WHERE IS HE ALREADY?!

The Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin met a Chassid lying in the forest on Tisha B’Av … * The people who complained to the Tzemach Tzedek about the Poilish Chassidim who sang a niggun on Tisha B’Av. * Why did the Baal Shem Tov’s brother-in-law faint near the Kosel? * Tzaddikim ask Hashem to take the “holiday” of Tisha B’Av away from His children since they don’t deserve it. * The tzaddik who put his Kinos in sheimos every year certain that Moshiach would come before the next Tisha B’Av. * How will Eicha be recited in Yemos HaMoshiach? * A compilation of stories about Tisha B’Av.

BECAUSE OF MEN LIKE HIM

The tzaddik Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin once spent Tisha B’Av with the Alter Rebbe in Liadi. As was customary among the Chassidim, when Kinos were recited people threw burrs at one another which sometimes got stuck in their beards.

That year, one of the burrs that was thrown by the Chassid R’ Shmuel Munkes, inadvertently hit R’ Shlomo of Karlin. The tzaddik was annoyed and said, “It is because of men like him that the Mikdash was destroyed!”

The next day, after the recitation of Kinos, the Alter Rebbe and R’ Shlomo of Karlin went for a walk. As they walked through the forest, they heard the sound of sobbing and wailing. They followed the sound and saw a frightening sight. There was R’ Shmuel Munkes sitting on an anthill and reciting Kinos in tears.

R’ Shlomo said, “It is because of men like him that the Beis HaMikdash will be built.”

A NIGGUN ON TISHA B’AV AND CRYING ON SIMCHAS TORAH

A group of people who were not Chassidim once went to the Tzemach Tzedek and asked to meet with him. When they entered his room, they said, “We are interested in Chassidus, but we have questions…”

“By all means,” said the Rebbe.

One of them said, “We saw one of the great Chassidim crying on Simchas Torah and singing a niggun on Tisha B’Av. How could this be?”

The Rebbe replied, “To a Chassid, a niggun is not simcha and crying is not sadness. Crying is bitterness. On Simchas Torah he recalls the revelation of the light of Torah on this day, and how the holy Torah rejoices with him, and when he contemplates his distance, he is brought to merirus (bitterness). Whereas on Tisha B’Av, at the time of the churban, when he sees that the churban took place, he grasps at the firm faith in the fulfillment of the promises of Geula, and this is why he sings.”

(Seifer HaSichos 5703)

HIS BITTERNESS 
WAS SO GREAT

When Rabbi Gershon Kitover, brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov, arrived in Eretz Yisroel and saw Yerushalayim built up he cried and said, “I remember, Elokim, and I sigh when I see the whole city, i.e. the earthly Yerushalayim, built up, while G-d’s city, the heavenly Yerushalayim, is degraded and is abysmally low.”

On Tisha B’Av, R’ Gershon went to pour out his lamentations opposite the remnant of our Beis HaMikdash. He suddenly fainted due to his anguish.

The people there rushed to rouse him, but when he became conscious he fainted again. This happened again and again. This was all due to his great bitterness over the exile of the Jewish people and the Sh’china and the destruction of the Mikdash.

(Beer HaChassidus)

LOOKING OUT FOR MOSHIACH

One year on Erev Tisha B’Av, after the Seuda HaMafsekes, R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev stood near the window and looked out to the horizon with great longing. Every so often he strained his ears; perhaps he would finally hear the footsteps of Moshiach.

The sun set and the congregation gathered in shul to recite the Kinos, but since the rav did not appear, they could not begin. After a long wait, the shamash went to see where the tzaddik was and found him standing silently near the window. He said in surprise, “Rebbe! The congregation is waiting for the reading of Eicha!”

R’ Levi Yitzchok said to himself, “Oy, once again Moshiach has not come and once again we need to say Eicha.”

(The Tzaddik of Berditchev)

HE’S STILL NOT HERE?

When R’ Yitzchok of Radvil heard about Rabbi Avrohom “the Malach,” son of the Maggid of Mezritch, he yearned to see him and his Avodas Hashem.

On Erev Tisha B’Av, R’ Yitzchok went to the shul where the Malach davened. He saw everyone sitting on the ground and reciting Eicha after the chazan who sang the words with a sad tune.

Suddenly, a frightening cry was heard. R’ Yitzchok saw that it had issued from the mouth of the Malach who had put his head between his knees and was sobbing.

The chazan and the congregation continued saying Kinos until they finished and then went home. Only R’ Avrohom the Malach remained sitting in his place in the same position as before.

