There is Still Hope

Here we are a week after Tisha Be'av and as another Tisha Be'av goes by without the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash we feel dissapointed and discouraged. We wonder why are we still in Galut and when will this bitter exile end. I heard an interesting insight that addresses our concern. In addition to fasting on Tisha Be'av because the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed, we also are fasting for the destruction of our hearts. We know that the reason for the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash resulted from the sin of baseless hatred and it is the reason that we are still in exile today. So during the time of the destruction as a result of baseless hatred the sensitivity and caring for a fellow jew was "destroyed" in our hearts. The destruction of the Beit Hamikash is a refrence to what happened in our own hearts. Now that we know this is there anything we can do to change this? Fortunately, there is and each of us can rectify for this sin in our own lives. We have the power to end this exile and speed up the redmption process. We need to all look into our lives and see where we can improve. This way if we each are doing our part we will hasten the redemption.

In addition, in the haftarot following Tisha Be'av Hashem comforts us and promises that even though we will be in exile we should not lose hope because one day we He will return us to Eretz Yisrael with joy. As it says in this weeks haftara for parshat Ekev "For Hashem shall comfort all her ruins. He shall make her wilderness like the garden of Eden and her wasteland like a garden of Hashem; joy and gladness shall be found there, thanksgiving and the sound of music." May we all merit to see this prophecy fulfilled! Amen!!!