The point of the fasts and the 3 week/9
day mourning period is to create a solemn framework within our busy lives, to
inspire us to yearn for the Beis HaMikdash/Redemption in a focused manner. But
why should we yearn for this? And how do those restrictions and rituals aid
that internal process?
Torah = Animal trainer
So much of Torah and mitzvos' point is
to draw our attention to our lives; to cause us to live consciously and not
take anything for granted. Being a chasid takes the whole thing to the next
level. There is a famous Chasidic aphorism I loosely translated as "what's
forbidden - is forbidden; what is permitted - might just be superfluous." Being
a chasid requires one to make judgment calls - not regarding what is
forbidden, for that doesn't even begin for a chasid. What we need to navigate
is that which is permitted, and learn to utilize this physical world in the
most essential manner.
This requires one to exercise techniques
that develop self-awareness, in order to gradually strip away that which is
impeding one's spiritual growth. Whether it is one's relationship with food and
other basic, biological needs or whether it is one's relationship with his
inner emotional world. The goal of Torah in general and Chasidus specifically
is to widen the gap between stimulus and response.
Most humans live in an instinctual
manner; someone insults me so I automatically hurl an insult (or something else)
back, without devoting much time to the choice of response. I just grab the first
thing that popped into my mind, whether or not it makes sense and whether or
not I actually agree with what I just said. Later on, we either regret it, or
not. This is an instinctual response or an animalistic (animal-soul) response.
Human Redemption
The way Judaism envisions the era of
Moshiach isn’t some fairytale existence that occurs randomly because a fairy
godmother flew in and waved her magic wand. Moshiach is a great leader whose
greatness is that he empowers others. So if we have a leader who brings the
best out of those around him/her, a positive ripple effect (such as the
description of the idyllic life during the Geula) occurs naturally as a result.
Peace and harmony reigning is the natural progression of a society who lives
consciously and wisely. Conversely, as long as we continue letting the animal
soul automatically dictate our thoughts, speech and actions, we keep ourselves
trapped in exile – in a cruel and chaotic world.
The Torah: The Diagnosis and the Cure
Depth means that something descends down
to the lowest, most fundamental point. The theoretical tends to hover in the
upper, ethereal and intangible realms. Torah is never meant to be theoretical.
This is why Chasidus is the deepest part of Torah – it trickles all the way
down and enlivens even the lowliest facets of our lives.
When we will take a look at the laws the
Sages prescribed to steer our attention to our desire for redemption, they
actually embedded the remedy within the illness. This entire introduction isn't
some fluffy, theoretical monologue but rather a prerequisite for the halachic
discussion on how to observe the 3 weeks. How do you yearn for the Geula? By
living consciously, even on a mundane level, for 22 days.
Next 2 installments be"H: the laws
of the restrictions of the 3 weeks.
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