Tzipita Lishua - Anticipating Redemption by Rabbi Ezra Friedman

I would like to touch upon an aspect of Tish that I think at on one side seems so obvious and so clear yet there's so much lack of understanding what it really means in order to start I'd like to mention two important points that M will answer at the end of our sheer but I think there are two essential points that we as Jews now in in 5784 have to internal and realize how do we go from the sth of October what does the sth of October teach us about Tish this year we have gone through I'm I'm probably much younger than I'm I'm I'm only 37 i' I've gone through this is probably the the the only other year that was that came close to this was 911 the feeling of insecurity of of anxious of pain of Sorrow of fear is still inside of us when I to this day and I try best not to view or hear about what happened I still remember where I was when it happened there's that there's moments in life where you remember I know exactly where I was what I had for breakfast what the smell was what music they were playing what happened I remember what happened what does that teach about Tish what can we take from the 7th of October positive and negative what does it teach about about what what this should be for us the second aspect is something much more theological but I'll give an analogy to make it more clear a child is born at the age of a day or two Lo ALU unfortunately he loses or he or she was we call a boy loses his father he is raised by a distant relative and mother whatever happened had no chance to beat his father at the age of 14 or 15 when he started to get more mature the day the Y of his father came along and he was asked to put on fill and say Kadesh and he does this he's asked to do he comes up to his uncle is whoever called him say I why am I saying who am I mourning for I never knew my father I have no idea what he looks like what his mannerisms were what kind of person he was what am I saying what am I mourning for that question is relevant to us we have absolutely no idea and I say this not just because we live in a in this time but we have no idea what beam mikdash means we simply can't grasp it not just the fancy building the rocks and the stone and the metals we cannot grasp what B midash what when B midash was was here was a part of our lives our entire spiritual existence was completely changed and when we lost it it was completely changed so what do we mourning for what is it how do we sit down on Tish and say for hours and hours and read in and watch videos and and and and all this stuff regarding the midash we still have no idea what we're talking about are we lying to ourselves so I hope to answer both those questions or try to address them by the end of this year let us Begin by discussing the essence of Tish there are certain halic aspects and hashar aspects that are unique to Tish I think shed light on two different perspectives that if we look at them deeply can explain and really I don't want to say Enlighten enhance arsh but give it more meaning so the first and most important aspect is is the navii in the First Source in front of you discussed and laments about theban and about the fasting and he's very aggressive he's very very critical says with the First Source he asks are you fasting the prophets are you are you mourning this time like you've done for years before and then he continues tell the nation you also fasted 70 years this during the between the first and they fasted and they saying why you fast you're fasting but why are you fasting on this explains in Source number two was one of the greatest I I always recommend he's one of the greatest uh uh early sources he his book was found much later not not that much not too not too long ago hundreds years ago 2 years ago and his book was written on all of Shas he was from provance which is an area of France that connected both ashas and SP there's a when you learn about the the uh the schools of thought of early authorities ashas and there's a connection between provant they're very close to each other you had the ashkan Rashi Bal then you had this you had the ramban and the Riff and those stories and and provant connect them so has a beautiful articulate way of explaining he goes and he explains the POS as follows number two what is the meaning when when when asked him are you fasting when Isel fasted as a means of habit without any real feeling the facts of fasting on its own it means nothing I'll also fast you're eating and you're drinking on Dish above says what is all your fasting worth you don't know why you're fasting what you're doing first of all this is very dynamically different than yip yip one of the Mitzvah is to fast fasting is an atonement on our sins if a person fasts without any intent whatsoever the r the explains that every action on yum kipur is a different type of atonement a different type of of of way of of coming back to hasem of chuv repentance but here it's not like that it's like y it's not an action of repentance it seems the fact that you fast without meaning is not worth anything says the and now I want to go to another aspect that basically what this is a very important foundation of Sol's learning in brisker Torah and this is basically what is saying but in more halakic sense I'm going to explain Ric's idea outside R solvic in his analytical this analytical uh way of learning tud differentiates between two aspects of every single mitzvah there's the action we do and there's the consummation of the Mitzvah normally these are the exact same thing right we have a Mitzvah to pick up aul and shake it on suus how do I perform that Mitzvah I pick it up we have a Mitzvah to eat matah on the first night of PES I perform that Mitzvah by eating but there are mitzvas where action and the way I cons I I achieve the Mitzvah are disconnected the Mitzvah ofma it's not just to read it's not reminding the words it's to accept oneself the Yoke of hem if you don't accept you're not compling the Mitzvah daving you can bow and