The Hidden Light of the Three Weeks
Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Today, we are discussing the
spiritual messages embedded within the Three Weeks, and how they directly
connect to our Bitachon (trust in Hashem).
We mentioned previously that the three weeks of mourning
between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av—which are about to begin this
Thursday—correspond to the three-week period from Rosh Hashanah until Shmini
Atzeret and Hoshana Rabba. Whether you count 21 or 22 days, these two periods
mirror one another. As the Sefer Maharsha explains, hidden within these
three weeks of mourning is the tremendous light of the High Holidays and the
joyous season of Sukkot.
The Meor V'shemesh explains that this is why every year,
usually right after Shivah Asar B'Tammuz (as we will this year), we read
Parshat Pinchas. Parshat Pinchas contains the Torah portions detailing the Korbanot
(communal offerings) for all the major holidays: Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh
Hashanah, and Sukkot. By reading about these offerings now, we arouse the
spiritual power of the very holidays we are destined to create during these
three weeks.
The Concept of Transforming Darkness
What is the underlying concept here? We can understand this
through a teaching from Rabbeinu Yona.
A verse in Tehillim (Psalms) states:
"Make us happy (Samcheinu) corresponding to the
days You afflicted us (k'yemot initanu), the years we saw evil (ra'inu
ra'ah)."
As an aside, I once heard a beautiful explanation of this: We
pray for joy matching the days of pain where we "saw evil." It
means it wasn't really evil; it only appeared that way to our human
eyes. In truth, everything Hashem does is entirely good.
In the second gate of Sha'arei Teshuvah (Letter 5),
Rabbeinu Yona writes that a person who truly relies on Hashem should place
their hope in Him even in the most dire situations, recognizing that the
darkness is actually the cause of the light (כי החושך סיבת האורה). He brings a proof-text from the Prophet Michah:
"Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I have
fallen, I have risen; though I sit in darkness, Hashem is my light."
On a simple level, this means: I fell, but now I am up; I
was in the dark, but now I have light. However, Rabbeinu Yona quotes Midrash
Tehillim (on Chapter 22) which takes it deeper: If I hadn't fallen, I
never would have gotten up. If I hadn't sat in the dark, I never would have
experienced the light.
The light coming from darkness and the rising from a fall is
not an afterthought. The fall is a prerequisite for the rise. As it says,
"A righteous man falls seven times and rises." He actually needs
those seven falls in order to achieve those seven ascents.
The Secret of Jewish Hope
The Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), the famous author
of the Mesillat Yesharim, writes in his book Ma'amar Hageulah
that this concept is the very secret of Jewish Bitachon (סוד ביטחון ישראל)—the foundation of our enduring hope for the complete and
speedy redemption.
To bring about this ultimate redemption, vast spiritual
preparations and cosmic effects are constantly at play. Those who study
Kabbalah understand how this dynamic works: when the Jewish people feel that
God is hiding Himself and has forsaken them, that is precisely the time when
Hashem is constructing immense spiritual treasure houses.
Metaphorically speaking, these treasure houses are limitless
in size and grandeur, filled to the brim with the most magnificent jewels and
diamonds. When these storehouses are filled to a capacity beyond what the mouth
can express, the ear can hear, or the heart can conceive, Hashem will open
them. At that time, the Jewish people will delight in unbelievable pleasures
that were forged through their hard work during dark, difficult days.
This is the true meaning of Simcheinu k'yemot initanu—"Make
us happy corresponding to the days of pain." Throughout this long exile,
whenever we experienced a lack of light, that light was never lost.
Low Light Means Saved Light
This is a mind-boggling concept. Hashem takes the light and
stores it away in a treasure house. Imagine you were supposed to receive a
daily dose of light, but instead, you experienced total darkness. That light
didn't vanish; it was saved for later. Therefore, the darker the darkness, the
greater the ultimate light will be, because more light is being preserved.
"Low light" simply means "saved light."
Following this framework, what are the moments of greatest potential light? A
Holocaust, an Inquisition, a pogrom. Those were incredibly dark days, but the
light was not lost; it was being stored away. Ultimately, we will merit a world
of complete tranquility and serenity, where no moaning remains.
To add to this point (independent of the Ramchal), the verse
says:
"Light is planted for the righteous (Or zarua
latzadik), and joy for the upright in heart."
We are planting light right now. And when you plant light,
incredible things grow.
Reflecting the Divine Light
Midrash Rabbah (Shemot 15:27) notes that the moon represents the light of
the Jewish people. Just as the moon has no light of its own but receives and
reflects the light of the sun, the Jewish people receive and reflect the light
of Hashem. The Midrash connects this to the verses, "Or zarua
latzadik..." and "Arise, shine, for your light has come."
This is the deeper meaning of "Hachodesh hazeh
lachem"—"This month shall be to you." We are like the moon;
we wax and we wane, we diminish and we grow, but we always retain the capacity
to reflect the Divine light.
This is exactly what is happening during these Three Weeks.
We have to experience a certain level of darkness to cultivate that future
light. We must mourn the destruction of the Temple and truly internalize what
we are lacking. By moving through these Three Weeks in a state of spiritual
darkness, we are actively creating the light of the future Geulah
(redemption).
It is a wonder of wonders to view the upcoming Three Weeks,
starting this Thursday with Shivah Asar B'Tammuz, through this lens. B'ezrat
Hashem, we will continue with these vital lessons, but this is a powerful,
foundational concept to carry with us.
