From: Rabbi Kalman Packouz <newsletterserver@aish.com>
Date: 20 July 2015 at 13:37
Subject: Shabbat Shalom Devarim -- The Saddest Day of the Year.... Tisha B'av
To: tohmanderson12345@gmail.com
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Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22)GOOD MORNING! What is the saddest day of your life? For most of us, it the day when someone close to us passes away. For the Jewish people as a nation, the saddest day is the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av -- the day when our Temple in the heart of Jerusalem was destroyed. That is what our tradition teaches us. However, it is hard to relate to the loss of something 2,000 years ago -- especially since we never experienced having the Temple in our lifetime. July 25th, Saturday evening through Sunday night, is when Tisha B'Av, the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av is observed. Tisha B'Av actually falls out on Shabbat, but since we don't mourn on Shabbat ... or fast -- except when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat -- it is observed the next day. What should a person do if he has no feeling for Tisha B'Av? If a person is Jewish and identifies with being Jewish, then it behooves him to find out why we as a people mourn on this day -- what have we lost? What did it mean to us? What should we be doing to regain that which we have lost? At the very minimum, we should mourn that we don't feel the pain. In 1967, Israeli paratroopers captured the Old City and made their way to the Wall. Many of the religious soldiers were overcome with emotion and leaned against the Wall praying and crying. Far back from the Wall stood a non-religious soldier who was also crying. His friends asked him, "Why are you crying? What does the Wall mean to you?" The soldier responded, "I am crying because I don't know why I should be crying." Tisha B'Av is observed to mourn the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem. What was the great loss from the destruction of the Temples? It is the loss of feeling God's presence. The Temple was a place of prayer, spirituality, holiness, open miracles. It was the center for the Jewish people, the focal point of our Jewish identity. Three times a year (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot) every Jew would ascend to the Temple. Its presence pervaded every aspect of Jewish life -- planning the year, where one faced while praying, where one would go for justice or to learn Torah, where one would bring certain tithes. On the 9th of Av throughout history many tragedies befell the Jewish people, including:
Tisha B'Av is a fast day (like Yom Kippur, from sunset one evening until the stars come out the next evening) which culminates a three week mourning period by the Jewish people. One is forbidden to eat or drink, bathe, use moisturizing creams or oils, wear leather shoes or have marital relations. The idea is to minimize pleasure and to let the body feel the distress the soul should feel over these tragedies. Like all fast days, the object is introspection, making a spiritual accounting and correcting our ways -- what in Hebrew is called Teshuva -- returning to the path of good and righteousness, to the ways of the Torah. Teshuva is a four part process: 1) We must recognize what we have done wrong and regret it. 2) We must stop doing the transgression and correct whatever damage that we can, including asking forgiveness from those whom we have hurt -- and making restitution, if due. 3) We must accept upon ourselves not to do it again. 4) We must verbally ask the Almighty to forgive us. On the night of Tisha B'Av, we sit on low stools (as a sign of our mourning) in the synagogue. With the lights dimmed -- and often by candlelight -- we read Eicha, the book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah). We also recite Kinot, a special liturgy recounting the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. Learning Torah is the heart, soul and lifeblood of the Jewish people. It is the secret of our survival. Learning leads to understanding and understanding leads to doing. One cannot love what he does not know. Learning Torah gives a great joy of understanding life. On Tisha B'Av we are forbidden to learn Torah except those parts dealing with the calamities which the Jewish people have suffered. We must stop, reflect and make changes. Only then will we be able to improve ourselves and make a better world. Tisha B'Av by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer is helpful to understand the day and the service (available at your local Jewish bookstore, at JudaicaEnterprises.com or by calling toll-free to 877-758-3242). If you wish to delve deeper, I recommend going to Aish.com. There are articles to help understand Tisha B'Av -- http://www.aish.com/holidays and check out ShabbatShalomAudio.org ! May we all merit that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our days!
 Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 This week we begin the last of the Five Books of Moses, Devarim ("Words"). In English, it is called Deuteronomy (from the Greek meaning "Second Law" -- from deuteros "second" + nomos "law" -- perhaps because Moshe repeats many of the laws of the Torah to prepare the Jewish people for entering and living in the Land of Israel). The Book is the oration of Moses (Moshe) before he died. Moshe reviews the history of the 40 years of wandering the desert, reviews the laws of the Torah and gives rebuke so that the Jewish people will learn from their mistakes. Giving reproof right before one dies is often the most effective time to offer advice and correction; people are more inclined to pay attention and to take it to heart. Dvar Torah Before Moshe appoints judges and administrators, he says:
What was Moshe referring to? Rashi cites the Sages: If Moshe came out of his house early, they would say, "Why is Moshe early? Perhaps he is having family problems at home." If Moshe came out late from his house, they would say, "Moshe stays home longer in order to devise negative plans against you." It is amazing how someone with a tendency to judge people negatively will always find ways to see faults in others. The reality is that whatever someone does or does not do, you can always find some negative motivation or interpretation. There are always positive ways to interpret the behavior of others. For instance, if Moshe came early they could have said, "Look at Moshe's willingness to make great sacrifices for the welfare of others. He is even ready to minimize the amount of time he is at home with his family in order to give his time for others." If Moshe was late, they could have said, "He wants to prepare himself properly in order to be most effective in giving good advice to the people." The way you interpret events has more to do with your character traits than it does with the reality of what someone else is like. There is a commandment in the Torah to judge people favorably. Of course, we are allowed and even obligated to guard ourselves from harm. In most instances our judgments of others will not have practical effects on us. The more good you see in others the better you yourself will feel. Your entire world will be much sweeter. Moreover, people frequently live up to your expectations of them. Assume that someone is inconsiderate towards you and he probably will act that way. If you assume the good in others, they will feel positive towards you and act accordingly. Be resolved to master the art of seeing the good in others.
 July 24 Jerusalem 7:06  Hatred only destroys the hater
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