As we are now commemorating the sad events which led to the Destruction of the Beth Hamikdash and the beginning of the present Exile, it should be remembered that the purpose of this commemoration is not just to inflict a sad period upon ourselves, but rather that we should be reminded and inspired to do all we can to lessen, and eventually remove altogether, the cause which brought about the sad events which we are now commemorating.
For, as we declare in our prayers, "Because of our sins we have been exiled from our land." It was the neglect of the Torah and Mitzvoth, in the daily life and practice, which resulted in the Destruction and Exile. Therefore, efforts to strengthen and spread the observance of the Torah and Mitzvoth in the daily life will hasten the complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach and, as promised, those sad days will be transformed into days of Joy.
Extract of a letter addressed to R. Chanoch Hendel Havlin, a member of the Lubavitch community in Jerusalem
At the farbrengen of Shabbos Mevarchim Menachem Av, I stated that the name of the month is Av, as is written in a get10 (see Kav Naki, sec. 51:4). In a kesubah11and when blessing the month, however, it is referred to as Menachem Av. Based on the interpretations in Chassidus, it is possible to explain that it is possible to see the great love of the father when he strikes his son. This refers to the era of exile when the Jews can be compared to a divorced woman (Yoma 86b). Therefore in a get, we refer to the month as Av ([alluding to our] Father[-child relationship with G-d], as explained in the maamar entitled Nachamu, 5670). Our request, however, is that His love should be revealed. Therefore when blessing the month (and in a kesubah,which [was instituted] so that it not be easy [for a marriage to be dissolved],12 the opposite of a divorce), we use the term Menachem.
With the blessing “Immediately to Redemption,” and [blessings] for a double portion of comfort.
