reflected in the words of Kinnah 28 composed by the great paytan R’Elazar HaKalir: “On this day every year, times for me are the worst, and behold I have been anguished and abandoned for more than a thousand years. So how can I be consoled?”

‫איך תנחמוני‬

These words really encapsulate what we should be feeling on this day of Tisha B’av. When will this golus end? What is holding us back? On Tisha B’av we are like a mourner who is so immersed in their grief that they cannot see the end of it. They feel as if the darkness is swallowing them up and they can never be consoled over their loss. The Kinnah continues to enumerate various calamities that have befallen the Jewish people throughout the centuries creating an ever deeper sense of despair. However, the Kinnah ends off with words of hope that teach us not to despair: “And this will last until He looks down and takes notice from above, until He lowers our enemies to the grave and raises us out of exile. And then we will be consoled”. We have to hold on to the fact that Hashem is waiting to bring the geulah and will one day hear our tefillos and vanquish our enemies. Regarding the refusal to be comforted, a link has been drawn by many meforshim between the mourning of Yaakov Avinu over his son Yosef and mourning Yerushalayim. This is because it was decreed by Hashem that after a certain amount of time, a mourner begins to forget his grief and move on. However, Yaakov refused to be consoled; hinting to the fact that deep down there was a feeling that Yosef might still be alive. So too, the

fact that we still mourn the Beis Hamikdosh even today implies that some aspect of its kedusha is still around. Also, this Kinnah speaks so highly of the Jewish people and the Temple. One could say that one of the keys to bringing the golus to an end is appreciating what a precious temple we lost and the greatness of the Jewish people. R’Shimhon Pincus quotes the Rema in Toras Haolah who brings a story of the Navi Yirmiyah who following the destruction of the 1st temple was asked by the Greek philosopher Plato why he was crying over a bunch of stones. He answered that Plato should ask him all his philosophical questions and he proceeded to answer them all. He then explained that it was the stones and wood he was crying over than gave him this wisdom. This means that the Temple brought a tremendous light of holiness and wisdom into the world causing tremendous closeness to Hashem. This is what we lost. Furthermore, one of the things that destroyed the 2nd temple was baseless hatred. This means essentially that we do not appreciate the greatness of the Jewish people and how precious we are in Hashem’s eyes. Perhaps if we internalise these two things, there will be no need to say any Kinnos ever again.

RABBI BENJY RICKMAN

HEAD OF JEWISH STUDIES, KING DAVID HIGH SCHOOL MANCHESTER

Superficially we would expect the Kinnos to focus KINNAH 29 only on Churban Habayis. The success of our collection of elegies is that it covers a much broader sweep of Jewish history. The different historical events that feature in our Kinnos provide for a more profound understanding of the nature of tragedy. When our people are the target of hatred ‫ אללי לי‬and ‫על אלה אני בוכיה‬.

‫אמרתי שעו מני‬

But, there are other times when we are caught up in someone else’s narrative, when events that should have had nothing to do with us somehow change course and move in our direction. These moments compound the nature of our grief on Tisha B’Av. Hester ponim is frightening because it’s so very difficult to perceive where the dangers are coming from. Kinna 29 speaks of an undefined tragedy. Tradition has ascribed authorship to Rav Kalonimus Hakatan, which suggests, that it speaks of events that occurred during the first Crusade in 1095-96. The Jews found themselves faced with a new and frightening reality. Bribing officials was no longer a guarantee that they would be safe and protected. The magnitude of the Crusades made it clear that Jews were vulnerable. The crusades gave rise to some remarkable examples of martyrdom and the triumphant spirit of the Jew. The Maharam MiRotenberg was asked a shocking question by a man who had killed his wife and children to escape death at the hands of the blood thirsty crusaders. But, he wasn’t able to kill himself, they stopped him at the last second. Burdened with terrible guilt, this Jew asked the Maharam does he need kapara for killing his whole family. He begins by stating as a certainty (although it’s not so certain according to all opinions)

