Parshas Voeschanan (5766)

Bs”d

Parshas Voeschanan (5766)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

The most important and significant of the Tisha B’Av Kinos is number eleven and it starts “Eicha Eli Konenu Me’ailav” ordained by Yirmiyahu HaNavi himself, lamenting the passing of Yoshiyahu HaMelech who fell into the hands of the Egyptian king Pharoh Necho while attempting to prevent him from passing through Eretz Yisroel. Yoshiyahu had successfully turned Klal Yisroel to HASHEM with inspiration compatible to Moshe Rabeinu. This teshuva truly merited victory over Pharoh Necho he reasoned. However, he got a red light from Yirmiyahu HaNavi, not knowing that secret pockets of avoda zara were hidden from him. The Navi said no.

Yoshiyahu wanted so much to make a Kiddush Hashem and demonstrate that the great teshuva would bring a huge victory. But the Navi said no. What a tragedy. Had this great king lived he could have saved Klal Yisroel from the Churban if he had he listened to the Navi. We must always obey our leaders.

Our Tisha B’Av tears, present and throughout the generations, of yearning for the Bais HaMikdash and the geula, helped to repair the damage of the uncalled for tears at the warped report of the spies.
On Shabbos our avoda of the week goes up. Our cries and tears should arise and bring the geula sh’layma.

We should “hold on” to the elevation we achieved during this inspiring period of the three weeks and not lose it through vacation and light-hearted levity. It should inspire our Elul to bring hatzala and yeshua to all Klal Yisroel

Have a wonderful Shabbos Nachamu.