Burned but Unbroken: The Day After Tisha Be’Av
The day after Tisha B’Av is an emotional bridge. Yesterday was a hard day for many of us, a day designed in our tradition to hold the deep well of Jewish sorrow. It’s not that the sadness suddenly disappears, but we have been given the gift of a day to contain it. That gives us permission, maybe even the responsibility, to start cultivating joy again, to remind ourselves of the life force that still pulses through and within us as individuals, and as Am Yisrael.
It’s important to pause, take a breath, and reflect. Tradition tells us that the fires which burned our Temple in 70 CE still smoldered the next day — today. So, while we step into the future, we are not free from the pain of Tisha B’Av just yet. But here’s the wisdom of our tradition: we hold the pain, but we are also called to choose life.
This week’s Torah portion, Va’Etchanan, speaks directly to this delicate balance. Moses, knowing he won’t enter the Promised Land, pours his heart into his final words. He stands before us with a sense of urgency, reminding us to cling to God, to hold fast to the holiness that sustains life, even in the face of loss.
One verse stands out: “But you who hold fast to God, you are all alive today. (Deut. 4:4)” This is not encouragement to enhance life through spirituality, but rather a fierce call to action. To hold fast to God is like grabbing onto a lifeline in the middle of a stormy sea. Life can feel like chaos swirling around us, and all we can do is grab hold of the thread of divinity that grounds us, that keeps us afloat.
That lifeline, friends, is Torah. Torah is our anchor, our way to live fully even as we navigate pain. Moses knew he wouldn’t be with the people forever, but he offered them a gift — a tradition that can sustain us in every storm. Whether we are in grief, in joy, or in the complicated space between, Torah pulls us back to life, back to purpose.
Today, as we emerge from the sorrow of Tisha B’Av, let us remember that our task is not to forget the pain, but to integrate it. Life doesn’t wait for us to feel fully ready. Life, with its beauty and its brokenness, is here, right now. And we are alive today. That means we have work to do. We have the responsibility to bring light into the world, to offer prayers for healing, to hold each other close in the spirit of love.
So as we transition from sorrow to hope, let’s cling to the lifeline of Torah, and through that connection, send strength and prayers to those who are still in darkness. We are a people who survive by holding tight to life, and in doing so, we bring healing and hope into the world. May this be our mission today and always.
Am Yisrael Chai!