The Shmuz

This time of year can make for a lot of unpleasant comparisons. Listen now to refocus! 

For almost 2,000 years, the Jewish people have been driven from land to land across the globe. Exiled from our home with the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash, we have been forced from continent to continent and country to country – tortured, oppressed, and banished. For a short while, we find haven in one country, only to be kicked out again and chased to the next place in a never-ending series of tragedies. This reality brings many questions:

Why is the Jewish people so oppressed?
Why is it that the other nations stand up to destroy us in every generation?
Why is it that the one universal law of history is that everyone hates the Jew?

But, there are even bigger questions to be asked, and those are about ourselves:
What have we learned from this long and bitter exile?
Have we become wiser?
Have we become better?
Do we understand the message of galus?

This Shmuz puts two millennia of Jewish history into perspective and deals with the major questions of our belief system. 

Since the time that we were young children, we were taught,
“We want Moshiach now!” And so, we daven for Moshiach.
We sing songs about Moshiach. We wait for Moshiach.
This Shmuz focuses on what life will be like in the times of Moshiach,
why we anxiously await his appearance, and what we can do to hasten his coming.

On Tisha B’Av, we are expected to mourn many things: the devastation that happened to our people long ago; the almost two thousand years of expulsions, bloodshed, and torture that we have suffered through since then; and finally, the influence on our mindset and lifestyle picked up by living in exile all of these years.

While it takes work to actually feel the pain, the issues aren’t that distant, and most of us can relate to them.

There is, however, another aspect of the tragedy that is more difficult to relate to: the loss of the Bais Hamikdash itself and our inability to do the avodah (temple service).

The problem is that performing the avodah is something that we have never experienced. How can we recognize what it is? How can we realize what we are lacking? And how can we possibly mourn its loss?

This Shmuz brings us closer to relating to what the Bais Hamikdash was and what it was like to experience being inside it. 

Listen now to discover new insights on how our current golus permeates our lives-and what we can do to bring the geulah we so desperately need.
 

Our understanding of Hashem is often based on a limited interpretation of human nature. Can Hashem get angry with me? Is He punitive, lacking rachmonos? It can sometimes feel that way, as we struggle to understand the Holocaust, the Churban and modern-day tradegies. What is the pain of Hashem? That He wants the geula more than you. That He is waiting, with endless patience, for us to get it right. This Tisha B’Av shmuz will straighten out any crooked thinking, show you where you need to improve and give you hope for the future. 

The world that we live in isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. Tisha B’Av gives you a moment of reflection, the opportunity to consider what you are missing and how you can begin to rectify what has been lost. This Tisha B’Av take the time to reset your perspective.

Tisha B’Av 5782

Here are three meaningful resources for you this Tisha B’Av:

1. Rabbi Shafier has prepared this powerful, 8.5 min recording. It will give you a shot in the arm of focus and yearning- guaranteed!

2. Rabbi Shafier is speaking at around 1pm/chatzos Tisha B’Av day as part of the TorahAnytime/Chazaq livestream. Check out their incredible program on Torahanytime.com

3. There are also plenty of shmuzin on theshmuz.com that are focused around Tisha B’Av and the Three Weeks.

May this be the last time Rabbi Shafier ever has to speak about this!

Wishing you an easy and meaningful fast,

The Shmuz Team