So the fast is winding down by now and I should have posted something earlier, I really didn’t feel like making this post funny of entertaining, tisha baav is not supposed to be entertaining, while yes it is abstract to mourn for two of the most important yet ancient sites that were ever to be- I think there are different ways to mourn.
I have loads of trouble with days like today, its not easy to mourn for something so far away, so unbelievable really, so abstract as a temple. I do imagine however that if we were to imagine the kotel destroyed by a terrorist attack all the sudden- many if not all of us would be in mourning. I myself have prayed to God many times at the western wall and cannot wait to approach this holy place in one weeks time. Imagine 4 of these glorious walls with the insides filled with holy items and that in a sense is a the Beit Hamikdash. Hard to understand I know- but the image of the western wall as we know it today, in rubble surrounded by a plume of smoke and teams of magon david adom looking for survivors is something we really can imagine- although we don’t want to.
To get in a sad and mournful mood, I look no farther then the Holocaust, or maybe to stories from wars fought in Israel or chicken soup for the soul style stories surrounded with hashgacha prutus and the love of fellow Jews to people in times of need.
I have always struggled with the understanding and davening on tisha baav, the kinos and eicha and just feeling mournful for something that took place beyond our imagination. I am just ranting here, writing my thoughts, but I do hope your fast and prayers and learning and discussion was meaningful and inspirational.
I understand that ending this post with gut yuntiff, merry tisha baav of season saluatations would be inappropriate- so I won’t say any of that.