‫כי ההורג עצמו על יחוד ה’ רשאי לחבול בעצמו‬

It would be permitted to kill oneself for the unification of Hashem’s name. He cites Talmudic stories of suicides in support of his opinions. However killing others is not as clear cut. Our Kinnah serves as a source for allowing Jews to kill other Jews in situations where it’s clear that they are facing certain death at the hands of our enemies:

‫ילדיו השלים ככרים לטבח הכין לבניו מטבח‬ He surrendered his children like fatted sheep to the slaughter He prepared the butchering block for his own sons. Many great people killed their children and even Rabbi Klonimus did so. So the Maharam bases his heter on this historic reality. It cannot be that Hashem will judge them in shomayim for doing so. What they did was Kodesh Kedoshim. The teshuva ends with a brocho that Hashem should avenge the blood that was spilt. The Maharam struggled with this question. The questioner wanted to be dead with his family, he needed a hug, not a complex teshuva /kapara process. His answer reflects another facet of the greatness of Klal Yisroel through the ages. The inner strength of the average Jew to be moser nefesh and of our leadership to understand the fragility of the masses and to be able to keep them within the community and allow for a rebuild to happen.

‫לעילוי נשמת ר' משה בן בערל ז''ל‬

RABBI URI DEBSON JLE

The Beis HaMikdash was the epicentre of life for Am KINNAH 30 Yisroel. A bustling centre of spirituality and purity, it was the beating heart of the Jewish people, a metropolis in which the Divine Presence of HaShem rested illuminating the world. At the centre of the Beis HaMikdash lay the Heichal, the sanctuary, embedded within the Heichal stood the holiest place on earth, the Kodesh Kodashim, the Holy of Holies. Within the Kodesh Kodashim, lay the Aron HaBris, the Ark of the Covenant, upon which sat the Cruvim the Cherubs, representative of Divine relationship between Klal Yisroel and HaShem. With the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, the Shchina (the Devine presence of HaShem,) no longer had a home so to speak in this world and thus departed, leaving behind a void of darkness and confusion which is still present to this day.

‫מעוני שמים‬

The Kinna of the 12th century sage R’ Menachem Bar Yaakov keenly expresses the loss we should at least attempt to feel for the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. In the second stanza of the Kinna R’ Menachem Bar Yakov refers to the Cruvim depicting the relationship they represent, he writes:

“ ‫ בכנפי צעצועים‬,‫“מה טוב ומה נעים שבתך עם רעים‬ “How good and how pleasant was Your dwelling amongst friends between the wings of the cherished Cherubim1” The Gemara (Bava Basra 99a) discusses how the Cruvim cherubs, were positioned upon the Ark. Were they were facing each other or away from each other? The Gemara answers; there is no question, when the Jewish people fulfilled the will of HaShem the Cruvim faced each other, when the Jewish people did not fulfil the will of HaShem they faced away from each other. Based upon this Gemara, we are faced with a fascinating question. The Gemara (Yoma 54b) states: “said Reish Lakesh at the time the gentiles entered into the Heichal [during the destruction of the temple,] they saw the Cruvim embraced!” Rashi explains “like a man embracing his wife” the question follows how is it possible? The Cruvim were not only facing each other but embraced at the point of

the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, surely Klal Yisroel were not fulfilling the will of HaShem at that point, for the temple was being destroyed! Many have dealt with this question from the Rishonim to the latter-day Chassidic masters. I would like to, however, offer an interpretation I heard many years ago from my Rebbe, Rabbi Chanina Geisler Shlita; In discussing the positioning of the Cruvim, the Gemara in Bava Basra does not say “they faced away from each other” when Klal Yisroel did not fulfil the will of HaShem, but rather: “Penihem le’bayis” (lit’ they faced the home i.e. the Temple,) the Cruvim faced home when Klal Yisroel were not fulfilling the will of HaShem. As long as there was a home in which HaShem could “dwell,” the Cruvim could face the home when our behaviour was not up to scratch, however when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, there was no longer a vessel in which to contain our relationship with HaShem, therefore the only option was for HaShem to embrace (us so to speak.) Even in the darkest point in exile we still live within the embrace of HaShem. 1 The expression of the Cherubim being referred to as ‫ צעצועים‬originates from )‫י‬:‫דברי היומים ב (ג‬