R’ Yitzchok continued to patiently watch him, but when it was midnight he was weary and he left.

The next day, R’ Yitzchok went to shul in the morning and was astonished to see the Malach still in the same position and mourning over the churban. The area around him was soaked with his tears. Every so often, the tzaddik raised his head and asked in great anguish, “Is he still not here? Did he still not come?” referring to Moshiach.

R’ Yitzchok realized that this was not a tzaddik like other tzaddikim and his nickname “Malach” suited him well.

A NEW VOLUME OF KINOS

Rabbi Avrohom of Chekenov would buy a new Kinos every year for Tisha B’Av because every year, after he finished reciting the Kinos, he would put it in sheimos and say, “Surely Moshiach will come during the course of this year and we won’t need the Kinos again.”

(Sippurei Chassidim, Zevin)

EICHA – IN THE FUTURE

R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev wondered, “In the future (Moshiach’s times) we will also read Megillas Eicha on Tisha B’Av, but how will we interpret it?”

He explained:

“Eicha” – until now, the city dwelled alone, but now “She that was great among the nations … has become tributary” – all the nations pay tribute to the Jewish people.

“She [Yerushalayim] weeps copiously in the night and her tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her” – now she no longer needs someone to comfort her.

That is how the entire Megilla will be read when Moshiach comes, with great pleasure.

(Beer HaChassidus)

MAKING PEACE 
ON TISHA B’AV

The tzaddik, Rabbi Refael of Barshad would devote much effort to ensure peace between people. Many turned to him for advice and help and he would gladly spend the time furthering this worthy cause.

One Tisha B’Av, after he finished reciting the Kinos, he hurried to a home where there was quarreling so he could make peace.

Those close to him asked him in wonder, “On Tisha B’Av?! Isn’t there a better time than this to make peace?”

R’ Refael replied, “On this day in particular we should work to make peace, more so than on other days, for it was because of baseless hatred that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed.”

A DRAWN OUT WAR

World War I began on Tisha B’Av in the year 5674. Many Jews went to Belz to the Rebbe, R’ Yisachar Dov, and cried to him about having to serve in the army. He said, “Since this tzara began on Tisha B’Av, I am afraid that it will continue a long time, maybe even until the coming of Moshiach.”

(Admorei Belz)

WE DON’T WANT THIS DAY

It was the practice in some Chassidic courts to behave mischievously on Tisha B’Av when the Kinos were said to lighten up the atmosphere somewhat. This was mainly expressed in the tossing of burrs.

The rav of a town remonstrated with the Koznitzer Maggid, “Why don’t you rebuke the children for throwing burrs in the beis midrash while Eicha is read on Tisha B’Av, the day of the churban?”

The Maggid replied, “What can I do when even the children don’t want this day? Like them, I say to G-d: Hashem, if You don’t like our behavior on this day, take it away from us.”

TAKE IT AWAY

A similar story occurred in the court of Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin. On Tisha B’Av the Chassidim rigged up a contraption whereby when someone walked into the beis midrash he was hoisted up by ropes.

One year, the Chassidim were not paying attention and when someone walked in, they lifted him up. When, to their consternation, they saw it was the Rebbe, they quickly lowered him carefully to the ground with trembling hands.

The Rebbe said: “Hashem, you see that Your children do not observe this holiday properly. Take it away from them.”

IF YOU KNEW, WHY DID YOU SEND US?

On the night of Tisha B’Av, R’ Chanoch of Litimorsk (later the Alexander Rebbe) sat on the threshold of the shul in Peshischa. He said:

“There was a simple villager who did not know the Alef-Beis or any Jewish customs. All his life he yearned to live with his fellow Jews but was unable to do so until he reached old age. It was only then that he liquidated his farm and moved to town.

“Erev Pesach, he wanted to have a proper seder, but he had never seen one. He was too embarrassed to ask anyone and so he sent his wife to the neighbor, ostensibly to borrow something but in the meantime, to see how the table was set.

“Just at the time that she visited, the neighboring husband and wife quarreled and the husband took a thick stick and hit his wife. The former villager’s wife returned home downcast upon seeing what a proper seder looked like.

“Her husband asked her what she had seen, but she remained silent. He asked her again but she refused to talk. He became very angry and grabbed a stick and hit her.

“She sighed and said, ‘If you knew, why did you send me there to look?’”

R’ Chanoch finished his story and was silent, but his audience burst into laughter.

R’ Yechiel Meir of Gustinin said: “Why are you laughing? Isn’t this the complaint of your souls to Hashem – You knew we would sin, so why did you send us to galus?”