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From the Rabbi:
Next week will begin the month of Av. The customs of mourning for the month of Av and the Tisha B'av Schedule at KOT can be found here.
This week we read Matot-Masei and conclude the book of Bamidbar. Parshat Masei, which means 'journeys' opens with a list of all 42 stations at which we encamped from the time we left Egypt until our final position in Aravot Moav opposite Jericho. What a journey it's been! From this point onwards, the Torah is preparing us for moving forward, conquering Eretz Yisrael and settling down to claim our blessed destiny.
This transition from reflection on the past to preparation for the future is mirrored in our calendar. As we go through the three weeks of mourning culminating in observing Tisha B'av we look backwards, remembering the past and taking the time to recognize the great suffering Am Yisrael has endured throughout history. This activation of memory is a critical component of maintaining our identity. We the same people as in the book, who endured Babylon, Greece and Rome, and we're still in exile. The time of "happily ever after" hasn't yet come, but we're committed to getting there. In looking backwards, we put all the trials and tribulation of OUR lives today into the context of our national story. And that story isn't over.
Tisha B'av is the turning point, the continental divide of the year. We finish this cycle by looking backwards at everything we've been through, marking our traumas and thereby bolstering our resilience. Look at all we've been through and have never quit! We've remained faithfully committed to Hashem and to our destiny of global enlightenment. And we're not done yet.
So, after Tisha B'av it's all downhill (in the good sense) flowing inevitably towards "The Promised Land" of next year. Elul, the High Holidays and our destiny are approaching. It's up to us to write the next chapter in the story of Jewish History and Memory. We must be fearless and resolute, knowing that our efforts every day are meaningful and bring us one step closer.
But, remember, it's not just a journey. At each station we also encamp. We have to take the time to be with Hashem here and now. We don't need a Temple to feel God's presence. We just need to ourselves be present in the present with Hashem. Don't let life be a never-ending journey. Taking some time to arrive in the moment and 'be here now' is how we make traction. We can't get to tomorrow without being here today.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo
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