Shabbos Nachamu | The True Purpose of Destruction & Mourning

Hashem offers us a consolation deeper than the assurance that we will be redeemed.

By Rabbi Mendel Kessin
Synopsis is not necesarrily in Rabbi Kessin's own words

The Jews ask why

• The medrash says that at the end of time the Jews will ask Hashem why they had to go through the tremendous suffering, persecutions and desolation of galus.
• Hashem will send the Avos and various leaders of the Jews to console them, but they will not be successful
• Hahem then consols them Himself with Nachamu Nachamu Ami.

Questions

• What did Hashem do that the others couldn’t?
• Why does Hashem use a repetitive language?
• The pasuk that mentions this response of Hashem uses the divine name Elokim, which refers to Hashem’s acting towards us with justice. Wouldn’t the Name of Mercy be more appropriate?

The tannaim mourn the majesty of Roman society, and Rabbi Akiva’s response

• 4 tannaim were walking through Roman society. They heard loud voices from the Roman palace many miles away (this means they viewed the success and majesty of Roman society).
• 3 of them started crying
• They were distraught at the Tiferes (reference to wisdom) and Oz (reference to success) caused by the nitzotzos hackedusha that was transfered from Jews to Satan and the nations connected to him.
• Rabbi Akiva laughed
• The others asked why he was laughing
• He asked tham why they were crying
• They answered that the Romans are sitting at peace and our temple is burned. Why shouldn’t we cry?
• He answered that's why I'm laughing. If this is how Hashem behaves toward those who defy him, how much more so for those who serve him.
• Rabbi Akiva was saying - if Hashem rewards them in this way for whatever zechusim they did have, this demonstrates middah of Hashem that one gets what he deserves even if one is evil.
• Rabbi Akiva looked at what the Romans had and its implications for us as opposed to what we had lost

The tannaim mourn the desolation of the Bais Hamikdash, and Rabbi Akiva’s response

• These 4 tannaim were then waking on Har Tzofim - the mountain that overlooks the Har Habayis
• They all rent their garments in mourning
• When they came near the place where the Kodesh Kodoshim was, they saw a fox leave that place.
• 3 of them started crying
• Rabbi Akiva laughed
• The others asked why he was laughing
• He asked tham why they were crying
• They said that when the Bais Hamildosh stood, if someone entered the Kodesh Kodoshim when he was unworthy or unauthorized, he would die immediately. Yet now a fox can go there and remain unharmed.
• Rabbi Akiva responded that that was precisely why he was laughing.
• Rabbi Akiva then referred to verses in the Navi that imply that the nevuah of redemption is dependant on the nevuah of destruction.
• The others replied: Akiva you have consoled us. Akiva you have consoled us.

Questions

• Why did we need to know the type of animal it was?
• Why did Rabbi Akiva ask why they’re crying? Isn’t it obvious that it’s because of the destruction?
• Even if Rabbi Akiva was confident in the eventual redemption, the fact remains that at the time there was destruction and suffering. Why did he not seem to mourn?
• What does it mean that the redemption is dependant on the destruction?
• The other tannaim knew that there would eventually be a redemption. What new point of view did Rabbi Akiva tell them that consoled them?
• Why did they answer with a repetitive phrasing?

Tough love

• A father once had a son to whom he gave everything
• The son, however, spurned him and was ungrateful
• As much as it pained the father, he realized that the only way his son would learn to respect was if he lost everything.
• The father threw his son out of the house.
• Eventually the son realized the good his father gave him and missed it and his father.
• The son started to mourn the loss and expressed yearning to come back.
• This was the very thing the father was waiting for.

The mourning and suffering is the solution

• The suffering, persecutions and desolation of galus rectifies the issues that caused the galus in the first place
  • The pain itself is mesaken
  • The mourning shows we want to be close to Hashem and to regain our previous status and situation. This rectifies by countering our spurning of Hashem through sinning
• The mourning itself is the tikun for what we did to cause the destruction. Tisha B’Av itself is the refuah

The stories explained

• Note that when the tannaim got to Har Hatzofim, they all rent their garments - even Rabbi Akiva. He did agree that now was the time for mourning.
• The fox was specified because it is a sly animal. This was a sign to Rabbi Akiva that there was a message here that was not readily apparent
• When Rabbi Akiva asked the others why they were crying, he was prompting them to offer the idea that he would use to show his point that the destruction and mourning was the key to the redemption
• Rabbi Akiva reinforced his point with the pesukim from the Navi saying that the redemption is dependant on the destruction - because of our sins and lack of teshuvah the destruction was necessary as a mesaken to bring the redemption.
• The consolation that Hashem gave that no one else could was Him showing how throughout history, both nationally and personally, all the pain and suffering was the key in being mesaken what we didn’t so we could experience the bliss of Olam Haba. All the others who offered consolation only showed how the suffering will eventually end with the redemption - not why the suffering happened.
• The name Elokim is used to show how when all is said and done - the redemption will be just because of the suffering and not an act of kindness alone
• That’s the repetitive language of consolation:
  • Nachamu that the suffering will end and the redemption will come
  • Nachamu that the suffering itself had the purpose of being  the cause and key of the redemption

The future celebration of Tisha B’Av

• Chazal say Mashiach will be born on Tisha B’Av. This is because the mourning of Tisha B’Av gives rise to the redemption
• After the redemption, Tisha B’Av will be the greatest of the holidays
• Anyone who mourns the destruction properly will merit (present tense) seeing its rebuilding. By connecting to the past there's a surety that it will happen, and it is as if it’s happening now.

Glossary

• Galus - exile
• Avos - patriarchs
• Nachamu - be consoled
• Ami - my nation
• Pasuk - verse
• Tannaim - rabbis who authored the mishnah
• Tiferes - beauty
• Oz - might
• Nitzotzos hakedusha - holy sparks
• Zechusim - merits
• Middah - attribute
• Bais Hamikdash - the holy temple
• Har Habayis - temple mount
• Kodesh Kodoshim - the Holy of Holies - the innermost sanctuary in the temple where the Ark of the Covenant was located. It is the holiest place on Earth.
• Navi - prophet. Also refers to the books that contain their writings given by Hashem for posterity
• Nevuah - prophecy
• Tikun - rectification
• Mesaken - rectify
• Teshuva - repentance