Wednesday July 29th – Erev Tisha B’av

On Tisha B’av we immerse ourselves in the book of Eicha (Lamentations), the poetic expression of Yirmiyahu who experienced the destruction in Jerusalem thousands of years ago.

Destruction of Jerusalem

Eicha also literally means “ayeka” which means: where are you? This was the same word that Hashem used to ask Adam where he is after he ate from the tree.

On Tisha B’av, the book of Eicha is an expression of who we are and who we can be. The destruction of Tisha B’av is not a historic thing, but a current reality of the spiritual exile and confusion that exists in the world. The day of Tisha B’av is a day where we can be silent with our lives and see who we really are and who we can become. God is asking all of us, “ayeka” where are we? What are our lives about? Who are we?

“The Mashiach is born on Tisha B’av”

- Talmud Yerushalmi, 2:4

Gathering Together on Tisha B’av

Let this Tisha B’av be a day of clarity, sensing the deeper reality in which we exist and becoming our ultimate selves – for with destruction comes true redemption and realization.