RABBI DR JULIAN SHINDLER

DIRECTOR OF THE MARRIAGE AUTHORISATION OFFICE, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF RABBI

This Kinnah is attributed to Rabbi Yehudah ben Shmuel Halevy1, the first letter of each stanza spelling out his name as an acrostic. It laments the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem at the hand of Nevuzaradan who was one of Nevuchadnetzar’s generals. Background: Nevuchadnetzar lay siege to Jerusalem three times, in 605 BCE, in 599 BCE, and then in 589 BCE after Tzidkiyohu – who had been appointed ruler by Nevuchadnetzar - subsequently revolted against Babylon, and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar responded by invading Judah and at the end of Tzidkiyohu’s elevenyear reign, he succeeded in capturing Jerusalem. After the fall of Jerusalem, Nevuzaradan was sent to destroy it. The prophet Yirmiyah describes Nevuzaradan’s exalted rank as ‘‫ – ’רב הטבחים‬chief executioner – and this is how he is referred to in this Kinnah. Content of the Kinnah: The opening words of the Kinnah ‫‘ יום אכפי הכבדתי‬I made my burden heavy and my iniquity was doubled on the day when I stretched out my hand against the blood of the prophet’. The highlighted words seem to have been borrowed from the words of the verse in Job 33: 7: ‫הנה לא תבעתך ואכפי עליך לא יכבד‬. Indeed, there are number of other resonances of words and phrases taken from biblical verses in this Kinnah. The author goes on to paraphrase an episode recorded in the gemara2. In the reign of Yoash there was a minor prophet – Zechariah ben Yehoyoda3 the priest. Zechariah censured the king and the people

KINNAH 34

‫יום אכפי הכבדתי‬

for rebelling against Hashem. At the king’s behest the people rose up and stoned him to death in the temple courtyard4. Two centuries later, when Nevuzaradan came to destroy the temple, he killed many thousands of people and, when their blood drained away, he noticed some blood bubbling up from the temple courtyard. On enquiring why this was happening, he was told the story of what had happened to Zechariah. Acting to avenge Zechariah’s murder, he slaughtered first the members of the Sanhedrin, then young priests and even young children – according to the gemara – some 940000 in all. Even so, Zechariah’s blood continued to gurgle. The aggadata ends unexpectedly with Nevuzaradan having regret for his actions, repenting and eventually converting to Judaism. The up-shot of all of this is to lament the brutal slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews – hence the refrain ‘and he increased mourning and lamentation amid the daughter of Judah’ 1

Author of the Kuzari

Gittin 57b

as distinct from Zechariah ben Berechya who prophesied some 260 years later

See Divrei Hayomim 2:24 v 20- 22

CHAZAN MICHAEL SIMON AUTHOR OF MIMINI MICHOEL, WEEKLY EMAIL ON THE TORAH & MO'ADIM

KINNAH 36

‫ציון הלא תשאלי‬

It seems an unlikely source for the lyrics of an upbeat song, but the opening words of this Kinnah will be familiar to many exactly because of their deployment in the aforementioned musical context. Surprising though this cross-fertilisation may appear at first blush, it is actually entirely justified. This is the first of the series of Kinnos that begin with the word, Tzion. From a purely personal perspective, these Kinnos have always felt to me like the literary

