Let's take a look at the annual cycle we experience. The Three Weeks culminating in Tisha b'Av itself are accompanied by three special haftaras reminding us of our situation. Following that we have seven Shabbosim of consolation, also with their special haftaras; so special, in fact, that they even override the haftara for Rosh Chodesh Elul. We then have the Days of Awe; ten days of repentance beginning with Rosh HaShanna and concluding with Yom Kippur. Five days later, the season of our joy, Sukkos!
Many years ago, I had the merit that R' Matisyahu Soloman, z"tzvk visited me at home; more on that visit in this TftD. I saw a two volume set of מתנת חיים, writings by R' Matisyahu Soloman, z"tzvk on the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur. Of course, I took a set right away. (I already have מתנת חיים on the Pesach Hagadah.)
R' Solomon begins by noting that this annual cycle -- suffering and mourning, then consolation, then repentance and forgiveness, then joy -- is obviously not just a happenstance. Each stage is, in fact, a preparation for the next.
The suffering and mourning of the three weeks culminating in Tisha b'Av is meant to instill in us a feeling of ייאוש/despair that this world has anything of permanence to offer us. In fact, the Chovos Levavos makes a similar point about childhood diseases. We get sick and suffer from our earliest memories, then we get an intense dose during the three weeks.
From that vantage point, it is possible to begin to recognize that the only true reality is רוחניות/spirituality. That realization is נחמה/consolation. In truth, the word נחמה in Lashon HaKodesh means more than consolation, it means to have a new perspective. That is, נחמה is not actually the consolation, but, in fact, the source of the consolation. With that new perspective, that broader and more mature perspective, comes a new appreciation of everything -- even the suffering -- and therefore brings a new feeling of tranquility, equanimity, and composure.
Naturally, we want more of that. We see and feel that the true source of happiness and contentment comes from our connection with HaShem. We almost can't stop ourselves from running to do תשובה. (As always, I refuse to translate that as "repentance ". Sorry; I mean, I'm not sorry.) After all, the suffering of the three weeks brought us to a recognition that this world has no value, and our running after things in this world always brings nothing but heartache and regret, and now we've found the source of true joy; of course we are going to run after it.
And then we get Sukkos, the season of our rejoicing. And we have found our happy place.
The מתנת חיים makes an observation that really adds a new dimension to all of this. We say at the end of shmone esrei: rebuild the Beis HaMikdash and give us our portion in Torah. That means, notes the מתנת חיים, that we can't really have our place in Torah until the Beis HaMikdash is rebuilt! We all learn, of course, but something is missing; something we may not have noticed because we never had it. I realized that, for me, that is like the difference between the way I know English and the way I know Spanish. Of course I have more English vocabulary; that's not what I mean. I mean that I can easily and fluently express myself in English. I can read Spanish; I can even accomplish simple tasks in Spanish. But Spanish is "external"; I have to translate word by word to my native language.
That is how we appreciate Torah now. No matter how much we know, it is always something external to us. We can't be fluent in our Torah, we can't feel natural in our Torah, until we have the Beis HaMikdash -- about which I now say with so much more feeling than ever before -- may it be rebuilt soon and in our lifetime. Please. We really, really need it.
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