Fast Food for Thought - 17 Tammuz 5786

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 Today, Thursday, is the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day commemorating the Romans’ breaching the walls of the City of Jerusalem, leading to the destruction of the Holy Temple three weeks later.  There were several other calamities that happened on that day, and you can read about it here.  The fast is observed by not eating or drinking all day until nightfall (9:05 in Palo Alto), saying special prayers called Selichot and Aneinu, increasing Tzedakah, and spending time contemplating the meaning of the day.  We recognize the need to strengthen our bond with Hashem, and to turn the tide on the exile through Teshuvah.  


There are different ways we can approach this.  One is to focus on the destruction and pain and suffering.  Another way is to focus on changing the situation and bringing about the redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple (in a peaceful way).  


We can take this second approach a step further.  When Moshiach comes, this fast day, as well as the others that mourn the destruction of the Temple, will be turned into a day of rejoicing and celebration, a day of Yomtov.  When the exile ends and we see the great revelations of the future, we will recognize that all the suffering was a stepping stone to the greater glory of the future.  The destruction of the first two Temples was necessary in order to make way for the eternal third Temple that will be built by Hashem.  


This is similar to replacing an old house with a new one.  The process of tearing down a home and rebuilding is arduous, painful and expensive.  But a brand new, greater and better home cannot be built on an old foundation.  This is the process of exile and redemption and the third Holy Temple to be built soon.  The problem  is that it is taking so long and we have suffered so much.  But now that we are on the cusp of redemption, it is appropriate for us to focus on where we are headed and prepare for it.


Yes, we still face hatred and persecution.  Yes, the old antisemitism has not gone, as we are seeing more and more.  This is, of course, no surprise to those who have studied and understand our history and the Torah’s exhortations to us of how we should live.  We are still in exile.  But all the signs that our Sages have given us for the time leading up to redemption are clearly happening right now.  We just have to push a little more to bring a little more light into the darkness and we will reach the goal.  


So on this fast day and throughout the Three Weeks, while we mourn the Temples’ destruction, we look ahead with hope and faith.  Throughout these three weeks we study the laws of the building of the Temple.  (You can find it here.)  We go out of our way to undo the behavior that led to the destruction, especially the sin of hatred among Jews.  This is a time to show unconditional love for one another, even if the other is not behaving as we would like them to.  And that includes helping others see the beauty and greatness of our heritage and helping them reconnect with Hashem.


Another special day is coming up - July 4th.  250 years ago, this great nation achieved independence. This country has been a place where Jews have been able to live in equality and peace.  There  have definitely been times of antisemitism and hatred, and we certainly have our problems.  But we are able to follow the Torah and build our institutions with the full support of the government.  


I heard from Rabbi Simon Jacobson today that the Rebbe said that the Founding Fathers were divinely inspired when they wrote the Constitution.  We know that they studied Torah, many of them in the original Hebrew, and incorporated many Torah values into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.


We pray for the continued strength of this great country and the system on which it is built, and that those who would regress to follow fatally flawed other systems will fail to prevail  


May we celebrate the true independence of the entire world with the coming of Moshiach and the establishment of the ultimate system, based on knowledge of G-d and the real eternal ethical teachings of the Torah.  May this three week period of mourning be transformed to rejoicing, as we go to Jerusalem to celebrate in the Third Holy Temple.

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