24 equivalent of turning the corner and seeing that the intended destination is not as far away as one had expected. Megillas Eicho and many Kinnos are intended to move us to tears, to portray the unspeakable horrors that our ancestors lived through at the time, as well as through history, and to engender in us the overwhelming feeling of loss that we should experience on Tisha B’Av. This Kinnah, penned by Rabbi Yehuda haLevi, emphasises a fundamentally important element of Jewish life. To illustrate this, we must analyse the thematic progress in the text. Stanzas 1 to 8 wonders whether Zion is pained at the loss of her people, just as the people long to be reunited with her. Stanzas 9 to 20 describe the uniqueness of Zion as resting place of the Shechinah, reflective of Hashem Himself as well as the glory of His throne, whilst representing the holiness on earth that created a conduit for communication between the divine and the mortal. The next stanzas up to stanza 38 speak of Zion in more physical terms

as the Holy Land, with its varied topography, not just the spiritual attributes extolled in the previous tranche of stanzas; returning then to references to the Beis HaMikdosh. The next tranche of stanzas expresses more pain and anguish over the physical destruction of Zion. The Kinnah then reprises the theme of our longing for Zion, united as a people. Finally, the Kinnah culminates with rousing praise of Zion, her splendour and her strength, emphasising the glorious spiritual fortune that awaits those blessed with returning to her rebuilt. The message of the Kinnah shines through. It is one that is relevant to all. Even in the darkest depths of life experiences, even when all seems lost and unattainable, there must be hope. There is always hope. Turn to Hashem. Long for Hashem. Yearn for closeness with Hashem – and He will answer.

RABBI DOVID HOFFMAN

AUTHOR OF THE TORAH TAVLIN SERIES OF BOOKS ON TORAH, HAGGADAH SHEL PESACH, YAMIM NORAIM, AND OTHER JEWISH TOPICS, AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES ON THE HOLOCAUST, ENTITLED 'HEROES OF SPIRIT' AND 'HEROES OF FAITH'

KINNAH 42 ‫רחפו עצמי עלי בנים יקרים אשר כשיד שרופים באור אודי‬ ‫שרידיך‬ The day of Tisha B’Av commemorates the millions upon millions of korbonos and sacrifices that the Jewish People have given throughout the millennia, on the altar of human tragedy. We cry and mourn our collective loss but often it takes the words of one man to put it into proper perspective.

‫ציון צפירת פאר‬

The final moments of the life of the great tzaddik, R’ Elchanan Wasserman ZT”L HY”D, are described in the introduction written by his son for his sefer Kovetz Shiurim. It is based on the eyewitness testimony of R’ Ephraim Oshry, one of the few survivors of the Kovno ghetto. The introduction recounts the last words of R’ Elchanan to the group of Torah scholars who were being led to their death together with him. They had been

interrupted in the midst of their study in order to be sacrificed on the altar to G-d. R’ Elchanan spoke quietly and calmly. His face was serious but serene. His final words did not include any personal references; he didn’t even try to part from his son, R’ Naftali. His words were directed towards all of Klal Yisroel. “In the Heavens, we must be viewed as righteous, because we have been selected to atone for Klal Yisroel with our bodies. Despite this, here and now, we must do

25 a full and complete teshuvah. Time is short, the trip to the Seventh Fort (where the holy Jews of Slobodka-Kovna were murdered) will not take long. We must keep in mind that our sacrifice will be better accepted by Hashem if we do teshuvah, and through this we will save the lives of our brothers and sisters in America.”

“Let no foreign thought enter our minds, as that will make us pigul, an unfit Korbon. We are about to do the greatest mitzvah, as it says, ‘The Bais Hamikdash was destroyed by fire; by fire it will be rebuilt.’ The fire that burns our bodies is the very fire that will help rebuild the House of Israel.”

RABBI AVI WEISENFELD

ROSH YESHIVA - GEVURAS YITZCHOK; AUTHOR “KASHRUS IN THE KITCHEN” & “THE POCKET HALACHA SERIES”

At the climax of saying Kinnahs, we stand up and KINNAH 45 chant this final Kinnah with its traditional melody. It is at this stage that we list all the things we lost with the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash it is interesting that this final Kinnah starts (and is repeated) with the line describing the pain we have to that which a women suffering from childbirth suffers. What is this connection?

