[Avodah] tisha ba-av

[Eli Turkel]

Some thoughts on tisha ba-av from the book
"The Lord is Rightwous in All his Ways" (RYBS)
The introduction is over 100 pages and so I will give a VERY
short synopsis (with my own additions)

Questions:
Many things are missing from the Tisha Ba'ac tefila:
Tachanun, Avinu Malkenu, Titkabel (in the morning), Neilah
(unlike a taanit tzibur over rain)
We dont sit on chairs only until noon unlike other dinei aveilut
that apply the whole day. Nahem only in the afternoon.
A mourner is prohibited in all work while on Tisha Ba'av only
work that disturbs ones concentration. One should cry on
tisha ba'av but there is nothing equivalent for a mourner.
The kinot do not stress the absence of korbanot and other
avodah in the Temple unlike musaf of Yom Kippur.
"Moed" in the Eichah has nothing to do with happiness. How
can Tisha Ba'av be considered a happy day.

Answer: The essence of Tisha Ba'av is "Sattom Tefillati"
On Tisha Ba'av we mourn not the destruction of the Temple but rather
the result that we are distant from Hashem. While between Rosh Hashana
and Yom Kippur we are close to Hashem on Tisha Ba'av we are at the
other extreme. Hence, it is not appropriate to add requests like
Neilah, Tachanun, Avinu Malkenu or Titkabal. RYBS refused to
say a request for a sick person on Tisha Ba'av. As opposed to RDE
it is a day far away from approaching G-d with Teshuva. RYBS interpreted
Moed in the original sense. Tisha Ba'av is an appointed time - for
destruction and removal from this time. Thus we dont say Tachanun because
it is a holiday but rather because of our distance from Hashem.
We mention other tragedies like the crusades since the essence is
not the Temple but what can happen when G-d is distant.

A mourner is not required from the din to not sit on chairs. Hence the
requirement on Tisha Ba'av is not because of aveilut which in fact would
last the whole day and similarly for work. Rather we dont sit on chairs
because we are banned from Hashem and working would disturb are
kinot. A mourner's main obligation is "aveilut be-lev". Inward and not
crying. On Tisha Ba'av the mourning is not natural and so we force ourselves
to cry. Similarly the 3 weeks build up to the highest level slowly as we
learn intellectually about our distance from G-d. A mourner is emotional
and begins with the worst and slowly acclimates to the world. Kinot and
Eichah are central to Tisha Ba'av but not to a mourner because
we must cause ourselves to feel the loss of the Templw while for a mourner
it is natural.

After Mincha we begin Nechama. Paradoxically this occurs when the
fire was set to the Temple. Hence we are comforted that G-d chose
to destroy wood and stone rather than the nation. In the morning it
was not clear what the punishment would be. So the afternoon changes
from stressing our distance from G-d to a more "normal" aveiult of
other fast days though the 5 "iyunim"  of a taanit tzibur continue
but not sitting on the floor or titkabel and now we can say nachem.

-- 
Eli Turkel
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