As we prepare to once again mourn the Churban and the unfathomable tzaros that klal yisroel has faced in galus – both previously and currently – I believe we have to take stock of what our connection to the Churban is, and what sort of mourning we actually observe on this saddest and most somber day of the year.
Chazal say that Tisha B’Av should ideally be observed for two days, but instituting it as such would be a גזירה שאין רוב הציבור יכולים לעמוד בה. But I am wondering if this is truly something that still applies today. Today, Tisha B’Av for many people means watching specialized videos and programs created for this day. In fact, there are so many of them, nobody could possibly get through all of them in a single day. As such, maybe Tisha B’Av should be for two days? Clearly we can handle it – we have all the entertainment needed to power through a second day.
I know that many of you are likely reading this with scorn. ‘We need those videos and programs to connect with the Churban and to feel sad about it!’ is likely what you’re thinking. You may be right, but isn’t that troubling? The only way we can connect with the pain of the Churban and the tzaros that have befallen us and our Jewish brethren over our thousands of years in Galus is by watching a video that blurs the lines between entertainment/educational/inspiring? Does that not weight heavily on your heart?
I am not ch”v attacking anyone for watching these videos and programs, and I am certainly not attacking those who create them. I think, in sum, the videos and programs provide a necessary service for us. What troubles me is that such things are necessary in the first place.
We have become comfortable in Galus. It’s an undeniable fact. How can we say we truly want the Geulah when we don’t seem to understand what the Galus is?
If you can, join me this Tisha B’Av in reflecting on what the Churban was and how it is still so extremely relevant to our lives. Forget the videos, forget the programs, forget the inspiration for just a moment. Sit and think, absorb what klal yisroel as a whole is facing, and has faced, in exile. If we can connect with that, Tisha B’Av will be meaningful. If not, it won’t be – no matter how many videos you watch.
Troubled in Far Rockaway
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22 Responses
I won’t comment on whether we need less Tisha B’av entertainment, but I will mention something we do need less of: musser from people who wish to remain anonymous.
It seems that the media played a role in תשעה באב in previous generations. It is a custom to read Josephus and יוסיפון.
@Meno Aren’t you doing exactly the same thing?
This connects with the the Coffee Room debate : “Should Tish’a Be’Av be a movie day”
I would suggest the opposite of what “Troubled in Far Rockaway” is suggesting. Keep the 9th as a day of mourning as it should be: no gatherings, lectures, videos etc., and move the programs to the 8th or the 10th.
Let’s hope that the 9th soon becomes a Yomtov.
Instead of focusing on the Churban, let’s instead focus on learning about the Geulah and Moshiach so that we leave tisha bav with a renewed energy to keep doing the things that will make it happen!
As soon as we all do our sincere hishtadlus together as one loving nation and show Hashem the pain and mourning for the Bais hamikdosh WHOLEHEARTEDLY and accept Hashems wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus together as one loving then Hashem can send Mashiach already bkarov and have no reason for us to remain in golus.
But let’s be honest with ourselves. We’re not doing our hishtadlus together and are so happy in today’s generation of technology and gashmius running after every desire and pleasure (that it’s sad) that we are not deserving of the rebuilding of the Bais hamikdosh
May we all finally stop living in denial and wake up and FACE REALITY to Hashem’s serious wake up call for Teshuva and Achdus together like we did in the story of Purim and our lives were saved because of it.
Ohrchadash,
You know that is אסור right?
No doubt it is an ays tzara l’yaakov. Do we not see what is going on in Eretz Yisrael? Do we not see what is going on in America? Yet, it is unsettling that many continue to live their lives as if nothing is happening. Perhaps the opposite of sinas chinam is not ahavas chinam but areivus. Let us take some time this T’sha B’Av and think about that which is happening to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.
We grew up hyperfocused on the cause of the churban is sinas chinam. But the chachamim taught us that there were other reasons as well.
Let us daven a za’aka to Hashem for rachamim and the geula ha’amitis v’hashleima b’rachamim b’karov.
RE: videos – we live in a generation which needs multi-media to be engaged. If you are one which can be inspired by tefillos, megillas eicha etc. consider yourself very fortunate. But, I would say that we should not look for others to inspire our families. WE need to engage our children and create an atmosphere for ourselves and our families; that they feel that we are mitzta’er.
I would like to hastily clarify what @ohrchadash1 meant. While focusing on the Geula is an immensely important pursuit, it should not be the focus of Tish’a b’Av itself. As the Poskim of our holy nation famously rule, the ninth day of Av is a time for mourning. Here is an exceedingly clear excerpt from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch:
,וְלָכֵן אָסוּר בְּתִשְׁעָה בְּאָב לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, כִּי אִם בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁמַּעֲצִיבִים אֶת לִבּוֹ…”
“…Therefore, it is forbidden to study Torah on Tish’a b’Av, except for subjects that sadden the heart,
“.כְּגוֹן בְּסֵפֶר יִרְמִיָּה בַּדְּבָרִים הָרָעִים שֶׁבּוֹ, וּפְסוּקֵי נֶחָמָה שֶׁבּוֹ יְדַלֵּג
such as the chapters of the book of Jeremiah, regarding the ominous events he prophesied, omitting the verses of consolation.”
(Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 124:5)
One of the examples of בל תוסיף is of someone adds a day to pessach or succos and says it is a mitzva to sit this extra day in the sukkah or to eat matza this extra day.
Adding a day to the Mo’ed of Tisha B’Av is an issur of בל תוסיף.
(Unless you add it as Yom Tov Sheini Shel Goliyus).
May Hashem remove this Yom Tov from our calendar and replace it with a better Yom Tov.
First they came for those that have magazines that show pictures of women
And I did not speak out
Because my magazines do not have pictures of women
Then they came for those that have internet in their home
And I did not speak out
Because I do not have Internet in my home
Then they came for those that attend musical slichos
And I did not speak out
Because I do not attend musical slichos
Then they came for those like me that watch meaningful movies on Tisha B’Av
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Kuvult: We can arrange for someone to come by your house and confiscate your VCR and disks since I presume an ehrliche yid such as yourself would not have internet in your home (and you are posting from a friend’s house).
Seriously though, I imagine that everyone has his/her own way of connecting to the churban in terms of both its historic and present day context. For our brothers and sisters in EY, who came home tonight after the reading of Eicha trying to decide whether to sleep in their bomb shelters, it has a special meaning that those of us chutz l’aretz probably cannot relate to.
You have it exactly backwards. It’s not that because we have all this entertainment we can keep two days. It’s we can’t even keep one day properly so we need all this entertainment to keep us engaged.
I think this misses the point completely.
What is Kinnus?
It’s a vehicle to allow Klal Yisroel to feel connected to the loss. That’s ok, but cideos aren’t?
The gemarah relates a story of Rabban Gamliel that heard a women crying over her son and cried for days over the loss of the Bais Hamikdash. What was that? A vehicle to connect to the loss. He was praised. Why is this different?
We live in BH mostly peaceful times. For those who disagree, learn some history. Yes. The winds are blowing,. But most don’t feel it.
We don’t remember or know what we lost.
So what connections to we have to the churban?
Klal Yisroel is so amazing that even though they have no connection to the loss, they still desperately want to feel it. Ashrecha Yisroel.
If that comes via videos, so what?
Why is it different than a kinna? We can’t connect to kinnos much either.
I think this article is missing the point completely.
The point…. Ashrecha Yisroel that you are consuming videos of loss and mussar and not movies just to waste the day away.
May HKB”H see how worthy Klal Yisroel really is. And bring us back home now.
“Chazal say that Tisha B’Av should ideally be observed for two days, but instituting it as such would be a גזירה שאין רוב הציבור יכולים לעמוד בה.” I am not familiar with this Chazal. Where is it?
@Rebbetzen Golden etc.
There is no איסור to fast on the 9th and 10th of Av. See Yerushalmi Taanis 4:6 that both R’ Yehoshua ben Levi and R’ Avun fasted on both days. See also Mogen Avrohom 558:2-3 that in his time there were those who had this custom.
@Yid613
The story to which you refer is not a Gemara, it’s a Midrash in Eichah Rabbah 1:24.
If I may add my two Shekels to this post:
About 15 years ago, I went to Poland as a medic with a few seminaries. In one of the group sessions, I answered (leaving out the question) the following: Most of us present have at least one relative that went through the Holocaust, and being here you can see with your eyes what happened. It’s “modern” history, you can put your fingers on it. And that all happened because of the churban. Now close your eyes and just try to imagine what happened two thousand years ago.
About 6-7 years ago, Reb Dovid Feinstein ztz”l was in Israel and I took him around to different places. Two days before tisha ‘bAv he asked me to take him to Yad Veshem. As we were leaving he turned to me and commented: “This is how to prepare for tisha b’Av”
‘Kuvult’, I think that was beautiful. Said it without knocking anyone down.
I don’t see the videos simply as a way to connect. The videos are a productive way to spend the day while mourning. Without the videos for 99% of people tisha b’av is a regular day, even if you are mourning, no one is sitting reading megillat eicha all day. There isn’t much to do appropriate for the day.
The aforementioned comment implies that we can and should add פיוטים for all of our past and present צרות because the צבור can hold out indefinitely with קינות.
I saw a quip from the Ruzhiner when he saw kids playing around on Tisha B’Av
“If Hashem doesn’t like what’s happening on Tisha B’Av He should take it away from us
Coffee addict,
I heard it as some Chasidim on Tisha B’Av put a board tied to ropes at the entrance to the Shteibel as a prank that the next person to enter would be lifted into the air.
(Of course) The Rebbe was the next to enter & was pulled upwards. Standing above his Chasidim the Rebbe exclaimed, “If this is how Yidden treat Tisha B’Av it should be taken away from them.”