This week, we observed the fast of Tisha B’Av and mourned over the destruction of our Temples in Jerusalem.
One of the more intriguing laws of the observances of Tisha B’Av is that we are restricted from studying Torah on Tisha B’Av. The reason for this is that when we study Torah, it brings us an inner joy, and on the sad day of Tisha B’Av when joyful involvement is restricted, Torah study is part of that restriction.
The Torah study that is permitted on Tisha B’Av are the areas of the prophets, Talmud, Medrash and Halacha that pertain to the sad and destruction period of the Temple.
What is it about Torah that brings joy to us? Torah is G-d’s way of speaking to us. We are connecting to the Source of all, and engaged and elevated with His word which is truth.
In this week’s Parsha, Moshe, right before his death, recalls how G-d personally communicated the Ten Commandments to the nation and Moshe tells the nation, “Has there ever been a nation who heard G-d speak to them and lived?” Moshe was recounting what happened 40 years before, to the generation who were heading into the Land of Israel. Had G-d’s Revelation at Mount Sinai never occurred, the nation would have rejected what Moshe was telling them.
We all attest to this when the Torah scroll is lifted after its reading and its script is shown to the entire congregation and we proclaim, “This is the Torah that Moshe placed before the children of Israel, upon the command of G-d, through Moshes’ hand.”
Thus, we are certain and positive that the Torah we have is Divine and when we study it, observe it and respect it, we connect with the Divine and we become uplifted and it brings us an inner joy.
In Synagogue, we all stand with respect when the Aron – Ark which houses the Torah is opened. When the Torah Scroll is brought to the Bima to be read, we converge to kiss it. Why? It is our way of showing our respect and love for the Torah.
The Talmud tells us that not only are we supposed to show our respect to the Torah, we are supposed to respect a Talmud Chochom – one who has acquired the Torah through diligent study. A Rav or Rebbe becomes a repository of Torah and thus worthy of respect.
When I was reviewing the Book of Eicha/Lamentations which is read on Tisha B’Av at night in Shul, Rashi’s commentary on a few verses stood out. One, is that when the enemy came to destroy the Temple, the gates of the Temple were not destroyed. Rather, they sunk into the ground – and will once again emerge when our third Temple will be rebuilt.
Why were the gates of the Temple spared? It was because when King Solomon was inaugurating the first Temple and the Holy Ark which housed the Ten Commandments and Torah Scroll was being brought in, the sealed gates of the Temple swung open in respect for the Holy Ark. For this respect that even the inanimate gates gave to the Torah, years later, during the Temple’s destruction, the gates were spared. This is how deep respect for Torah runs.
After the Torah is read, when we return the Torah to the Ark, we recite a verse from Psalms that captures this moment, “Raise up your heads, O gates, and be uplifted, your everlasting entrances, so that the King of Glory may enter.”
This gives us a bit of an inkling of how important and significant it is when we respect the Torah and those who carry it within them.
In the Book of Eicha, the Prophet Jeremiah describes our enemy’s reaction to the exile of the Jews, “They laughed at our observance of the Shabbos and the sabbatical year observances.”
What comes to mind is the image of the Nazi’s laughing and taunting a Jew wearing his Teffilin while wrapped in his Talis.
Interestingly, people from the nations of the world are aware of our practices and, at times, they are the ones – whether in the news, social media or other means – call us out when we are not properly keeping what we should be doing.
One of the restrictions of the Tisha B’Av period is not grooming oneself by shaving and cutting hair, thus we present ourselves in a mourning state.
A businessman came to ask a question to the great Sage Rabbi Moshe Feinstein o.b.m. He was involved in a mega deal with a top company and his meeting with the CEO was a few days before Tisha B’Av. His question was should he push off and delay the meeting till after Tisha B’Av when our omen is better or keep it at the set time?
Rabbi Feinstein listened to the particulars and ruled that he should keep the set meeting before Tisha B’Av. The person then asked if he was allowed to shave for the meeting? Rabbi Feinstein told him that he should not shave and he would not lose out, since he will be listening to the Halacha.
The person related to his wife and associates that Rabbi Feinstein ruled not to shave, but they convinced him not to follow the Rabbi’s ruling and to get his hair cut and shave in order to come to the meeting in a presentable state to impress and secure the deal.
The meeting progressed, and negotiations and terms were all hammered out. Right before they signed, the non-Jewish CEO turned to the person and asked him, “How do I know that you are an upstanding individual and you will honor everything in the contract? The person told him he is an observant Jew and the Torah obliges us to be honest and not to steal and he would not go against the Torah dictates.
The CEO then turned to him and said, “I interact with some observant Jews in my business dealings and they have told me they do not shave during these days because they are mournful. I ask you why are you different from them? How then can I take your word that you are trustworthy?” The CEO then got up and rejected the deal.
For many, many years before the destruction of the Temple, our prophets warned the people of the impending destruction if the Jews do not reject idolatry and repent their sinful ways. At the same time, there were false prophets who placated the Jews and dismissed the true prophets’ words and warnings and told the Jews to continue what they were doing.
When Jeremiah’s prophecy came true, the exiled Jews realized and recognized the truth of his words and then turned to repentance.
When we as Jews are faced with uncertain and volatile times, we always turn to G-d with prayer, reflect on repentance, and we cling dearer to our Torah and Mitzvos. This truly defines us and it is through this that G-d that responds to us!
