Tisha b’Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, when both Holy Temples were destroyed, and the entire month is heavy with calamity.
But still… how does ancient history relate to my life, where I am pretty well off today?  Why do we still mourn?
The Jerusalem Talmud states, “If the Temple was not rebuilt in your lifetime, it is as if it was destroyed in your lifetime,” proving this destruction is an ongoing event.  Two millenia have passed, but if the Temple wasn’t rebuilt on this day in space and time, we’ve allowed the opposite to happen… again.  This should only intensify our pleas to G-d for Moshiach, and inspire us to do whatever necessary to usher in that era.
Imagine you are standing in Jerusalem; before your eyes, the approaching enemy sets the Temple aflame.  You, and any other Jew, would turn the world over to prevent it!  Remember the power we have to reverse the situation…
Does mourning for destruction mean we should never celebrate?
We can live with both!  Actually, our yearning for Moshiach deepens proportionately to our joy in fulfilling G-d’s Torah and its Mitzvos.
In this process, we bring Hashem’s Oneness – symbolized by the letter Alef – into our Golah (“exile”), transforming it into Geulah (“redemption”)!  When we choose to search for G-d in our darkness (any experience where He’s obscure) and so we increase our acts of holiness, goodness and kindness, this itself “turns on the light”, burning away the last remains of exile, fragmentation and confusion.
We can reveal a world where everyone recognizes G-d as One, and can feel His presence tangibly in this material reality.  So, what are you waiting for?  Turn it over – NOW!
See you in Jerusalem, by the Beis Hamikdash with the coming of Moshiach!
Based on the timeless wisdom of the Torah, as taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of saintly memory.  He is the one who emphatically declared in a public address, “Ker a velt heint – Turn the world over today!”
Words and condensation by Tzipporah Prottas