Special Features
for Parshat Va'etchanan
SHABBAT NACHAMU
The Shabbat following Tish'a b'Av is SHABBAT NACHAMU. Sources say that one should be a
little more joyous on this Shabbat than the other Shabbatot of the year. It is fitting to
plan to make this Shabbat a bit more special, in your own particular way. Perhaps
sparkling wine for Kiddush. Or a favorite dish. Or a special dessert. More Z'mirot at the
table than usual. Even the other songs in the back of the bencher. Special guests. A
pleasant walk on Friday night and/or Shabbat afternoon. Extra Torah learning with the
whole family. Use your imagination (and/or borrow some of these suggestions).
T"U B'AV
In the final mishna in TAANIT, Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel tells us that there were no more
joyous festivals in Israel than T"U b'AV and Yom Kippur. Right in the middle of this
"tragic" month, the month whose entrance was accompanied by the diminishing of
our joy, we have the most joyous of festivals.
Ponder the various reasons for T"U b'Av, and see in each one the message of
consolation and promise, and therefore joy.
In the aftermath of the "sin of the spies", G-d decreed that the entire adult
male population of that generation should die out during 40 years of wandering. Not only
was this decree handed down on Tish'a b'Av, but the "sentence" was carried out
on Tish'a b'Av each year. Each year, the men of Israel would dig graves and sleep in them.
In the morning, Moshe would announce "let the living separate from the dead".
Each year, approximately 15,000 men
were thus buried; the others living on for at least another year. In the final year of
wandering, none of the remaining 15,000 died. Not on Tish'a b'Av eve, nor the next night,
nor the next. The people thought they had erred in the calculation of the days of the
month, but when the full moon of Av took its place in the sky, all joyously realized that
the decree against the remaining men had been rescinded through G- d's mercy. The 15th of
Av was thus marked as a day of joy. Tish'a b'Av commemorates the "sin of the
spies"; T"U b'Av marks the joy of being alive and the ability to make amends and
"move on". It marks forgiveness, even from very serious sins.
There's more...
The 15th of Av is the midpoint of the summer season, with Tammuz and half of Av already
past and half of Av and the month of Elul yet to come. In the time of the Beit HaMikdash,
T"U b'Av was the end of the wood-gathering for the Altar. After this date, the power
of the sun diminishes due to the shortening length of the day. Since it is essential that
the wood for the fires of the Altar be free of worms and insects, it was feared that after
T"U b'Av the wood might not sufficiently dry out to avoid infestation. The completion
of the wood-gathering season was an occasion for special korbanot (sacrifices) in the Beit
HaMikdash, and T"U b'Av was celebrated as a family festival for those involved in
this special mitzva. Again note the point: Tish'a b'Av marks the destruction of the
Temple; the 15th celebrates the Beit HaMikdash.
Following the terrible episode of the "pilegesh from Giv'a", there was a ban
placed on marrying into the tribe of Binyamin. This ban was lifted on a T"U b'Av. If
the second Temple was destroyed because of SIN'AT CHINAM, gratuitous hatred between Jews,
then this aspect of T"U b'Av stands in opposition to Tish'a b'Av.
When the daughters of Zelofchad were told that they had to marry within their tribe (so
that the property given to them would not switch to another tribe upon their marriage and
subsequent death - their sons, who officially belonged to the tribe of their father, would
inherit their mother's land), the people mistakenly considered the decree to apply in all
cases. As a result, there was little or no inter-tribal marriage. Many years later, a
Sanhedrin clarified the issue, explaining that it was only that first generation that had
that restriction. This clarification which resulted in a "reuniting" of all of
Israel, was also associated with T"U b'Av.
The mishna referred to above, tells us that the young maidens of Jerusalem would dress in
borrowed white dresses, so as not to embarrass one who had no dresses... and they would
dance in the vineyards... (so that eligible young men might choose their brides).
This, the two items mentioned above
(daughters of Zelofchad and the tribe of Binyamin), and the fact that there have not been
weddings during the Three Weeks, combine to make T"U b'Av a special day for Shiduchim
and marriages, and a truly joyous day.
Following the fall of Beitar about 65 years after the destruction of the second Beit
HaMikdash (on a Tish'a b'Av, non-coincidentally), the Romans did not permit the dead
bodies of the Jews to be buried, as a punishment for rebelling and resisting Rome. A few
years later, a new emperor allowed burial of the bodies. Our sources say that this was on
the 15th of Av. The bodies were found not to have decayed. The Sanhedrin at Yavne declared
this a miracle and composed the fourth bracha of Birkat HaMazon - HaTov V'ha'Meitiv to
thank G-d for His kindnesses, even in darkest of times. Notice the trend here. Just about
every facet of Tish'a b'Av finds its way into the nature of T"U b'AV, but in an
opposite - posituve sense. It is almost as if we couldn't handle Tish'a b'Av without a day
of a very different nature less than a week later.
Today, T"U b'Av is marked by not saying Tachanun, not fasting, and by the popular
custom of having weddings on that day. Most importantly, T"U b'Av represents in so
many ways the light at the end of the tunnel and the reminder that the Geula is just a
step away.
