The Rav of Ponovezh, HaGaon Rebbe Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman recounted that he was once with the Chafetz Chaim zt”l during the days of Bein HaMetzarim (The Three Weeks), and he needed to travel to another city. When he went to take leave of the Chafetz Chaim, the Chafetz Chaim asked him to kindly remain in his presence for another three days. So he did, and since he stayed there, it happened that he merited to observe up close the greatness of the Chafetz Chaim’s divine service during the days of Bein HaMetzarim, as the Chafetz Chaim would walk about the entire day, weeping without pause, groaning and sighing, saying: “The Beis HaMikdash, the Beis HaMikdash...” and he resembled a man who had lost one of his seven close relatives – and even worse than that.
We now stand at the height of the days of Bein HaMetzarim, when immediately after Shabbos comes the bitter day of Tisha B’Av, and to our sorrow, nowadays we do not know how to mourn as they did in previous generations, and we do not even feel the pain of the destruction. Perhaps the only pain (almost) that we are capable of feeling is due to the restrictions and mourning customs practiced during these days. In truth, we are mostly waiting for it to be over and to pass, so that we can return already to the routine of eating, washing, clothing, and all the other things we have grown accustomed to.
Nevertheless, there is some pestering fly that buzzes at the back of our minds — Bein HaMetzarim... Tisha B’Av... destruction of the Beis HaMikdash... we are supposed to mourn, perhaps to cry, but it is so distant from us. And we comfort ourselves with the fact that we are keeping the halachos and afflicting ourselves — it is the least we can do — but is it enough? For deep inside, we are already waiting for the day after...
Moreinu HaRav shlita recounted that he was once in Meron, and a young man approached him and told him in distress that his brother, lo aleinu, had strayed from the path. The Rav said to him: “Enter to Rabbi Shimon and pour out tears like water in prayer for your brother.” The young man said, “I am not capable of crying. Ever since I was a baby, I have not cried.” The Rav said to him, “Take a knife and cut your hand, and when it hurts, you will cry...” And he entered — and cried, oh, how he cried!
So they are not demanding of us to cut our hands, but at the very least, when we feel pain due to the halachic restrictions, let us take that pain, and the suffering of Tisha B’Av, and truly feel anguish over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash — without thinking about the day after!
Tiv HaNechama
