[Avodah] Mourning for the Temple or repenting?

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Micha Berger wrote:
> Aveilus is a mitzvah that channels and harnesses the feelings of loss.
> As RJR writes, it takes it as a given that those feelings are there.
>   
The critical factor is whether one needs to work on him/herself if one 
doesn't feel upset. A common derasha these days is that one needs to 
feels sad that one doesn't feel sad over the destruction of the Temple. 
According to Reb Moshe's understanding of aveilus the statement is not 
true if the three weeks is aveilus. However it is correct if one is 
dealing with teshuva.

> I would therefore suggest that the 3 Weeks were designed with the
> assumption that people would feel sadness for the loss of the BHMQ and
> of la'asos chovoseinu beveis bechirasekha, and the qiyum is using that
> sadness properly.
>
>   
Another critical issue is if there is inherent sadness for the loss of 
the Temple why was the halacha (Rosha HaShanna 18b) that there was an 
oblgation to fast except in times of trouble but that if there were 
peace in the world there was no need to fast? [Tisha B'Av being an 
exception.] Also why R' Yehuda HaNasi apparently tried to do away with 
the 17th of Tammuz and possibly Tisha B'av if there was in fact inherent 
sadness? (Megila 5a-b)