I hope everybody has been enjoying their summer.  Currently we are in the Jewish month of Tammuz, in the middle of a period called:  The 3 weeks.  This is a 3 week period from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of the month of Av, and it is the worst period of time in the Jewish year wheel.  Both days are fast days and the 9th of Av (tisha b’Av) is the day that the 2 temples got destroyed, along with a host of other terrible events that happened to us.

I have always found it hard to relate to this period of time, and to tisha b’Av.  For me, I don’t much get into memorializing the bad that has happened to us.  Recently I was talking to one of my chavrutahs (study partners), Dolfy, about this, and he pointed out, that just like on Pesach/Passover we are supposed to feel like we are leaving Egypt, and not just remembering it like a history lesson, so too on the days leading up to tisha b’Av, we need to look at how we contributed to the loss of the temple (or to the fact we still do not have it).  Can we look deeply into ourselves and find the parts of us that still contain baseless hatred for another human being?  Can we find and uproot the idol worship that lurks in our hearts – be it for money or honor or our looks or our being politically correct, etc.  These are the things that we have to find and cry out to haShem, to god, to help us get rid of.

The afternoon of tisha b’Av the energy starts to change from one of grief to one of hope and consolation.  This grows until the 15th of Av (tu b’av) which is a major celebratory day on the Jewish calendar.  It is one of the two days in which the women would dance on hilltops and entice the men to join with them (the other time is the night after Yom Kippor).

So, if things are not going well.  If you are feeling disconnected, and/or out-of-sync with the world.  Do not fret.  Look inside yourself and see where you are disconnected.  Work on bringing that in alignment with your highest self.  And trust/believe/know that this is only temporary; it will start to change in a little more than a week.

Have a great Shabbat everyone.

About the Author

Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.