‫אלי ציון‬

I once heard the following. A women going through childbirth can often cope with the pain because she understands that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, she is going through a tremendous amount of pain and discomfort. But there is a purpose. And at the end she will be able to cradle her new-born child in her hands. Similarly, this Kinnah is giving us this lesson. After going through all the Kinnos, one may start to give up hope and wonder if there is going to be an end to this long and bitter exile. This Kinnah gives us the hope. Just like a mother goes through pains which have a purpose, so too, this exile may be painful, but there is a purpose and we will be taken out of the exile to be reunited in Israel. Rav Avraham Shag, one of the Gedolim of Hungary, had a lifelong dream of retiring in Yerushalayim. His dream became a reality in 1873 when he arrived in Yaffo accompanied by his loyal student Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld. Rav Zonnenfeld vividly relates their first Friday night at the Kosel: “Words cannot describe the Rebbi’s deep emotions during the Lecha Dodi prayers. When he came to the phrase, ‘Mikdash Melech ir Melucha – Sanctuary of the King, Royal City (i.e.,

the Beis Hamikdash, Yerushalayim), come forth from amidst your ruins, too long have you dwelt in the valley of weeping… (i.e., the churban),’ he lifted up his hands heavenward, while streams of tears descended from his eyes. The Rav was totally enveloped in the cloak of emotions, which expressed his longing for Klal Yisrael’s speedy redemption and the Shechina’s glory reinstated. “Afraid of the Rav’s health,” Rav Zonnenfeld continues, “I was about to awaken him from his trance, when suddenly his countenance changed, a ray of happiness lighting up his face. Thus, he concluded the phrase in a load voice, ‘Vehu yachmol alayich chemla’ – And He will have compassion on you.” This beautiful story depicts a duality that is the essence of our avodah on Tisha B’av – on one hand, the expressions of anguish over the churban, tzar haShchina, and the dark galus. On the other hand, the hope toward the glorious sunlight, the light of Moshiach, the Beis Hamikdash and the Divine presence. May we merit a speedy redemption bimheira veyameinu Amen.

R’ BARRY KAGAN

JFS

When we stand up to recite the tuneful ‫אלי ציון‬, we experience an inherent feeling of relief. We have been sitting on the floor the entire morning and we have lamented the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, our Holy city, our closeness to Hashem and the destruction of our own innerselves. We have traversed a journey of Jewish history that is littered with persecution, calamity, sin and ruin. ‫ אלי ציון‬provides a summary of all the physical and spiritual devastation we have suffered as a nation. Yet, at this juncture, as we approach ‫ חצות‬on the day of Tisha B’Av, we begin to feel a sense of relief as we begin to appreciate that all the suffering has not been futile. ‫כמו אשה בציריה‬, like a woman suffering from the pangs of birth, the pain is unbearable to the extent that she makes a vow never to endure such an ordeal again. However, in mere moments, the intense pain will evaporate and the woman will be rewarded with a new offspring that will contain within it a bright future, hope, joy and endless opportunities. The situation looks bleak, but that is precisely what serves as the launch-pad for a new life. We are like a ‫ בתולה‬crying over a lost ‫בעל‬. As the Radak explains, the pain is so great for the ‫אשה‬

KINNAH 45

‫אלי ציון‬

as there was not even an opportunity to begin the relationship. That is the extent of our pain! Despite the depths of despair at the height of our mourning, we display never-ending hope for the future. The suffering has been for a purpose as we forge an everlasting bond with Hashem. We have not been deserted. As we recite on Musaf of Rosh Hashanah, ‫ זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך‬,’‫כה אמר ה‬ – Hashem will remember how we left Egypt with pure Emunah as we followed Him through the ‫ מדבר‬without any provisions. In addition, Hashem says He will remember the covenant with us from the days of our youth - ‫וזכרתי אני את בריתי אותך בימי‬ ‫נעוריך‬. As we mention ‫ נעוריה‬in this Kinnah, let us have in mind the everlasting covenant with Hashem when He recalls the wonders of our youth and the desire to perpetuate a loving and enduring relationship. As we mention the ‫אשה בציריה‬, let us have in mind that after the pain and darkness comes the birth of a new dawn.

ANSWERS 1.

