Tishah b'Av Round-Up
This is the same round-up I posted last year. No updates. Fortunately, I think the ideas in many of these articles are worth reviewing. At least, they are for me, and I hope they are for you, too!
The Torah Content for the first two weeks of August has been sponsored by Avital, "in gratitude for all the incredible brachah in my life right now and Mishlei and Stoicism for helping me handle it. Thank you Rabbi!"
Update 8/8/24: I’m in the middle of a new article on the Haftarah of Shabbos Chazon, which I hope to finish before Shabbos. In case I don’t, or even if I do, here’s the round-up of my Tishah b’Av articles. This one isn’t different from last year’s, and there are still articles that I haven’t prepared for publication and articles I haven’t recorded.
Update from 7/26/23: Here’s the story: I’ve written MANY articles on Tishah b’Av and related topics. I tried to edit and format all of them in time for Tishah b’Av this year, but didn’t get to all of them. I decided to list them all anyway, since they’re all out there on the internet in some form if you really want to see them. If there are no hyperlinks for a given article, then that means I didn’t get around to editing and formatting it in time. Check back again next year.
Bear in mind that these are listed in reverse chronological order. There are many cases in which later articles presuppose that you’ve reader earlier articles.
The Sin of Columbus, Yehoyakim, and American Jewry
Date: 7/25/23
Length: 8 pages
Synopsis: This article began as 4th of July musings about Columbus which illuminated my understanding of Yehoyakim, then morphed into a reflection on our values as American Jews in preparation for Tishah b'Av.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article and click here for an audio version.
Tishah b'Av 5782: Kinnah #28 - Eich Enacheim? (How Can I Be Consoled?)
Date: 8/12/22
Length: 8 pages
Synopsis: This is a write-up of a shiur I gave on Kinnah #28, which dealt with the theme of nechamah (consolation) and its implications for how we relate to Tishah b'Av and the period that follows.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article; as of now, there is no audio version, but here is the YouTube version and the podcast version of the live shiur I gave, for which this is a write-up.
Is it Permissible to Enjoy Learning on Tishah b'Av?
Date: 8/4/22
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: I once wrote that Tishah b'Av used to be "the most enjoyable day of every summer," on account of the learning we did with R' Moskowitz zt"l. This article examines this experience in light of halacha.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
How to Make Kinnos Real
Date: 8/3/22
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: This article explores a method for making kinnos real to our emotions based on the imaginative technique called EFT (Episodic Future Thinking), as a part of my ever-evolving approach to kinnos.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Role of Episodic Memory in the Three Weeks and Tishah b’Av
Date: 7/17/22
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: This is my attempt to articulate a method I'm experimenting with this year, using EFT (Episodic Future Thinking) to make kinnos more real to our minds and emotions.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
My Experience Fasting for 48 Hours on the 9th and 10th of Av
Date: 7/20/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: I made a decision to fast for 48 hours this year for health-related reasons, and subsequently found out that there's a basis in halacha for this. This is a summary of my findings and experience.
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Tenth of Av, Seven Haftaros of Consolation, and Life After the Pain
Date: 7/19/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: This article is a PSA about an overlooked halachic institution viewed through the lens of a Tara Brach mindfulness practice, in hopes that this experiment leads to transformative insight.
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
Tishah b'Av 5781: An Approach to the Blasphemy in Eichah and Kinnos
Date: 7/16/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: In this article I present an experimental new approach to reading Eichah and Kinnos, inspired by the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy and Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score.
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Necessity of Metaphysical Trauma for National Teshuvah
Date: 7/14/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: In this sequel to "The Induction of Metaphysical Trauma," we answer the titular question by drawing upon ideas from Jonathan Lear's "Radical Hope" and Bessel van der Kolk "The Body Keeps the Score."
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Sin of Refusing to Look at Oneself
Date: 7/13/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: This is an analysis of Yeshayahu's first prophecy of destruction of the first Beis ha'Mikdash in light of Anthony de Mello's statements about a major impediment to "waking up."
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Induction of Metaphysical Trauma
Date: 7/12/21
Length: 1 page
Synopsis: In this article we examine an idea from Rav about how a Jew experiences time in light of an insight into trauma from Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score.
Click here for a one-page printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for an audio version.
The Month of Av: Unlucky or Misunderstood? (Part 2 of 2)
Date: 8/6/19
Not ready for re-publication. Needs to be edited and merged into one article.
The Month of Av: Unlucky or Misunderstood? (Part 1 of 2)
Date: 8/5/19
Not ready for re-publication. Needs to be edited and merged into one article.
Tishah b'Av 5778: Where is "So"?
Date: 7/22/18
Length: 4 pages
Synopsis: This is a write-up of my shiur on Kinnah #13. Not only does this illustrate the methodology of kinnos, but it contains a fundamental idea about Tishah b'Av and hashgachah pratis.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this blog post.
Tishah b'Av 5777: Adam ha'Rishon and Tishah b'Av
Date: 8/2/17
Not ready for re-publication. Needs further development.
Tishah b'Av 5777: Hashem's Tzedakah and Our Shame
Date: 8/1/17
Not ready for re-publication. Needs further development.
Tishah b'Av 5775: Woe Unto Us!
Date: 7/26/15
Length: 5 pages
Synopsis: This article is an analysis of Kinnah #17 and an introduction to learning kinnos. It demonstrates the methodology and presents a good sample of a kinnos idea.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article.
If you have a comment on a specific article, please comment on that article. But if you have any general Tishah b’Av comments or requests for future Tishah b’Av articles, feel free to leave a comment here!
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