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By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin
The Three Weeks. The Nine Days. Tisha B’Av. Times of mourning, one following another, each one recalling the increased pain of our nation. And then, following Tisha B’Av is Shabbos Nachamu. The Shabbos of Comfort and Consolation.
How quickly we segue from the darkness of mourning to the light of morning, the joy of nachamu.
This week’s haftara opens with the words “Nachamu, nachamu ami, Be comforted, be comforted, my people, yomar Elokeichem, says your G-d.” Chazal teach that when Yeshayahu said these words, he was asked if the consolation was limited to the generation that lived through the churban, those who witnessed the destruction of Yerushalayim.
The prophet responded, “I came to comfort all generations, as it is written ‘yomar – says’ your G-d, and not ‘said’ your G-d.” Nachamu, nachamu, words of comfort then, words of comfort now.
Nachamu, nachamu, be comforted, be comforted. Who among us can say that their life is worry and problem-free? That they never experienced pain and suffering? So many shattered dreams and hopes. So much heartache.
We live in a world where everyone at one time or another had “something”. A world where we need nachamu, HaShem’s comfort and consolation. Within the word nachamu, we can find the word macha, to erase. As Yeshayahu writes (25:8) “U’macha Hashem dima, HaShem will wipe away all tears, me’al kol panim, from all faces…”
“Macha” can also be found within the word “simcha”, happiness. Simcha is spelled sin-mem-ches-hei. Simcha can also be read as sheh’macha, meaning to erase. When HaShem comforts our soul, we find the strength to continue on and find simcha in our lives.
The gemara teaches that man should strive to emulate HaShem’s ways. “Mah hu rachum, just as HaShem is merciful, af atah rachum, so too should you be merciful.” Perhaps one of the messages from this week’s haftara is that just as HaShem comforts His people, so too, we should be a source of comfort and consolation to others during their time of need.
I recently spotted a bumper sticker from the “Thank You HaShem” movement that said it all. “Be the one to put a smile on someone’s face today!” Give a kind and encouraging word, a compassionate and comforting thought. Daven for someone with all your heart and soul, and really feel someone’s pain.
Comforting someone isn’t about the ‘Olympics of Suffering’, it’s not a matter of ‘can you top this’ in terms of difficulty, saying “my problem is bigger, or I know someone who has it even worse”. I remember my grandmother, Mama a”h, saying that no one should have tzoris, problems. It doesn’t lessen one’s pain to hear that someone else is also suffering.
We are now in the month of Menachem Av, the Consolation of Av. Av means father. We daven that the Av, our Father above bring us the consolation that only a father can.
This Shabbos, we read parshas Ve’eschanan. “Ve’eschanan el HaShem, And (Moshe) pleaded to HaShem.” Moshe prayed and prayed. The gematria, the numerical equivalent of the word v’eschanan is five-hundred-fifteen, telling us that Moshe beseeched HaShem five-hundred-fifteen times to enter Eretz Yisroel. Moshe always davened for Bnei Yisroel, turning to HaShem, asking for the needs of the people. He placed the needs of the people first and foremost in his life. Moshe was even ready to forego having his name written in the Torah when davening for Bnei Yisroel’s forgiveness after the tragic episode of the Golden Calf.
V’eschanan has within it the word “chinam, for free”. Moshe is davening – please, let me enter Eretz Yisroel chinam, for free, even if I’m not deserving.
Years ago, I taught a group of young children from homes that were not yet religious. Not knowing what their future connection to Jewish learning would be, I taught the girls about licht bentschen, candle lighting. They were only six or seven, but I wanted them to know that there is a Shabbos, and one day they will light candles. That with HaShem’s help, when they will be mommies, they will light and pray for their families. A little girl raised her hand and asked if she could pray for herself. I couldn’t help but smile, and told her that of course she can.
Like Moshe who davened for Bnei Yisroel, we too must turn to HaShem and daven for our family, daven for our loved ones, daven for those in need. And, as Moshe davened for himself, so too must we daven for ourselves.
Moshe knew that he wouldn’t be entering Eretz Yisroel, but he kept on davening. Five-hundred-fifteen times. Rabbi Moshe di Trani, a sixteenth-century Kabbalist, teaches that from here we learn the purpose of prayer. Each and every time we turn to HaShem, we reaffirm our belief that He is the one and only who can answer our tefillos. With each tefilla, Moshe became closer and closer to HaShem.
This Shabbos, Shabbos Nachamu, Shabbos V’eschanan, we should turn to HaShem and daven. Daven like Moshe. Storm the gates again and again. Daven that we should experience a true nechama. Nachamu, nachamu, a double consolation. The Midrash tells us that the double expression of nachamu is meant to symbolize consolation both in this world and everlasting consolation in the World to Come. Consolation for the destruction of the first Bais HaMikdash, and consolation for the loss of the second Bais HaMikdash. Consolation for all the pain that our nation endured in the past. Consolation for the pain we are living within the present.
Nachamu, nachamu, for our families, for ourselves. HaShem, it is time for true comfort. Take us from sadness to joy. From aveilus to simcha. May all our tefillos be answered.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chaya Sora
Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]
This article was written L’zecher Nishmas /In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l