The work and essence of the day of Tisha B’Av is crying and not davening. The Gemora (Brochos 32b) brings from R’ Elozar that from the time of the churban the gates of tefilla were closed (see Megillas Eicha 3:8). However, the gateway of tears remains open. Perhaps this explains why on Tisha B’Av, the time of the churban we do not primarily use the pathway of davening but rather that of tears and crying. Crying expresses the idea of feeling lost and not seeing a clear pathway ahead. It is one of despair not knowing how to go on further. The swelling of tears come to block the vision of the eyes expressing where a person is holding. On Tisha B’Av we are crying because without the Beis Hamikdosh where Hashem openly revealed Himself we cannot see how life can continue. Golus is so full of sorrow and pains when will it all stop? There are two types of crying. Ever seen an actor crying? This is not sincere crying but is for show. How then do I know when it is sincere? The answer lies in how quickly a person comes on to crying and how many tears are produced. If the crying is instantaneous and free flowing then it is real. Actors can produce tears but it takes time, done by thinking about something sad in their lives, and does not come in buckets full. Although the other three fasts remember the churban they are remembering the beginning stages (Asara BiTeves and the 17th of Tammuz) that did not mean for certain that the churban would happen or (like Tzom Gedalia) remember the last stages of hope were lost. However, the actual main churban in practice was the burning of the Beis Hamikdosh and therefore

in actuality affected us the worst and needs constant remembering. Another difference, all other fasts are mainly to bring us onto doing teshuva. Tisha B’Av has this but additionally has the aspect of actually acting as aveilim, mourners. 5.

Perhaps the idea here is that there are two parts to the fast of Tisha B’Av. The morning is unique for Tisha B’Av and this lasts the whole morning. Being a special fast in this capacity it has a special reading and haftora. However, in the afternoon of Tisha B’Av it is already a time of comfort and there is easing of the mourning and then it reverts back to like all the other fasts and therefore has the usual reading and haftora for fast days.

Shemini Atzeres is the climax of Sukkos and simcha. Rashi (end of Parshas Pinchos) brings that it is a time of special closeness between only Hashem and the Jews. This is the total opposite of the pathway of mourning that is climaxed with the actual churban and sadness on Tisha BiAv. Tisha B’Av is called a Moed, that R’ Yerucham Levovitz zt”l says is a festival of distancing – being further away from Hashem.

Either because the Churban is worse than any of the other tragedies! Or because two of the catastrophes of Tisha B’Av were the same thing again – the destruction of the first and second Beis Hamikdosh.

The Mishna (Taanis 26b) brings the five catastrophes that happened on Tisha B’Av. They are: the decree of the generation of the spies to not enter Eretz Yisroel; the first and second Beis Hamikdosh were destroyed; the city of Beitar was conquered and the city was ploughed over.

RABBI ALAN WILKINSON

RABBI, GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL

KINNAH 46

Déjà vu Sitting on a low stool for the morning of Tisha B’av reciting the Kinnahs there is almost a sense of relief to stand and collectively chant the words of ‘Eli Tzion’ which is frequently described as the final Kinnah. It is almost a surprise, therefore, to encounter Shomron Kol Tittein – Samaria lifts up her voice, a further Kinnah. Even more surprising that it is one we recited the previous evening. What message does it have that needs repeating? This Kinnah, based on Yechezkel Perek 23, was written by Solomon ibn Gabirol, the 11th century Spanish-Jewish poet and philosopher. Yechezkel talks about two sisters: “Oholah” and “Oholibah” (respectively, “Her Tent” – referring to Samaria, capital of Israel – and “My Tent is in Her” – referring to Jerusalem, capital of Judah). Oholah (Samaria) cheated on Hashem with the idols of Assyria and she continued to long for Egypt, who was her “lover” before she “married” Hashem at Sinai. So Hashem let Assyria have her. They revealed her shame, killed her children and made an example out of her. The younger sister, Oholibah (Jerusalem) saw this, but didn’t learn from it, exceeding her sister’s promiscuity. Hashem will hand Oholibah over to her enemies, revealing her shame. This happens because she followed in her sister’s footsteps, therefore she will share her sister’s fate. In the Kinnah each of the sisters, each of the cities, claims that they suffered more in their destruction.

