The Torah of Moshe

You know that, that, um, as we are recording this, tonight actually begins the new moon of the month of Av, which is, for everybody to know, it is, uh, Wednesday, July 15th, begins the new month of Av.

And you know how every month has its own energy, uh, challenges for spiritual f- uh, fulfillment, um, um, special tr- challenge, special trials and, and, and special tests really that we experience.

This month is basically, uh, just put it right out there, it's the worst month for the Jewish people.

Mm.

It is, uh, the time of the destruction of the temple, which takes place on the ninth day of Av.

The first temple, the second temple, many other terrible calamities that all befell on Tisha B'Av, which this year is Thursday, July 23rd.

Meaning, it starts the previous evening, because only Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av actually begin at sundown.

So it's like a 26-hour [laughs] fast.

And what is it all about, the 9th of Av? It's all about, um, not exactly commemorating and not exactly observing, but totally immersing ourselves in the-- in what's missing from our lives, and the idea that there's something very wrong with the fact that we are back in Jerusalem and have not yet managed to rebuild the holy temple.

And it's, it's, it's a, a very, very powerful, emotional time.

I would say it's the time when the Jewish people feel the most vulnerable, and are the most vulnerable really.

And yet there is a hidden layer of consolation in, in the whole thing.

And that, that's really what I wanted to mention right away, Jim, because, because, uh, otherwise it becomes-- we find ourselves in like a tailspin where we start focusing on, um, everything that's happened to the Jewish people throughout the ages and what Tisha B'Av really means, the 9th of Av, and in our generation [laughs] as well.