The Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, the Shabbat which just passed, is known as Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort. The name is taken from the first lines of the haftarah, where the prophet Isaiah cries out: Nachamu, nachamu ami—comfort, comfort My people. On our calendar, we are now in the 7 weeks of consolation between Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. This week, we will reflect on the theme of nechama, of comfort.
Whether or not you were raised with his red cardigan, I am sure you have encountered the words of Fred Rogers, often offered as comfort after a communal tragedy—whether natural or human made.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat says: “We find God when we bring comfort.” Nachamu is in the plural; it means “y’all offer comfort.” Not only are we meant to look for the helpers, but we are meant to be them. Rabbi Barenblat continues:
We find God in our acts of love for one another. This is how I understand Nachamu, nachamu ami, yomer eloheichem. “Y’all comfort — really comfort — My people, says Your God.” It’s our job to comfort one another. And when we do, we bring God’s presence into the world and into our lives.
What acts of love can you offer today?
— Rabbi Sari Laufer