Although Tisha B’Av faced challenges to its existence both during its formative period and afterwards, the Jewish day of mourning endures as a testament to the resilience of rabbinic innovation. Jews who continue to observe Tisha B’Av often find comfort in its connection to Jewish history, as well as its increasingly relevant lessons regarding the consequences of sinat chinam—senseless hatred. However, perhaps its most significant contribution to Jewish tradition is the creation of ritual space for communal grief.
American society, with its celebration of rugged individualism, can sometimes discourage public displays of emotion, especially sadness. However, Jewish tradition encourages us to experience the full spectrum of emotion. In fact, Judaism appoints a day when we’re all supposed to be sad together!
Grief matters, because it enables us to acknowledge what we’ve lost. Only through doing so may we properly memorialize our loss and successfully incorporate our memories into future growth. It is not coincidental, suggested Rabbi Alan Lew, that our people’s day of mourning leads into the Ten Days of Repentance. By committing to remember and grieve the destruction of our people’s ancient spiritual home, we prepare ourselves for growth and teshuvah—returning to ourselves anew—prepared for the year ahead.
In this way, Tisha B’Av beckons all of us to consider the transformative power of grief and how it can help us become our better selves. What else must we grieve, as individuals and as a community, to prepare ourselves for the teshuvah that awaits us?
—Rabbi Josh Knobel
