Can we cancel it? - The Jewish Standard

Can we cancel the Ninth of Av this year?

As I glance at the calendar, I see the Ninth of Av staring back at me. The saddest day in the Jewish calendar is approaching. And I wonder: who needs it this year? Can we cancel this day altogether?

Traditionally, the Ninth of Av marks the end of an extended mourning period for the destruction of the Holy Temple, and the de facto day of mourning for basically all sad events in our history. It’s always in the middle of the summer, a stark reminder to pause our sun and fun and reflect on our tragic history. In synagogues, we read from the book of Kinot, detailing our nation’s many sorrows.

But this year I don’t need any reminder to look back and mourn. Honestly, I don’t even need a Kinot book. Just show me a picture of Kfir Bibas, the adorable toddler who has been a hostage in Gaza for more 300 days, and I can cry for hours. I don’t need a reminder to be in pain. Just tell me one more story of a family whose loving father left the house on October 7 and never came back. Oh, G-d. Too many of these stories!!

This year, we need something different. We need to be uplifted. Our broken hearts don’t need more sadness; they need to be elevated.

Recently, a good friend shared his guilt over planning his daughter’s wedding amidst the turmoil in Israel. “People in Israel are having tzuris, and here I am planning a joyous party,” he said.

I told him, “This is exactly what we need right now! In times of peace, we might afford to feel down. But now is a time of war. Jews in Israel are in a precarious situation, and Jews all over the world face rising antisemitism. Now we need celebrations more than ever. We should come together, increase our joy, and raise our spirits. This is the only way we can overcome!”

The Mishna teaches, “When the month of Av enters, we decrease our joy.” The rebbe of Munkatch creatively added, “When the month of Av enters, we decrease [all negative things, through] our joy!” Even in the saddest month, we have a mitzvah to be joyous.

Now, he was not proposing that we cease following the traditional mourning practices. These are written in the code of Jewish law and should be adhered to. Rather, his teaching highlights how joy has the ultimate power to transform darkness into light.

And I believe that this year, more than ever, we need to keep this teaching close to our hearts.

How do we add joy during this mourning period? The rebbe suggested that we conduct, and participate, in a Siyum, the completion of a tractate from the Talmud. Learning more Torah and celebrating such a milestone is sure to bring joy to both our bodies and our souls.

Finally, when Moshiach comes, our mourning will turn into a celebration. As we know, Moshiach’s arrival depends on our good deeds. So let’s increase our joy and good deeds — perhaps we can cancel the Ninth of Av after all!

Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi of Chabad of Hackensack and an editorial member of Chabad.org. He welcomes your comments at rabbi@ChabadHackensack.com

Opinion