Rosh HaYeshiva, Machon Meir
“Five things happened to our ancestors on the 17th of Tamuz, and five things happened on the 9th of Av. On the 17th of Tamuz the Luchot were broken, the daily offering ceased, the walls of Yerushalayim were breached, and Apostomos burned the Torah and erected an idol in the Beit HaMikdash. On the 9th of Av, it was decreed that our ancestors would not enter the Land, but also on this date the First and Second Beit HaMikdash were destroyed, Beitar was conquered, and Yerushalayim was plowed.” (Ta’anit 26a)
There is a connection between the troubles that befell our ancestors on the 17th of Tamuz, and those which befell them on the 9th of Av, despite the distance of days and years between them. The main troubles of the 17th of Tamuz were spiritual and resulted from Israel’s moral deterioration. For example, Moshe breaking the Luchot in in the wake of the Golden Calf, the cessation of the daily offering, the burning of the Torah, and the placement of an idol in the Beit HaMikdash.
By contrast, the troubles of the 9th of Av affected the nation’s concrete political situation and the connection of its people to Eretz Yisrael. For example, the sin of the spies, which led to the decree that the generation of the desert would not enter the Land, the destruction of the First and Second Beit HaMikdash, the conquering of Beitar, and Yerushalayim being blotted out by the Romans.
Our sages were seeking to teach us that the moral and spiritual deterioration that led to the troubles of the 17th of Tamuz, also led to the destruction of the Temples and all the other troubles. As in our sages words to both Nebuchadnezzar and Titus, “You ground flour that was already ground” – by which they meant, “The first stages of the Beit HaMikdash's destruction were really due to Israel’s sins. You just completed the destruction.”
During the Three Weeks, the period between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av, Israel keeps various mourning practices. The purpose of these customs and fasts is to arouse our hearts to repent, for, after all, recalling what occurred can prod us back to the good path. Therefore, every Jew must take pains to scrutinize his deeds and to repent. Indeed, the main point of these fasts is repentance: “The fast is nothing but a preparation for repentance.” (Orach Chaim)
What must we rectify in our generation if these days of mourning and fasts are to be transformed into days of joy and celebration (as in Zechariah 8:19)? As far as the troubles associated with the 17th of Tamuz are concerned... Regarding the Golden Calf - the reason the Luchot were broken - we must strengthen ourselves in faith and in patience. After all, the sin of the Calf occurred due to a lack of these two traits. Israel could not wait for Moshe to descend from the mountain. We must become stronger in faith and tolerance on the personal level, and no less, on the national level. We must work together with G-d to bring the redemption, yet we mustn’t fall into a hysterical panic if the process is fraught with crises.
As far as the cessation of the daily offering is concerned, it is necessary for us to become stronger in prayer, which stands in place of the “regular daily offerings”. This, at its basis, means going to a synagogue and maintaining regular prayer with a minyan.
In response to the breaching of Yerushalayim's walls, we must fortify the walls of Yerushalayim by building homes and neighborhoods in Yerushalayim, especially those places over which the Arabs are striving to take control. We mustn’t allow Yerushalayim to be divided.
In response to the burning of the Torah - its purpose being to prevent Israel from learning Torah - we must increase and magnify our Torah learning, establishing more and more yeshivot and Torah institutions, and filling the county with Torah. Nothing strengthens and exalts our nation like learning our holy Torah.
In response to the idol being placed in our Beit HaMikdash, we note that the Temple has been likened to a man’s heart. We have to rectify our character, especially regarding pride, anger and lust, which, in the heart of men, are like idols in the Beit HaMikdash (see Nefesh HaChaim 1:5).
Through these improvements, we will merit the Third Beit HaMikdash’s construction, and the return of all the Jews of the galut (exile) to Israel. With the help of G-d, the city of Beitar, which is being rebuilt, will continue to grow by leaps and bounds, together with all the other cities of Eretz Yisrael, including Yerushalayim. May we be the living fulfillment of our sages’ words: “Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit to see its rejoicing.”
Looking forward to complete redemption,
With the love of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael,
Shabbat Shalom.
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