THIS TISHA B’AV, LET OUR TEARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As we sit on the floor this Tisha B’Av and tears begin to roll down our faces over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, let’s remember that there are countless Jews who don’t have to wait until Tisha B’Av to cry. They cry every single night. Some cry themselves to sleep because of illness. Some because of loneliness. Some because of a broken marriage. Some because they cannot find their shidduch. Some because they don’t know how they will pay tomorrow’s bills. Some because they are battling depression, trauma, addiction, or fears that no one around them even knows exist. This Tisha B’Av, let’s cry not only for what we lost over 2,000 years ago, but also for the pain our brothers and sisters are carrying today. Let’s cry for: * Every Jew waiting for a refuah sheleimah, physically or mentally. * Every husband and wife struggling to keep their marriage together. * Every parent overwhelmed raising children and every child who feels misunderstood. * Every young man and woman waiting for their shidduch. * Every family drowning under the weight of tuition, rent, mortgages, medical bills, and debt. * Every Jew carrying trauma, anxiety, depression, or emotional pain in silence. * Every person fighting addiction behind closed doors. * Every widow, orphan, and bereaved family. * Every Jew who feels forgotten, lonely, or believes nobody cares. * Every Jew searching for parnassah or wondering how they will feed their family. * Every wounded soldier and every holy soldier standing on the front lines protecting Am Yisrael. * Our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land who are fighting against the Supreme Court and those trying to stop Torah in the Holy Land. * Every family in Eretz Yisrael living under the constant threat of rockets and terrorism. * Every Jew facing antisemitism simply because they are Jewish. * Every Jew in the Diaspora yearning to return to our true home in Eretz Yisrael. * Every Jew who has drifted away from Torah and mitzvos, that they should return to Hashem. And then let’s ask ourselves one question: When Tisha B’Av ends, will our tears end too? Will we continue to notice the lonely person in shul? The struggling family? The person who is always smiling but is quietly falling apart? Will we stop embarrassing people? Will we stop speaking lashon hara? Will we judge others more favorably? Will we make a phone call, give tzedakah, offer a job, visit someone who is sick, invite someone for Shabbos, or simply tell another Jew, “I’m here for you”? The Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam. It will be rebuilt through ahavas Yisrael. If every Jew leaves Tisha B’Av committed to easing the pain of just one other Jew, then perhaps Hashem will say, “My children have finally learned to care for one another.” May this be the last Tisha B’Av we observe in mourning. May Hashem wipe away every tear, heal every broken heart, protect every soldier, comfort every mourner, strengthen those who are struggling, and gather all of Am Yisrael together in the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash with the coming of Mashiach במהרה בימינו. Amen.