On the Shabbat following Tisha B’Av begins the Seven Weeks of Consolation. The first haftarah begins with the words: “Comfort, comfort My people”.
The Sages explain (Eicha Rabbah, end of ch. 1) why the comfort is expressed in a double form (“comfort, comfort”): “They sinned doubly... they were struck doubly... and they are comforted doubly.” Elsewhere (Yalkut Shimoni, Eicha), the Sages say: “Because its mitzvot are doubled, its consolations are doubled.”
This doubling requires clarification: What is a double sin, a double punishment, and therefore, a double consolation? One can speak of small sins and great sins, light punishments and severe ones—but what does it mean to say double sin, double punishment, and accordingly, double consolation? And what does it mean that “its mitzvot are doubled”?
Two Dimensions
When the Torah speaks of doubling, it refers to two dimensions. This characterizes Jewish life, the Torah and its commandments, the destruction, and the consolation: each contains two dimensions—a physical and a spiritual one.
A Jew is composed of these two dimensions: body and soul. Together, they form a unified Jewish existence. Wholeness is achieved when both body and soul are complete—when one serves G-d with both the physical and the spiritual aspects. This duality exists in mitzvot as well: each mitzvah has a spiritual side—intention and feeling—and a physical side—how it is performed in practice.
Sinned Doubly
This is what the Sages meant by “its mitzvot are doubled”—each mitzvah contains a dual content: a spiritual and a physical aspect. So when the Sages say that the Jewish people sinned doubly, they mean they sinned in both dimensions: both in the physical observance of Torah and mitzvot and in their inner, spiritual components. Therefore, the punishment too was doubled, and the destruction manifested in both dimensions: a physical destruction and a spiritual one.
There could have been a scenario where only the physical Temple was destroyed, yet its spiritual light and revelation remained. But “they were struck doubly”—not only in the physical destruction, but also in spiritual concealment.
Double Consolation
The Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) also embodied these two dimensions: on one hand, it was a physical building with defined and limited measurements; on the other hand, it radiated infinite Divine light. The destruction affected not only the physical structure, but also the spiritual illumination—hence, a double blow. And so, the coming consolation will also be doubled—not only the perfection of the physical structure, but also the perfection of the spiritual Divine illumination.
Adapted from Rabbi Menachem Brod, Sichat HaShevua
It is explained in regards Moshe’s intense desire to enter the Land of Israel — to the extent that he prayed 515 prayers for it [the numerical equivalent of Vaetchanan] — that had Moshe brought the Jews into the Land and built the Temple, the Temple would never have been destroyed. It would have been eternal, as it will in the future... There must be a special emphasis on everything related to hastening the redemption — including, and especially, the anticipation, request, and prayer for the redemption — in a manner similar to Moshe’s prayers, 515 of them, to bring about entry into the Land in a way that will be an eternal redemption. Each and every person must make an honest reckoning with themselves: What have I done so far to bring the redemption closer?!...
(the Rebbe, Shabbat Vaetchanan, 1988)
