The Gift of Tisha B’av
So here’s the question -
Tisha B’av - the 9th of Av - is the saddest day of the year. It’s the day when countless tragedies have occurred to the Jewish people. We are told that we need to sit and cry and mourn.
Which is not hard to do because we are in pain, SO much pain, from the trauma of thousands of years ago and the trauma of the last ten months.
Our hearts are shattered beyond repair.
But why the commandment to cry? Why do we HAVE to cry on this day?
I think it’s Hashem’s (G-d) way of giving us a little gift amidst all of these intense emotions.
Research shows that crying allows us to express and process emotions. It provides a release for the intense feelings associated with grief, which can be helpful when coping with a loss and coming to terms with our emotions.
Crying is also our body’s way of working through stress. You know how you always feel better after you cry? That’s not a mistake - because it releases those “good-feeling” endorphins.
But here’s the best part IMHO. :)
Crying sends out a “distress call” to our people, letting them know that we’re overwhelmed. And those tears naturally stimulate care and empathy in others, making them want to help us when we’re a mess.
I think that Hashem knew that we would need to be comforted during all of these years of mourning. He knew that we would feel helpless in the face of such deep pain.
We have been broken over and over and over again.
And while this day only lasts 25 hours, we carry that heaviness with us all year long, especially this year.
So what a gift crying is. What a gift to be able to sit on the floor together. To hold each other, to lean on each other, to be together in this place of pain.
Because He knew that we would not be able to get through this alone, He knew that we would need each other and that the crying would bring us together.
So we can lift each other up when one person feels like falling.
Thank you, Hashem, for the commandment to cry.
And may we cry tears of joy very, very soon.