Rav Avrohom Erlanger - If Only We Had The Strength
After the Churban Bais HaMikdash, Klal Yisroel was so distraught over the incomprehensible loss that many people refused to eat meat or drink wine. Rebbi Yehoshua asked them why, and they said because they cannot bare to eat meat that was brought on their glorious Mizbei'ach or drink wine that was poured with the Korbanos.
"If so" said Rebbi Yehoshua, "then how can you eat bread since there is no longer any Minachos." "We will eat fruit!" came the response. "But fruits were brought for Bikurim." "We will eat other fruits", they answered. "But how can drink water that was poured on the Mizbei'ach?", asked Rebbi Yehoshua. At this point they conceded.
"Come my children let me explain", said Rebbi Yehoshua. Not to mourn the Bais HaMikdash we cannot do, since Chazal enacted decrees of mourning. To mourn too much we cannot do either because we do not decree on the public things which they cannot live by. Therefore let us adhere to what Chazal was Misaken such as not finishing to plaster your home, leave one food out of the menu by a meal, and all the other Halachos written in Shulchan Aruch.
We see from here, says Rav Avrohom Erlanger, A Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Torah, that from the time of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash no facet of our life and no happiness can be complete. Even in our happiest moment under the Chupah we must mourn over the Yerushalayim of old. That entails actually being sad during this auspicious moment.
However there are limits to what Chazal can ask of the Tzibbur. In truth we should take this much further, and every meal we eat should renew our feelings of mourning and loss. But to demand this of the public is not possible. On an individual level it is the right thing to do. We ought not to be able to have a single restful night, and arise in distress in the middle of every dark night to mourn and cry.
We may not be fit for this regimen and it may not be practical for us, but a Jew must know the heavy weight of the loss that we must carry through this long bitter galus.
printable version
