Chazal tell us that the Three Weeks, and the month of Av in particular, are days that are set aside for t’shuvah. But that leaves us with a question: How can a person do t’shuvah at a time of mourning and sadness, since Chazal tell us that Hashem’s presence will not rest on someone who is not b’simchah (Rambam, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 7:4), and true t’shuvah cannot happen unless we recognize that Hashem Himself is right there helping us through the process.
A hint to the answer comes from an amazing insight of the Chasam Sofer. According to Chazal, “When Av arrives, we curtail our joy.” The Chasam Sofer explains that the month of Av is a time to stop and reflect. It’s a time when we “reduce” the activities that create distractions in our lives – joyous or otherwise. By doing so, we are more able to focus on and connect to the tzaar of the churban Beis HaMikdash – both on a physical and on a spiritual level. But at the same time, we should do all of this in joy and not in sadness.
How so?
The purpose of any tzaar or nisayon that Hashem sends us is to remember that Hashem is right there behind all difficulty and suffering, and that the experience itself is meant to bring us closer to ourselves, to emes, and to Hashem. This realization alone can (and ideally should) bring with it a renewed feeling of simchah!
May we merit to recognize Hashem through all the difficulties and nisyonos, and may we truly merit to bring the Mashiach and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash speedily in our days!
[Material was previously published on ShiratMiriam.com.]
List of People Who Need
a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Shmuel ben Monavar
Efraim ben Leah
Chaim Hillel ben Rivkah
Yisrael Chaim ben Tamar
Asher ben Rima
Chaim Shmuel ben Leah
Yechiel Nasan ben Sarah
Tinok ben Peninah Esther
Moshe Chai ben Shoshanah
Yaakov ben Esther
Chaim Refael ben Chanah
Mikol ben Nigoria
Boris Baruch ben Frecha Frida
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Chaim ben Malkah
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Yehudah ben Peninah
Yura Avner ben Devorah
Yonah Gedaliah ben Pesha
Efraim ben Leah
Chaim ben Sarah
Yisrael Tzvi Yosef ben Toiba
Michael ben Mazal
Eliezer ben Chusni
Nataniel ben Chusni
Sarah bas Leah
Rus Victoria bas Tehilah
Esther Malkah Rinah bas Simchah
Malkah bas Tauba
Ronit bas Olga
Perel bas Nechamah
Rachel Leah bas Sarah
Tehilah Hadasah bas Elanah
Hadas bas Orah
Malkah bas Nechamah
Tziporah Stella bas Shirin
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Chayah Shoshanah Tovah bas Esther
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Gittel bas Sarah
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Esther Pessel bas Baila Chayah
Leah bas Chanah Serel
Zilpah bas Esther
Malkah bas Sarah Rachel
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.