Page 2 - HaMizrachi_3_USA

Rabbi David Israel

Israel and The Benefits

of Mourning
US

...ה ֶתּ ְ שׁ ִמ תי ֵבּ ל ֶא ת ֶכ ֶל ִמ ל ֶב ֵא תי ֵבּ ל ֶא ת ֶכ ֶל ָל בוֹט difference in how evenings and weekends students that they were superior to those
)ב ,ז תלהק( are spent during these two time periods is with brown eyes. On day two, she taught
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a so stark that it forces one to think. that those with brown eyes were greater
wedding hall...” (Ecclesiastes 7:2) than those with blue eyes. Needless to say,
Everyone enjoys a wedding. Yet after we the children began to act out against each
hough many have pondered the have offered parting wishes to the newly other. And the experiment was repeated
meaning of this verse, and the married couple and returned home, the with adults too, who behaved with similar
T rabbis have provided several joy begins to ebb and our lives return to disdain toward one another.
clues as to how to best understand it, the normal. Weddings are times of love, joy,
simple meaning of the words would seem union and friendship, but rarely events that What could be more senseless than hatred
to be clear: there is a unique personal change us. For many, the opposite is true stemming from eye color? Yet how do we
benefit derived from being in a shiva house. of a funeral or shiva house. There, amidst view our fellow Jews? How often do we
the sadness, we often learn much about life. make assumptions and judgements based
This verse always comes into focus at this Indeed, when a relative speaks of a loved on the color of another’s clothes or the
time of year. Since halacha prohibits wed- one’s life and character, it is often moving, school our neighbors choose for their chil-
dings during the three weeks prior to Tisha inspiring, and perhaps even life-changing. dren? Are these arguments “L’Shem Sha-
B’Av, the days before are generally filled mayim” (for the sake of Heaven)? Is our
with weddings. Then the Three Weeks As the entire House of Israel now mourns community filled with groups and individ-
arrive and the celebrations cease. The over the tragedies that led to the destruc- uals seeking truth and simply disagreeing
tion of the Beit HaMikdash, we would do every so often? If so, then no Sinat Chinam
well to appreciate the opportunity the would arise from these interactions.
Three Weeks gives us for introspection Sadly, Sinat Chinam is ever-present in our
and self-improvement, as individuals and communities.
as a people. It is not enough to tell our-
selves that the Second Beit HaMikdash was May we take time during these weeks to
destroyed because of Sinat Chinam, sense- focus inwards and see where we have fallen
less hatred. We need to use Chazal’s insight short of avoiding Sinat Chinam. May God
into this tragedy to look deeply into our give us the sense of purpose to seek, in the
own failings. words of Rav Kook, the Ahavat Chinam,
the senseless love that will bring about the
What is senseless hatred? In a famous final redemption and the complete rebuild-
investigation into the proclivity for hatred, ing of Jerusalem.
Jane Elliot, a third-grade teacher in Iowa,
divided her ethnically and socio-econom- Rabbi David Israel is the
ically homogenous class into two groups: Executive Vice-President of
those with blue eyes and those with brown Religious Zionists of America –
(Rogier van der Weyden, Wikipedia)
eyes. On day one, she told the blue-eyed Mizrachi USA

305 Seventh Avenue Presidium
New York, NY 10001 Dr. Ernest Agatstein
212.465.9234 Rabbi Leonard Matanky
office@rza.org Martin Oliner
www.rza.org Executive Vice-President
2 Rabbi David Israel