Unless you're living under a rock, you've heard about the three kidnapped boys this past week in Israel. There have been pleas for prayer, a huge prayer gathering at the kotel, a petition to Washington, and mitzvah initiatives for them.
It's been a hard week. We've been attending graduations and weddings while waiting to hear what is going on with these three poor boys and their parents.
How do we bridge this balance between mourning and praying, and going on with our lives? As usual, I was inspired by a beautiful email from a friend.
"I sometimes listen to music while I get dressed in the morning. Two days ago, I had my music on while I was putting on my makeup and I was "bopping" to the rhythm, when all of a sudden I had to shut it off. My mind went straight to the boys who were kidnapped and I felt awful inside. I just couldn't listen and feel uplifted by the music knowing these boys were in captivity and their families were in turmoil. I finally got it! This is what we are supposed to experience as we get closer to Tisha bav. I don't intentionally listen to music when we are not supposed to, but sometimes I forget and turn on the radio while driving. And when I'm not listening to music during that time, sometimes it just feels like a burden. Although I understand intellectually why we don't listen to music at times, I don't connect at all emotionally to those periods. But on Monday and Tuesday and this morning still, I felt, how can I possible put music on and be uplifted when these boys, their families and the Jewish people are suffering. I finally got it emotionally and couldn't do it. I hope I can remember this feeling and connect to it during Tisha 'bav and other times of mourning."
Bingo! The Torah delineates what emotions to feel and when. Happy....sad...sad...happy... it's all part of the circle of life. Did you know that you can celebrate a bris on Tisha bav? My own sister did just that for her son! And then we got right back to mourning.
So this Friday night, I will say a special prayer for Eyal, Gilad and Naftali. I will cry for them and their families. And then I will hug my kids tight and celebrate Shabbat together.
Because that's the Torah way.
