A Question - A paradox of emotions

July 29, 2008 · Filed Under Jewish Thought, Other Jewish World Commentary, Tisha Beav ·

This time of mourning in the Jewish calendar is quite difficult for me. Most people know me as a natural optimist. I constantly grapple to find the right way to mourn the loss of our temple. One thing is especially hard for me to grapple with, and I hope some of you can provide me with some insights in the comments section.

During the 3 weeks of Ben Hametzarim, we mourn the destruction of our temple. Yet, during those three week, we are also hopeful that it will once be rebuilt.

How can we combine both of these seemingly contradicting feelings?

The Gemara in Makkot 24b relates a famous story:

Again it happened that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva went up to Jerusalem. When they reached Mt. Scopus, they tore their garments. When they reached the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies. The others started weeping; Rabbi Akiva laughed.

Said they to him: “Why are you laughing?”

Said he to them: “Why are you weeping?”

Said they to him: “A place [so holy] that it is said of it, ‘the stranger that approaches it shall die,’ and now foxes traverse it, and we shouldn’t weep?”

Said he to them: “That is why I laugh. For it is written, ‘I shall have bear witness for Me faithful witnesses–Uriah the Priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.’ Now what is the connection between Uriah and Zechariah? Uriah was [in the time of] the First Temple, and Zechariah was [in the time of] the Second Temple! But the Torah makes Zachariah’s prophecy dependent upon Uriah’s prophecy. With Uriah, it is written: ‘Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field; [Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Temple Mount like the high places of a forest.]‘ With Zachariah it is written, ‘Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.’

“As long as Uriah’s prophecy had not been fulfilled, I feared that Zechariah’s prophecy may not be fulfilled either. But now that Uriah’s prophecy has been fulfilled, it is certain that Zechariah’s prophecy will be fulfilled.”

With these words they replied to him: “Akiva, you have consoled us! Akiva, you have consoled us!”

Are we not, during the three weeks, taking the approach of the other sages? (An approach which has been proven to be inappropriate)

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

You liked this post? Here is a list of related posts:

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- Where did the Temple go?! by Gemma
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- Three Weeks 5768 by admin
- Jewish Reconnection Part 2 - Necessary Criteria by Dan Illouz
- Parshat Devarim: Empty Tears by Nathan Light
- Parshat Devarim and Tisha B’Av: Crying in Vain by Nathan Light

ck Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Ah. One of my favorite stories. Thanks Dan! Living in Jerusalem, I go to the Kotel as often as I can and even during days of mourning, I just can't be sufficiently sad. I mean we've only had this level of unfettered access for barely 40 years! Most of our parents and all our grandparents lived at a time when access to the Kotel was prohibited and Jerusalem was divided. Now we have so much access we have to remind ourselves what a privilege that is! Oh and to do acts of Ahavat Chinam every day in order to usher in the next beit hamikdash…

Dan Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Thanks for your comments CK. My Rav, Rav Elon, once explained the paradox of the Kotel saying: "In the same place, you have the biggest Umshlagplatz every (where Nazis would brings jews together before deporting them, since it was outside the kotel that babylonians would prob gather jews before sending them away), a symbol of our exile, and yet, at the same time, a little kid making a festive bar mitzvah, a simple of our redemption, our future"

Gemma Says:
August 1st, 2008 at 3:15 am

I think it's because the mourning itself has to happen in order for the rebuilding to begin. Through mourning, we can achieve an elevated level of avodat Hashem and bein adam l'chavero which will provide us with merit for the third Beis HaMikdash.

Jak Says:
August 1st, 2008 at 8:06 am

I think the difference is that we don't sufficiently feel the loss resulting from the Churban. Yes, we are back in Eretz Yisrael in a unique generation and we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for but that doesn't change the fact that we still haven't come the whole way. There is still no Beit HaMikdash and there is a lot still lacking. Looking around at the internal and external strife facing our people, it's painfully obvious that the spiritual disconnect caused by the Churban is something very real in our midst. Rabbi Akiva was able to laugh because he understood just what a tragedy the churban was - and through that he was able to appreciate the immensity of the geulah. I think there are 2 distinct stages here - only he who is able to mourn in the destruction of Jerusalem, will merit to see her rejoicing.

therapydoc Says:
August 4th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

This speaks to how hard it can be for us, so removed, to really do the mitzvah of Tisha B'Av, which is to cry for this. Very nice post.

A Living Nadneyda Says:
August 5th, 2008 at 9:43 pm

Two thoughts: I agree with those who commented that we do not really feel the sorrow that they felt, especially over the cause of the destruction (sinat hinam. At the same time, I think we are always trying to reach a hopeful state, despite the mourning. Destruction is always tied, somehow, with redemption, thus the custom of sweeping the floor on the afternoon of Tisha b'Av, to clear the way for Moshiah, and the mini-holiday of Tu b'Av which follows Tisha b'Av by (less than) a week. Rabbi Akiva was always trying to keep his eye on the larger picture, which in this case, is the link between our faults and our merits. ALN