I stood at the Kotel as Tisha B’Av was coming to an end. The sky was getting dark and people were waiting to break their fast after twenty-five long hours. I started to cry. I stood there in the Kotel square with my eyes closed and my hands reaching up to the sky, trying to reach the heavens, trying to pull down the third Temple. I was crying out loud, Master of the world, G-d in Heaven, we’re not hungry! We’re not thirsty! We don’t want to break our fast! We want You to come home! We waited so long. This year everybody waited, everyone was sure that the redemption would come. Jews all over the world awaited Your arrival. Not just in Jerusalem, not just in Israel. Everybody was sure that this Tisha B’Av the full redemption would happen, that all the Jewish people who cried bitter tears would finally be going to rejoice.
The ninth day of the month of Av isn’t just another date on the calendar. It is so much more significant. On one hand it is the saddest day of the year, and on the other hand on this sad day it’s supposed to turn into the most joyous and happy day, the day the final redemption will come. The day our Father our King will return to His home as well.
It can’t be G-d Almighty. It can’t be I cried. I called out to Hashem in bitter tears, please, please bring down Your house! I’m waiting, please. I could hear people behind me walking to get some water and some food. I just couldn’t move. I just stood there crying. I told Hashem that I’m not moving until He brings us the full redemption. I stood there, praying until my phone rudely interrupted me, bringing me back to the reality that the third Temple had not come yet, that we were not fully redeemed.
I looked up again at the heavens and begged Hashem to wipe the tears away from my eyes, and to give all of the people of Israel the strength to believe despite all the disappointment, despair and the long wait. To give His children the strength to keep on going even in great darkness.
This past week we celebrated Tu B’Av, one of the greatest days of the Jewish calendar which is compared to Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year.
We live with such extremes in our lives.
As Jews we are a light onto the entire world. When we behave in a certain manner we set the path for others. Our sad and challenging days are back to back with happy and joyous days.
This is a lesson we must pass on to all to learn from. As dark as it gets, do not despair since the light is right around the corner.
As challenging as life can get, don’t stop believing since the good is yet to come.
We’re soon coming to the end of the year. A year that was full of hardship and bloodshed and on the other hand, unity and love. We do not know what the coming year has in store for us, but we do know that we’re never alone and Hashem will never let us down. We must keep believing and looking up to the only One Above, to please keep on helping us, guiding us, and protecting us, no matter what.
Hashem is One, and His people are one. The time of the redemption has arrived.