Patriotism: It’s Worth Crying Over
This Shabbos is the day of Tisha b’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. Instead of focusing our attention this week’s Parsha, Devarim, we will focus on Tisha b’Av.
Tisha b’Av is our day of national mourning. We mourn the loss of our Holy Temple that was destroyed 2,000 years ago. I wonder if there is another nation in the world that has a national holiday of mourning on an annual basis. Why forever crying? Can’t we just move on?
Why do patriotic people wave their flag? Why do they wear their country on their sleeve? They do so because that is the core of their existence. Without their land, without their flag they have no existence. Although every patriot could physically live and exist on a deserted island but the patriot recognizes that without his land and his country he is a nobody. His nationality is what defines him.
Like other people we, too, are patriotic. We recognize that without our nationhood we do not exist as a people. However, the core of our existence is not our homeland it is our relationship with HaShem. The flag that we wave is the Torah, she is the symbol of our relationship to the core of our existence – HaShem. We were able to exist and even thrive over 2,000 years without a land. Our relationship exists wherever we find ourselves. So long as the Torah is in our suitcase we continue to maintain our relationship and continue to exist.
So why the mourning? If our relationship continues everywhere we go why cry over the destruction of our Temple?
Relationships are dynamic, not static. In all relationships there is a constant ebb and flow between the two parties. If the relationship is genuine then as the two draw close to each other there is exhilarating joy and when they drift from one another there is tremendous sadness. These emotions which are natural reactions will occur when the relationship is genuine. If the relationship is only superficial there will be either no emotion or a superficial emotion.
The prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) tells us in the name of HaShem what the world will look like HaShem renews His relationship with us. “It will happen in the end of days; the mountain of the Temple of HaShem will be firmly established as the head of the mountains… and all the nations will stream to it. Many peoples will go, and say ‘Come, let us go up to the Mountain of HaShem and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths…” The reason HaShem tells us what will be at the end of days is not only to give us hope but perhaps to give us a frame of reference what our relationship will look like. Until we reach that point we know that HaShem has not taken us back yet – there is still more to accomplish.
The crying we do on Tisha b’Av is a reaction to the mournful situation of our imperfect relationship with HaShem. However, only a patriotic Jew can cry. Only one who sees his Judaism as part of what defines him will be able to mourn our imperfect relationship.
Are there many patriotic Jews? I contend that most of the Jews I know are very patriotic. The test for Jewish patriotism is if there is any difference in one’s pain whether it the attack was against a Jewish organization or some other American organization? Was the victim a Jew or another American? How does one feel when the United Nations names Israel as the world’s top human rights violator?
If the answer to these questions is positive then they are patriotic and they will be capable of feeling the loss of our close relationship with HaShem. We need only to focus on that part of us and appreciate every other Jew as another member of our beautiful nation.
May HaShem bring the day that Yeshayahu spoke of and we will return to Israel upright and proud with the rest of the world looking on with admiration.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and an easy fast.
Paysach Diskind