7/16/2010
This coming Tuesday, July 20th, at 8:30 AM, I invite you to The Chabad House to observe Tishah B'Av, the Jewish national day of mourning. Jews the world over will recall the destruction of our Holy Temple nearly 2,000 years ago, through, fasting and mourning..
 
But why remember?
For over 19 centuries, we have been remembering and observing the Temple's destruction, making Tishah B'av the saddest day on our calendar.

Why? Why not let bygones be bygones? It's history. What was was. Why keep revisiting old and painful visions?

They say that Napoleon was once passing through the Jewish ghetto in Paris and heard sounds of crying and wailing emanating from a synagogue. He stopped to ask what the lament was about. He was told that the Jews were remembering the destruction of their Temple. "When did it happen?" asked the Emperor. "Some 1700 years ago," was the answer he received. Whereupon Napoleon stated with conviction that a people who never forgot its past, would be destined to forever have a future.

Jews never had history. We have memory. History can become a book, a museum, and forgotten antiquities. Memory is alive. And memory guarantees our future.

And because we refused to forget Jerusalem, we did return. Because we refused, we have rebuilt proud Jewish communities worldwide, while our victors have been vanquished by time. Today there are no more Babylonians, and the people who now live in Rome are not the Romans who destroyed the Second Temple. Those nations became history while we, inspired by memory, emerged revitalized and regenerated.

Only if we refuse to forget, only if we observe Tisha B'av, can we hope to rebuild one day!
Indeed, the Talmud assures us, "Whosoever mourns for Jerusalem, will merit to witness her rejoicing."
May it be speedily in our days!
 
Have a wonderful weekend, and a Shabbat Shalom.

Sincerely,
 
Rabbi Susskind