There is a famous story of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues who saw foxes running through
the ruins of the Temple Mount. They cried and he laughed. They asked him why he was
laughing, and he asked why they were crying. "Such a holy place that has been so
devastated, and we shouldn't cry?", they answered. Rabbi Akiva said: "it is for
that reason that I laugh".
The standard explanation to Rabbi Akiva's strange statement, is that since the prophecy of
desolation has come true, so to will the prophecy of the restoration of Jerusalem. There
is the hope for the future that comforts you now.
HaRav Zefanya Drori of Kiryat Sh'mona
adds a new twist. Rabbi Akiva was laughing BECAUSE the others were crying. Because there
are Jews who mourn the destruction of the Temple and are move to tears when seeing foxes
roam the place of the Mikdash, then the Geula is already here. "He who mourns
Jerusalem will be privileged to see its rejoicing (or to rejoice in its rebuilding)".
We have witnessed, and continue to
witness, the return of many Jews to the Torah way of life, and the return of many Jews to
the Land of Israel. Many these hallmarks of Geula continue, with G-d's help - and ours -
and may we see the Complete Geula speedily in our time.
T"U b'AV is 44 days before Rosh HaShana. That's two weeks and a month. Trees planted
by T"U b'AV are considered to have enough time to take root AND grow during the
current year, so that it can be counted for Orlah purposes. It is a common practice of
religious grape growers to plant their vines by the 15th of Av. Grapes are usually planted
as shoots (or whatever they are called) which will produce fruit within three years. The
advantage of planting before T"U b'AV is that what is left of the current year counts
as year one, and the grapes will eventually be able to be brought to market that much
sooner, after the forbidden three years and the sacred fourth year.
AV = Elul Ba
Some see in the name of the month AV, the initials of the simple but powerful, two- word
phrase "Elul is coming". On a practical level, this does not have an impact for
the first third of the month. Until after Tish'a b'Av, we are involved in mourning the
destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. But if we have "done Tish'a b'Av well", then
we have not only kept the practices of Aveilut HaChurban, but have also spend serious time
pondering the causes of destruction and have even thought seriously about what we can do
as individuals and a community to repair the causes and reverse the trends of Jewish
History.
And with those thoughts, when Tish'a
b'Av passes, the full impact of this meaning of AV - Alef Bet - Elul Ba - hits. All we had
to do over Tish'a b'Av is pay attention, and a clear message emerges - what has happened
to the Jewish People thoughout its history is NOT accidental or coincidental. In the
Haftara of Tish'a b'Av morning, the prophet asks why we lost the Land of Israel. And
Yirmiyahu gives us G-d's answer (9:12): "And G-d says: Because they abandoned My
Torah which I gave them, and they did not listen to My Voice, and they did not go in that
way."
When that message sinks in - really
sinks in - and we then break our fasts, we are released from the acute practices of
mourning the Churban - then we are confronted with the real challenge - T'SHUVA. Then the
name of the month reminds us that we are a few weeks away from the Yamim Nora'im season,
and our real work is cut out for us. Let us take this renewed challenge seriously, as
individuals and as Klal Yisrael.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
AW is the prize for the best PPP solutions; AW is the prize for the best solution to the
Parsha Riddle on Torah Tidbits Audio, Thursdays 10:08-11:00pm, on Arutz-7, which just
moved to 98.7FM; AW is the source of a dvar Torah in Torah Tidbits and a different one on
the radio show; some of the songs from the AW will be played (are being played, were
played - depends upon when you are reading this) on TTA.
This week's Album of the Week:
SHLAGARIM 1
Its label says "Jewish Music - Greatest Hits" and that's a pretty good
description. A very enjoyable collection of songs and a variety of singers combine for a
pleasurable music experience. Longish instrumental meley plus 9 vocal & music
selections.
One of the songs in the album is Samei'ach, from Sheva Brachot. In that bracha, we ask
HaShem to gladden the couple (who are and/or will be loving companions) as He did for Adam
and Chava in Gan Eden so long ago. Adam and Chava had no friends or family to be their
support group, to gladden them. G-d alone fulfilled that role. Since then, newlywed
couples (hopefully) have many who will gladden them, but we ask of HaShem that He continue
in that role, and do it as if there is no one else. Note too that the word Y'tzircha is in
the singular, rather than plural - Y'tzirecha. Adam and Chava were created as one being,
they were separated, and they were commanded to rejoin as one. This is the goal of a
marriage. This bracha invokes G-d's help towards that goal.
Also note that the brachot for the
couple follow the bracha for the rejoicing of Jerusalem in the return of her children.
This sequence matches the wedding season that follows Tish'a b'Av. It also echoes the
calendar sequence of Tish'a b'Av followed by TU b'Av. May we merit and be privileged to
national and personal Simcha in our lifetime.
Noam Productions albums, and many, many other CDs and cassettes spanning the range of
Jewish music are available at:
Noam Productions Music Stores
6 Malchei Yisrael, Geula, Jerusalem
59 Rabbi Akiva Street, Bnei Brak
and, soon to open, Noam Productions Music and Jewish/General Computer Software Store at
the Rav Shefa Mall in Jerusalem (near T'nuva, where the old zoo was)
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