It’s always a tzarich Iyun – the great joy of Shabbas Nachamu needs examination and explanation. After all, nothing seemed to have changed after Tisha B’Av; the churban still exists and the troubles and tragedies we confront are not slowing down. So why do people rush to the mountains and to hotels to celebrate Shabbas Nachamu?
I think part of the answer is that although maybe superficially we feel that nothing externally has changed (in truth this is not true, things are always changing which we will expand on later) however we hope that we have changed. Hopefully, we heard the message of Tisha B’Av. Hopefully, we developed a deeper yearning for the shechinah, the presence of Hashem, to return, and for the era of Mashiach to begin.
This idea is actually hinted to in the name of Shabbas Nachamu. In Sefer Bereishis, Hashem said “I have Nechama that I created man.” What does that mean? Does it mean that Hashem had, so to speak, a different, machshava? When a person goes to be Menachem Avel, what is he doing? Hopefully, if he prepared what he was going to say before he came to the home of the Avel, it’s a new thought for the Avel on how to look at life and tragedies. This is not easy at all to accomplish; however this that’s really the essence of niichum availim.
This also explains the custom of calling the month of Av - Menachem Av which simply translated is the comforter of Av. However on a deeper level, it means the change of thought; that is, it’s not the sad Av as we know, it’s a month of Geula, its a month of Joy, and it’s a month of a comforting loving father who only wants the good of His children.
May we see and feel the love of our father in Heaven, together with the guela bimhera beyameinu.
by Rabbi Daniel Coren
