You Cannot Mourn Jerusalem Until You See Her Beauty | 10@9 | 2026.07.23

Tisha B'Av is the day we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish People. But Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik taught that mourning alone is incomplete. Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, the great 12th-century poet and author of the Kuzari, composed one of the most beautiful Kinnot we recite on Tisha B'Av. In it, he does not dwell on destruction. Instead, he paints a breathtaking picture of the beauty of Zion and the Land of Israel. According to a famous legend, he sang these words as he finally reached Jerusalem, the destination he had longed for his entire life. In this 10@9, we explore why Rabbi Yehuda Halevi's Kinah is indispensable to Tisha B'Av. Before we can truly mourn Jerusalem, we must first remember her greatness, her beauty, and what was lost. Only then can our grief be worthy of the past - and become the foundation of hope for the future. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.