The Three Weeks: A Time of Mourning and Longing!

Just in the thick of the summer, when most people are thinking about fun in the sun or on the water or on the deck (grilling ,with beer in hand), the Jewish calendar brings us to a more subdued frame of mind. We are now in the period known as "the three weeks," culminating in the saddest day of the Jewish year, Tisha b'Av (the 9th of Av), when both Temples were destroyed...among other tragedies. A time of "mourning" our past (and present) mistakes, and the many difficulties that have come in their wake throughout our history. But it is NOT about despair or mere sadness, which are both anathema to Judaism.Rather, this period of time should strengthen our LONGING for a better, more spiritually elevated world--which WILL be realized fully in the messianic era--and to redouble our commitment to help usher in that era through our deeds of righteousness and practice of mitzvot (commandments). Join me, Rabbi E, as I discuss and clarify, WITH the help of my VERY SPECIAL GUEST, the energetic and insightful, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, Director of MEOR @ University of Maryland and host of the podcast, "Jews You Should Know."