you can shake but there has to be something behind it many mitzah the m and theum are together the action the achievement are the same but in many the opposite there are mitzah where it's not enough to do the action there has to be some kind of spiritual elevation so spiritual uh uh um identification with a certain purpose without that I haven't achieved the Mitzvah to the highest point I haven't achieved it and the question exactly here when I fast on Tish it's simply not enough to fast it's not enough to wear not it's not enough not to wear launder clothing it's not enough to not wear Le shoes that sit on the floor the consummation of a veut which which is basically the the basis of all of this is not enough to do the action again it's the opposite on Yumer on y ker of course there's a higher level of asking repentance but a non-religious Jew who has no who just simply fasted on that day has achieved a certain Pinnacle of judis of repentance not true on so the question is if the action on is reciting kot and sitting on the floor and not working and not eating and not drinking and not showering what is the emotional effect what is the spiritual elevation that we must F on Tish in order to understand this I want to point out that Tish is a very complicated holiday it doesn't fall into an exact uh uh block or category of exactly what it's supposed to be we have we have the three holidays they have listed exactly how they're done there's an idea of y y doesn't really change from day to the other R is maybe a bit difficult you have Yip which is a set holiday you have encompasses contrasts of all kinds of don't make sense on the one hand and we're going to learn in the moment on the one hand Tish is like yur where we fast but there's no prayer there's no repentance there's no so why are we doing like yipper on the one hand it's like aut right where basically we act like a but then we don't we don't we don't say we don't say we don't there there certain aspects lacking the are more severe than a in certain areas you don't eat and drink there's no there's no prohibition for Nel to eat and drink or to be so where does Tish fall so I wanna I wanna together with all of you analyze a number of aspects of Tish why they are different then maybe we can identify through our understanding of these aspects of Tish what the real meaning is so I'm going to look at the sources for number four onwards please all Focus The Source sheet the uniqueness of TSH the says as follows I'll read it slowly is not like a what is a so those who learn knows that there is a uh idea that was very strong in am Isel up to 200 years ago it doesn't exist anymore we have many small remnants of it that in a time where there was a plague where there was a a in in in the diaspora where we were being attacked there was the idea of of our sages enacting a fast with an entire set of prayers and actions and and in and afflictions upon am Israel you know it was actually funny that funny it's sad that I every time during since 7 October every tried to make a fast for this a fast for that didn't really seem to work out but there was it was part it was part of the schedule meaning Ian there were days by the way there's a there's a book called M which is written in the time of the before during the where there were set days there were set days where there fast the entire time we only have a couple left right we have but that's we have left there's there's no there's no more those by the way written so is unique and the g says is a t that that when we have a Affliction or pain or or or aan or destruction is it simar says mean you don't do you can't work you're not allowed to work literally so it says itself brings that as opposed to some do I won't question what it means finish the the last line on the doing was similar to we would have and and by the way happened that's one of there's many that learned from this but wasn't just done was done also there's no in in in in there there's no acting of saying I'm sorry I'm wrong the keynote are are are are we we we we we we sit there in in and kind of moan of what happened there's no actual saying we're wrong what we've done it's not a regular the says no there's no and that's why if you look at source number five the one of the early Asic Mystics and explains in number five we don't we don't do by the the F of of of Tish don't have not only we have in our kades in the's Kadesh there there an extra an extra the extra Main in that kades is accept our daving we don't say that onsh don't accept our daving what does this mean only you don't say accept daving on there's no says the the the the number five here doing on look at look at number six says who wrote it is not listening to you so what is what is this it's not a time where the it's not the Pinnacle of when we' when those who did not build the bash in their days the least they can do is C it's worth anything so what are we doing why are we sitting on the floor and crying is not listening to us that's what the PUK says so see is odd it's not a regular day of repentance it seems like what does that mean so we see number one that there's and it also affects the daving we mentioned the idea of the fasting and I wanted to show you the rambam in Source number seven gives details details of how how a tan should look a regular fast they decreed upon by SES in a time of sorrow in a time of Affliction a time of of of of military conqueror of being destroyed or beaten in a war says the ra his words are powerful it's a mitvah from the Torah there's a mitvah to scream and to blow horns whenever there's a should release as the you should blow in the in the horns as a says there's a famine right the the the plagues right all plagues that we do you have to blow and fight you have to blow and let and let go and ask fora that's why you do it by the way the only the only remnants we have of this idea the only thing I know is that every year this year was beautiful we had a lot of rain this year I'm not sure that for those in Gaza you know I'm