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Tzipita Lishua - Anticipating Redemption by Rabbi Ezra Friedman
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Delivered at Torah Efrat 5784 www.ouisrael.org Anonymously sponsored In honor of the OU Israel family, which has demonstrated tremendous mesirut nefesh during these fateful days. And in memory of our beloved mothers Bracha Riva bat Chaya Basha z"l and Chaya Dina bat Yisrael z"l. May Hashem bless Am Yisrael with unity and peace.
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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
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