A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... Despite the statement in the Mishna, that as Av enters we diminish our joy, we must realize the TWO characters of the month and the proportions of its days for each characteristic. The mournful part of Av takes up the first third of the month. Then the month becomes Menachem Av for the remaining two thirds of its days. The first part of the month contains the saddest day of the Calendar, Tish’a b’Av. But the consolation part of the month contains one of the most festive days of the year, TU b’Av. As proper and praiseworthy as it is to mourn the Churban, we MUST begin to accept consolation and the promises and prophecies of the Geula. And we must work on a plan to hasten the Geula by personal and communal improvement in all areas of mitzvot and halacha. [The
Eikev Homepage]
|