saying both the soldiers but I was thought about that we had a very very lovely year but many years prior to this I remember I'm sure all of you remember were the raashid and many poim said to add the the rebone of of of rain that's the one thing we have left from T the ra it's part of the time they should act on this action of removing one's clothes and wearing a wearing a bag and and and and and so on and so forth that should be a time to remind us of of the sins we did this is what happened to us it's cause and effect we did something wrong we're paying for it learn your lesson you put the kid in the room to a timeout you explain to why in a Timeout why you're not going to your friend's house same thing with the next paragraph if if if a person thinks that happened for no reason if there's no really what he doesn't say why he's doing it it's not worth anything that's the T if you just for a moment jump to Source number 10 Source number 10 the ramam explains what what what should do on the says the source number 10 we'll go back to number eight n in a moment and all the time where our sages decree a fast because of the anguishes the afflictions we've received there's a source why we read until because there's idea that the F there's the fast was separated between the middle of the day and the end of the day why this one of the sources theim would sit in a baon they'd invite this was not be fun in any Kil especially if and ask you what you did wrong did you DAV every day did you commit did you steal did you lie did you cheat they go through people and they and they sit there and they and they they bash them and attack them and and say this what that's what they would do tell we don't have that in in in Tisha doesn't exist at all and the ram goes to deal how it's supposed to go now we see that tan and Tish seem completely different right we on the one hand Tish we have no we have no daving we're lacking the ASP of T so what kind of tan is it the whole idea of of fasting is because something went wrong and there's no question that there's no other option or no other point in time where we should feel that something went wrong then we're reminded every single year this is the epitome the Pinnacle of our sins right as thear says if you didn't build bash in your days if if you're at fault we're all at fault just like everybody else so this this is the epitome of T yet it doesn't have that aspect it doesn't have this SAR it doesn't have this it doesn't have the reminder it's lacking the it's lacking the main meat we could say on the one it's a regular day of aut it's a day of aut but then the question comes along day of aut why are we fasting if it's day of ail just a day of mour what's the purpose of fasting fasting has nothing to do with ail an ail can eat as much as he wants in fact some AV might know the food they're brought is more than they have all year long so why we fast on and battle with this combat this idea if you look at source number eight the says that there there's a whole different issue there's aail and there's fasting there's no connection between the two there's no direct connection says theot a on is list we don't know who wrote the list of all the mitz wrote a analytical explanation of each related to it it was a tremendous saer and he assessed when he talks about the idea of what it means Source number eight that the the five aspects of the four aspects that we keep at Tish of right which are the drinking and eating uh uh uh no sexual contact uh no no mixing no bathing like right it's it's odd it should be it should be like a the says that we learn the of from a but there's no not doesn't take a cold shower you can't even put your finger in the water like like Yip so why is it like this the continues he explains it's different so the the says there's all different there's a special of we fast on Tisha for a different reason not connected to aut there two aspects of Tisha but then what's that aspect if we don't do a like we should like we don't do y like we should we don't haveing so what do what does mean it seems to be a malange it's a mix it's not exactly T it's certainly not exactly Yip so what is it what does that hold what's the meaning behind it one perspective brought by theim which I have a harder time understanding and may help me understand it is that Tish is like Yumer TI is like yum ker it's a day of repentance it's a super day of repentance the Avail we have to do because it's part of it's part of the idea of lash meaning y the says astonished is one of is one of the happiest days of the year of it says is a happy day we're happy we're getting we're supposed to be it's always a question I get and I I I'll address that's the ran says explicitly um a person who is sick on yum kipur and has a complete per permit to eat on yum kipur there's a whole sh if he says Kish it doesn't say Kish sh if he says if he says he say he can eat whatever he wants mean he's allowed to eat on I had this I I'm driv three people call me the same question all pregnant women but I won't say what I said because that's all complicated thing but a person who's allowed to eat on on Tish the ran says you should eat you should drink water and eat a pizza you certainly shouldn't have ice cream can't have meat you certainly shouldn't have a nice drink you should eat the most simply as possible is a sad day Yer is a happy day there's we're thrilled thear says happy day so one perspective is to say that it's a it's it's a y but it can't be because there's it's a type of chuva if you go back to the r we mentioned in Source number seven he says it explicitly the whole idea of it's a type of CHA meaning what happened the BET mikdash was destroyed because of our actions because of our Behavior because of our way of living in order for us to rebuild the mikdash it's caused that we have to ask chuva we have to figure out what went wrong we have to repent on what's gone and the availed aspect is an added aspect because we have to be upset that something was gone but it's a similar