WHAT DOES TISHA B’AV MEAN TO YOU?

A point from the weekly D’var Malchus with a relevant message to our lives.

Every Chabad Chassid knows that the Chassidic annual cycle revolves at a different pace. In Elul, while everyone is doing t’shuva, he is preparing to go to the Rebbe. This is especially so when reaching the fifteenth of the month and then the eighteenth/Chai which puts chayus into Elul.

In Tishrei, even the “Yehi ratzon that we should have renewed a good and sweet year” is said differently by a Chassid. “Good and sweet” have a better and sweeter meaning. The Yomim Nora’im do not frighten the one who knows how beloved the only child is to his father, and Yom Kippur closes with a triumphant victory march. On Sukkos, a Chassid sits in the rain and when the rain becomes intolerable, the solution is to go dance where everything is wet anyway.

A Chassidic Cheshvan cannot be bitter when there is the birthday of a Nasi and “didan natzach” after the appeal.

When you ask a Chassid what Kislev means to him, he will say it’s the Chodesh Ha’Geula, Rosh HaShana L’Chassidus, and nearly every day is a reason to celebrate. When you remind him that we also have Chanuka in this month, he will immediately respond with, “sure, such an illuminated month is fitting for Chanuka, it’s the most appropriate time to spread the light …”

Ask any Chabad child what happened in Teves and you’ll see that the fifth of the month is as important as the tenth.

Comes Shevat, the Chassidic “Rosh HaShana for kings” definitely plays a prominent role for a Chassid long before the “Rosh HaShana for trees.”

The Rebbe Rayatz arrived in America in Adar and the story of the Megilla is also, “our story” with the Nasi Ha’dor vanquishing Haman HaRasha.

Nissan finds Jewish households busy cleaning. A Chassidic home also needs cleaning but the atmosphere is different. The Rebbe’s birthday is in another few days! That tells us it is time to clean the inner chametz with powerful cleansers, scraping and polishing.

Iyar, tiferes of tiferes, Rashbi attends the Lag B’Omer parades, the founding of Kfar Chabad.

In Sivan, in one breath we mark Moshe, the Besht and Dovid HaMelech. This, of course, reminds us of the MiY”aD of our generation. The fifteenth of Sivan is the Rebbe Rayatz’s is’chalta d’Geula and Chaf-Ches is the ko’ach to raise up from below.

Tammuz also stands out in the Chassidic calendar. It used to be sad, a month of churban and galus. Now, it is a time of Geula and joy, emuna, chayus and anticipation.

What about Menachem Av in the Chabad calendar? The month in which the building of the third Beis HaMikdash will take place immediately. And [as the Rebbe points out] “In the month of Menachem Av itself, this is particularly emphasized on the ninth of Av.” Especially now that we are already after the hisgalus of Melech HaMoshiach, we see the ninth of Av as – “this time and in this place are the most auspicious time and place for the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”

It’s time to really learn the D’var Malchus and to really live it. To graduate to a life of Yemos HaMoshiach. When we tell children that the Three Weeks are a time of mourning without mentioning that the Rebbe said that in our times we can already sense the goodness and the Geula in them, that’s like telling the story of Yud-Tes Kislev about the arrest without telling the end of the story.

The Jewish calendar is fundamental and we must celebrate and teach our children about all the Jewish holidays, their laws and customs. And there is no question that the Chabad Chassidic calendar is filled with countless powerful messages that we need to transmit to our children. At the same time, we cannot miss the point! The Geula train is moving forward quickly. Are we connected to the engine? Yes, it’s difficult but this is our avoda now. This is what is expected of us so that we finally bring about the true and complete Geula.

It used to be that on Tisha B’Av we would walk into the house with “Tisha B’Av faces.” Now, on Tisha B’Av, we walk into the house with “Tisha B’Av faces!” We don’t need to be ashamed of walking in and saying “mazal tov” on the birth of Moshiach (without forgetting to explain why this does not contradict 11 Nissan). Preschool teachers used to give out crowns and other symbols of the Beis HaMikdash going up in flames. Now, they give out festive crowns with the third Beis HaMikdash on them.

The month of Menachem Av and the ninth of Av are additional opportunities to really live with Moshiach, to integrate the Chabad calendar, to live and bring life to others. Simply, a Jew believes with complete faith that Moshiach Tzidkeinu as Moshiach vadai will walk in right now to the shul, and will come and redeem us and lead us upright to our land. He will lead all the Jewish people within Klal Yisroel to the holy land, to Yerushalayim the holy city, to the holy mountain, to the third Beis HaMikdash, immediately!