Adapted from a year ago

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 9 Av, 5783

Shabbat Shalom!!!!!

It’s time. Today is Tisha B’Av. One of the darkest spiritual days in the Jewish calendar. And yet. Tisha B’Av is also a day of hope.

It is the day Messiah is supposed to be born. That may be a literal messiah. It may be a personal inspiration that leads you to liberation out of your own personal slavery. It may be a new age birthed. We don’t really know. But we can keep our eyes open in the darkness and reflect joy and light.

If you feel compelled, fast with me. I am began my fast at sundown last night. There are also traditions around fasting with personal care- not taking a shower, not wearing make up, not wearing leather. I encourage you to put something you are learning into practice; even if it’s fasting from sweets. Choose something small you think you can handle.

A year ago around this time, I remember seeing the moon lit up during the day.  I remember as a child being so excited to be able to see the moon in the blue sky. As an adult, the idea of being so bright that we shine in the daytime is something to really reflect on.

It is one thing to shine at night when it is dark. To be the moon reflecting sunlight at night isn’t always possible. We have the new moon for a reason. But even the smallest crescent of the moon can light up the night sky.

But to be a moon that can reflect light in the day? That is something really major. Because it’s noticeable. It doesn’t ADD light to the world; it draws attention from the world onto it. From all the sources of light, seeing a moon during the day is a sight to behold. And as we live today on the 9 of Av, may the daylight expose our light in a way that shines on others.

Today is a dark day, yes. But I’m learning that Kabbalah also teaches that the 9 of Av is when messiah will be born. And that may be literal, but it also may be allegory. Today may be the day a new source of light is born into our lives on this journey from slavery to liberation. Keep an eye out for that. Today may be a seed planted that will sprout into a wellspring of new life for you.

Be mindful of the dark; but keep an eye on our internal light. Keep an eye out externally and internally for new seeds and sources of light.

That is my hope for us today. Those are my thoughts, as we reflect on the destruction of the temple.

And one more thing; as I typed that, I felt like the temple being destroyed was indeed a sad moment – but may also have been torn down so that the spirit can be freed from its container. Maybe there are things within us that need to be destroyed so that we can be free. Can we let go of what is being destroyed instead of trying to rebuild it? Can we allow new light and new life grow so that it can lift us higher than we could have ever imagined? That might be true liberation.

What are your thoughts?