it's it's a whole the entire purpose of Tish is chuva we did something wrong we're doing something wrong as a nation as a as a as a individual and as a nation we have to we have to comali Chua that's what Tish is all about what about the daving sound seems odd right well shouldn't there be some kind of or or so he could say didn't allow there there is one perspective I'm gonna open a bit of parentheses for a second there is a perspective I won't go into it now that wants to say that Tish theor there's a opin in theor that says it's called the holiday because m is born on TSH so there is an i concept that there's a concept that the second that we're at our lest point you mean you can't go any lower once You' hit once you've hit rock bottom you can only go up it's a complicated idea because I mean again we should still maybe the day after T but that's the idea it's written in the gar and I'm going back so again we have this this this constant contrast or contradiction between TSH and on the one hand we have fast that's not aut on the one hand we have a we don't have the T the daving we're missing is is not it's not here it's not there so the answer says the the we read from the beginning I read number 11 says to ignite do we have to be B we have to come back and ask chuva until that these these afflictions we've had the entire purpose of is chv every single year we go through the same routine the three weeks the nine days ER because we've done something wrong and the three weeks since shiv where are where we have the five things that happen which are severe but not as severe we have the act of chuva and it continues on throughout the entire three day few weeks till we get to the um final epitome of Tish um I'm sure you some of you have heard it but I have to repeat it again there's a famous Ric that has people quoted numerous times that there's a complete opposite between regular morning and the morning of the mdash called a a aadha is when you have somebody pass away so the more we distance ourselves from the deceased the time wise are the it becomes easier there's the day of the first three days shim 12 months right as opposed to was exactly the opposite the starts three weeks gets severe the gets more severe gets even more severe a even worse and is the epitome you become it's the op the a switches around the closer we get to the database the more sorrow we feel so that's as to look at as opposed to so that's what uh the says also based on brings the exact similar idea that the whole idea of the of the the fast of whether we're lacking is exactly that is that we have um we're we're we're doing Chua says in Source number 12 another time explained the sheet of the r is follows the whole idea of these of these fasting is to deal with chuva to come back to Hashem mean the ra brought the in his in his book he spoke about the and then uh he got the then he brought the four which are you know and TSH to explain that it's a regular type of time it's it's a time of chuva just exactly like equals as he says the fact that we have not had bet mdash in our days as the gar says those who did not build bet mdash it's it was destroyed in your days it's as if we're having a tan that babash was destroyed now just like when there was a drought or there was a famine or there was an illness 2,000 years ago 4,000 years ago same to here at the is the super duper so we're acting it's the same thing it's a completely those build destroyed in his days we have to remember this this whole this whole point this this has to be the the the the we have to remember this day our our evil deeds and that's what caused it and still caused it it's not just about a it's about chuva what about the Avil aspect so I said before AV we have to beash is if it was destroyed there's an we have a obligation to be mourners but the whole idea of Tish is chuva according to this answer which I think is the the main point is lacking in the book itself where's the chuva what do I ask why am i d for chuva where why am I not asking Hashem forgive me let's do wrong let's do some kind of Tik the all the whole part of where is lacking this this idea is as beautiful as it sounds seems to be lacking that lacking that aspect that there something missing the to himself also and other try to explain a different aspect and this is what I want to really you together the whole idea of is a it's not a s it's not chuva you could say maybe we're fasting to do some kind of chuva how connected to chuva but there's no there's no chuva on not only not hear we're not supposed to do CH there's supposed to be a point in our lives where we stop says the number 13 as the it says in in says says the the four fasts there's no there's no ding of like the r wrote all the the public fast days that I mentioned before that is IDE to instate it in order for be able to fast or be able to do chuva do not exist because that's not the purpose of Tish the purpose of Tish is to be in mourning but then what what am I mourning over I'm not when we mourn for a loved one that's exactly question people have to ask there's also difference between mourning on Tish mourning for a loved one when we mourn a loved one there there's an idea of burial there's an idea of kades there's an idea of one of the reasons we we mourn in is not just for the feeling itself of how we lose someone and how we have to you know have mourn for them and and and realize how much we're lacking and it's there what happens Hally you ever asked this question what happens Hally if somebody passes away and has absolutely no relatives know the the gumar says you take 10 men you go to his Kev you say Kadesh and they should sit for OV one day they have no connection to this person whatsoever there's no emotional feeling it's simply respecting the deceased and giving him the respect he deserves or she deserves that's how you do it that's that's M that the here there's no me we're talking about so what is the what's the purpose of mourning on the on the on the on what's the idea so solic explains and I