Tisha B'Av Take-Home

I often find that we focus intensively on the themes and messages of a given holiday or fast day, and then the next day we move on. I think it's human nature, and therefore normal and expected. After all, if we were supposed to sit on the floor and say kinnot every single day, it might lose its impact. At the same time, it seems that the reason that we have days like Tisha B'Av that are so super-intense and focused is so that we can take some of the messages of these days and incorporate them into our daily lives. This morning I had the privilege of hearing R' Dr. J.J Shachter. He opened by pointing out that we are not just supposed to remember the Churban Beit HaMikdash when we build a new house or see the kotel. Rather, it is supposed to be on our minds every day. In fact, at the very beginning of the Shulchan Aruch, right after the Mechaber writes about "shiviti Hashem l'negdi tamid"--always being aware that one is in the presence of God--he writes that a person should always be saddened by the Churban Beit HaMikdash. He clearly views remembering the Churban as one of the central aspects of a Jew's life! As Tisha B'Av comes to a close, it is worthwhile to think of ways that we can put the Churban Beit Hamikdash on our radar screens, and to think of how this event has affected Jewish history and continues to affect our lives.