‫שומרון‬

Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuvah 2:5) writes: ‘whomever believes in Hashem must anticipate, in the flight of his anguish, that the darkness will itself be the reason for the light . . . that if I had not fallen, I would not have gotten up; if I had not sat in the darkness, I would not have had light.’ In other words, it is precisely because of and through the tragedy that Hashem will provide us with our ultimate redemption. We must believe and understand that the destruction was somehow necessary for rebuilding. The final sentence of the Kinnah prays for the reunification of the two kingdoms with Jerusalem as the focal point ‘as it was in the days of my youth….’, quoting the words of Eichah. Maybe this is the significance: the final Kinnah reminds us not only that ‘The Builder of Yerushalayim is Hashem’ but that we have a role to play. We cannot only sit and cry but we must actively daven and perform mitzvos. As the Yerushalmi says: “If the Bais Hamikdosh is not rebuilt in your lifetime, it’s as though it were destroyed in your lifetime.” May we all merit to see the geulah shleimah and the transformation of Tisha B’Av into a joyous festival

ANSWERS 9.

Rashi and Tosfos (Kiddushin 31b) discuss this. The idea is that even in the saddest moments there is a positive side to it. Everything that Hashem does is for the good – the only thing is that we do not openly see it. When Hashem got angry with the Jews there were at least two possibilities. Either G-d Forbid to destroy the Jews, or to destroy the great closeness and shefa, outpouring of goodness, to the Jews. Choosing to destroy the Beis Hamikdosh meant that the Jewish nation could continue. This survival is the point of goodness that lies in Tisha B’Av and perhaps this is why it is even called a moyaid, a special time associated with happiness as expressed with no saying of tachanun. It is where we are sad at being distanced so much from Hashem but yet we still recognise that this is ultimately for our goodness to ensure our survival.

we are not in a state of happiness and therefore not fit to say kiddush levana.

10. Perhaps the idea is that when the curses are read during the year, they are read together with other good things and therefore the voice is lowered and raised depending on the content. However, on Tisha B’Av, we are fully focused on the bad nature of the day and therefore we are meant to internalise it and deal with the problem. Therefore, instead of saying things quietly we hear it even louder.

12. The Shlah (Parshas Vayishlach) says something interesting that needs some thought. He says that the day of Tisha B’Av parallels the Gid Hanashe – as seen in the episode when the Sar Shel Esav could only hit Yakov in that area of his body. This therefore represents a day of strength to the side of negativity and evil as seen in it also being the day of the churban. The Yaaros Devash takes this a step further. The Zohar (I:170b) says that there are 365 sinews in a person paralleling the 365 days of the solar year. The Gid Hanoshe parallels the day of Tisha B’Av. There are four sinews included in the sinew of Gid Hanoshe. These parallel the four fasts commemorating the churban. Two of these in each thigh – the right and left leg. There is the sinew that is closest to the bone and is totally forbidden and punishable while the outer one is less severe being forbidden but not punishable. The two inner sinews represent the stricter of the four fasts, namely Tisha B’Av and The Fast of Gedalia. The outer two sinews represent the more lenient fasts of Asora BiTeves and the 17th of Tammuz. (‘‫)יערות דבש ח”ב דרוש ז‬

11. Kiddush Levana is meant to be said at a time of happiness. This is why the ideal time is to say it is on Motzai Shabbos, when still in Shabbos clothes and in a state of happiness having gone through the special day of Shabbos. Since before and on Tisha B’Av is a time of mourning, therefore

13. The Shulchan Oruch (O.C. 580:3) brings that some great people fast every Monday and Thursday to remember the churban. The Mishna Brura (16) brings that if it is too difficult to fast then they should abstain from meat and wine on these days.

‫לשנה הבאה‬ ‫בירושלים‬ With thanks to the Federation and in memory of Leslie and Freda Aaronson

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