think we're going to try to work out together he gives a different perspective and let's see if you understand what what perhaps we give a an idea that will make Tisha a bit different this year if you look at the last page we want to differentiate between a a public fast day where the the the uh our sages decree to keep fast because of afflictions and and and punishments and the for also with regard to the yelling and screaming and ding that we're supposed to have would seem the idea of yelling and screaming and the checking you out and all kind it has to do the reason meaning it would seem that since the the idea of T fast is for repentance then we have to repent we have to do actions of repentance and that is expressed as there's no rather mourning the idea that we're sitting and and having a v that's the TR that that's the midst of the day not not that SP there's no there's no more there's no eulogy no eiz we just talk about it there's an there's no you can you can still work right by the way I forgot to mention a mner can't do you're allowed to work you're allowed to you can't see you're allowed to open your computer you're allowed to you're allowed to send an email you're allowed to open a store for need an an a can't do the gar says if he has a shipment coming on a boat and this is going to lose ites he doesn't can't receive can't work it's us to work not work like chabas he can't work can't do actual work for us the is as opposed to that's so so we see how is says no it's only for a we're only mourning but what's the purpose of the mour then if it's not chuva and there's no chuva and we sit and we mourn and we cry and we sit on the floor why are we doing it what's the purpose we don't know what bash is we're not asking for any repentance why is Tish what it is so I want to bring an aspect um from two modern post that I think will uh maybe a different perspective the the idea that we have to have that that a ve has to have something emotional is is essential meaning mourning without having a a spiritual emotional identification of why you're mourning is lacking this is what number 15 ozer says for these two of another that there's something called the is that an is the is like this when a person is dealing with a Mitzvah if a person is involved in what Mitzvah he's exempt from another Mitzvah so the G says that an is allowed to do certain certain mitvah question is why is he not so explains that the the idea of being sad is not being sad relentlessly it's not being crying you can't work you have to have ail of after the is you have the idea of mourning you but you have you have enough of of your you're put together to do something else the idea is not to cry and be completely broken it's able to feel something that wrong that happened and be able to keep going it's the aspect of remembering and not forgetting what happened and now I want to bring idea of chuva there's there's a very complicated mishna in that it's talked about we talk about this when comes the G says that if a person marries a woman and exclaims he makes a a condition a person makes a doesn't work he says as I'm a I'm a complete the say why that there's a doubt whether she's mes maybe he was B by his thought maybe he thought of TR what does that mean think of TR means nothing think of truth is I didn't I ask for repentance I didn't leave my sin before I what how does it come about an amazing idea number 16 tries to prove that that thinking Tru is enough which seems almost absurd there's no action there's an aspect before cha before chuva what have I done wrong in order to come to repentance a person has to realize what he's lacking it's not enough to say I'm when when a person says I'm sorry but I don't realize how much I've hurt the other person or how much I've financially damaged my friend that's not it our repentance Tish the Avail of it is to sit down and and remember what we don't have it's the beginning of there's no repentance on Tish you're not at that point yet Tish is innately connected to R and to rash aner it's a time to stop and say listen this is what you've done wrong accept the punishment if a child comes and does something wrong and then says I'm really sorry don't punish me does the parent still punish him of course he still punishes them because the sorry is not worth anything without realizing what you did wrong Tish the aspect of Tru is not there's not actual Tru on Tish the a is to sit back and realize what's done wrong and I think that I'll finish up with one more thing waiting for me I'm gonna finish that one more thing oh Mar could wait for the aspect of the chuva the beginning of chuva on Tish is exactly like like just as there are three times we have to remember whether it be every day every daving and and there's the epitome on Le same thing with the the Avail on theban does not just exist on tish how we have actions we break the cup on the wedding we put an arm on Armor that doesn't have in our house we we don't we don't play a full band we have a wedding we're here to realize what we've lacked we might not know what it is but we have every s we live our lives we keep on going and realize that there's something lacking and I think that that's the is the opinion of that point of saying something done wrong sit down and be quiet I don't hear your ding I don't want to hear you ask for repentance sit down on the floor and realize what you did wrong not chuva not repent sitting down that's what Avil is about that stopping that moment and asking for chuva and I think that if anything we can learn from the 7th of October is that that contrast how do I go on on my day when people are dying how do I continue on when there's murder and rape and destruction and and and propaganda the answer is exactly what said we have that moment in our s we break the cup we have that house that the idea it keeps on going we have to keep on our lives remember we lack the mdash we're not going we're never going to know mdash look like soon but we have to know what we're lacking our is not [Music]