Today is Rosh Chodesh Av, and the beginning of the period
known as the Nine Days. In Ashkenazi
communities, the sadness of this period on the Jewish calendar intensifies. In addition to no celebrations and limitations
on joy, people don’t eat meat or drink wine except on Shabbat.
During this time of year, I get dozens of questions
relating to Three Weeks observance. Can
I go to a movie? Can I paint my
house? Can I wear a new garment I
ordered online before the Three Weeks started?
What are the specifics for a siyum that will allow us to eat meat?
Now, don’t get me wrong.
I love questions, and I am encouraged when people are concerned with
Jewish law. At the same time, there has to be more to this period of the
year. But there needs to be more. What do we feel this? Is our religious or emotional equilibrium
shaken during this time of year?
I can only speak for myself, but a look at the headlines
is enough to cause me to feel sadness, anxiety, and pain. There’s the Iran Nuclear Agreement, the usual
Orthodox infighting meshugas, the killing of four US Marines in
Tennessee, and plenty of challenges that don’t seem to ever go away. (I need to unsubscribe from these email
digests. It’s all bad news.)
During this period on the calendar, let’s combine our commitment
to religious ritual with an openness to feeling the challenges of the day.
Our Sages teach that that "one who mourns for
Jerusalem will yet see its glorious reconstruction." We can begin that reconstruction if we allow the
experience of this period to expand beyond action and also include emotion.
It’s not only what we do and don’t do during this period;
it is also what we feel.
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