Techiyas Hameisim, resurrection of the dead, is mentioned no less than four times in the second bracha of shemone esray. The Ritva in masechta Taanis daf 2 says that there are four different kinds of techiyas hameisim. The first one is in reference to rain. The gemora tells us in Taanis 7: R’ Avahu says that the day on which rain falls is greater than techiyas hameisim. The gemora explains that while techiyas hameisim only happens for those that are worthy, rainfall is for everyone. Therefore, rain is a greater demonstration of Hashem’s power than techiyas hameisim. R’ Yosef argues and says that “mashiv ha’ruach umorid hageshem” is incorporated in the bracha of Ata Gibor because rain is equal to techiyas hameisim. Says the Ritva: rain is like techiyas hameisim for two reasons. Firstly, because rain brings out seeds that are buried in the ground and eventually produce a beautiful tree. And secondly, without rain we would not have what to eat; we wouldn’t survive! There is no life without rain. Rain gives life to seeds and people.
The second techiyas hameisim is in reference to the words “somech noflim, rofeh cholim, u’matir asurim” – a person is sick and he barely can move, and Hashem heals him – that, too, is a form of techiyas hameisim.
The third techiyas hameisim refers to instances in our history where there were people who died and Hashem revived them. We know the stories of Elisha and Eliyahu Hanavi who were mi’chaye meisim. We also find many tanaim who were able to revive dead people. And the fourth techiyas hameisim is referring to when the geula will come and we will experience the eventual revival of the dead. After mentioning these four types of techiyas hameisim, the bracha ends with “Baruch ata Hashem mechaye hameisim” which is going back on all four types of techiyas hameisim.
The gemora in Taanis 30 says that anyone who mourns over Yerushalayim will merit and witness the simcha and rebuilding of Yerushalayim. However, one who doesn’t mourn will not merit to see its simcha. Asks the Ritva, there were many righteous people who mourned over Yerushalayim and they left the world already. How will they experience the great simcha of the building of Yerushalayim? Every erev Tisha Ba’av, the Chasam Sofer would cry over the churban and he would have a full cup of tears. By the seuda hamafsekes he would immerse his bread into the tears and eat it. So, how did he see the rebuilding of Yerushalayim?
Says the Ritva an amazing chidush - that there will be an early techiyas hameisim for all those that mourned over the Churban, and that will take place before the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash. Those people will merit to wake up and witness the rebuilding of Yerushalayim. Later on, there will be another techiyas hameisim for the rest of klal Yisroel. Says Rav Reuven Karlenstein, that’s also hinted to in the bracha of techiyas hameisim. We say, “umikayem emunaso lisheinei afar” – He maintains His faith to those who sleep in the dust. That’s referring to the techiyas hameisim of the tzadikim who mourned over Yerushalayim. The gemora teaches us that tzadikim, even when they’re dead, they’re considered alive. That’s why they are called “lisheinei afar”- they are just sleeping in the ground. But very soon, they will wake up and experience the joy of the rebuilt Bais Hamikdash.
As the years of our galus increase, we are so immersed in this exile that we don’t feel that we are lacking. On Hoshana Rabba we say “hoshana ke’vusha ba’gola”. Says the Klauzenberger Rebbe: a food that is kavush-soaked- is considered cooked and it receives the taste and aroma from whatever it’s soaked in. So too, we are soaked in the galus so much that we forgot who we are and what we are.
There’s a famous mashal about a prince who was sent away from his father’s home to exile. Far away from the palace, the prince didn’t have what to eat and so he sold himself as a slave to a cruel master. He was forced to do backbreaking labor and was beaten harshly. Years passed and the word came out that the king was coming to visit and everyone can ask for a request. The poor prince completely forgot his royal past, so when his turn arrived, he simply requested that the king ask his master to make his workload a bit easier. The king was heartbroken. Could it be that his son forgot who he was? Why isn’t he begging to be let back into the palace? We are that prince, as the long years in galus make us forget our royalty. Hashem wants us to beg Him to return to the palace.
The Yaavetz in his siddur Bais Yaakov says: if the only sin we have is that we don’t mourn Yerushalayim, that’s enough of a reason to have this long galus. It’s possible to fast and fulfill all the halachos, but if you don’t mourn, you are left with nothing.
Hashem took away the Bais Hamikdash as a mashkon, a collateral. Asks Rav Chaim Volozhin, how can Hashem take it away from us? After all, the mikdash is our life, like we say “rachem al tziyon ki hi bais chayeinu”, and the halacha is that you can’t take a collateral from a poor person if it’s his life! Rav Chaim Volozhin gives us a thought-provoking answer. When the time comes and we feel that the Bais Hamikdash is indeed our life - then Hashem will return it to us.
Hashem should help us realize all that we are missing, we should properly mourn, and we should be zoche still this year to see the simcha of Yerushalayim being rebuilt.
