Calamity and Consolation

                The prophets, our Sages, the Halacha and Jewish tradition all speak in the same language and express the concept that the destruction of Jerusalem carries with it the promise of consolation and the rebuilding of the Holy City.

                The “Three Haftarot of Catastrophe,” are read during the three week period of mourning the destruction of the two Temples; two are from the Book of Jeremiah and the third, read the Shabbat which precedes Tisha b’Av, is from Isaiah. There is no greater prophet of the Divine anger and impending destruction of Jerusalem than Jeremiah, who witnessed Jerusalem’s destruction by the army of Babylonia. Yet, even before Jeremiah received his first prophecy, in God’s appointment of him, Jeremiah is told by God that his mission is not merely to “Uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish,” but as well “To build and to plant.” [1:10] At the very beginning of his prophetic career, prior to Jeremiah’s first practical steps as a prophet, God makes it clear to him that he will not be only the prophet of the impending calamity, but also a prophet of consolation. Indeed, the Book of Jeremiah contains four consecutive chapters [30-33] which consist of prophecies of consolation.

                Jeremiah, who blatantly prophesied the destruction of the First Temple, by relating God’s words “And I will do to the house upon which My name is called, upon which you rely, and to the place that I gave you and your forefathers, as I did to Shiloh,” [7:14] also conveyed the Divine tidings “So said the Lord: ‘Behold I am returning the captivity of the tents of Jacob, and his dwellings I will pity, and the city shall be built on its mound and the palace (Targum Yonatan and Rashi understand this to refer to the Temple) on its proper site shall be established.’” [30:18] Beyond this, Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem will be built up eternally: “It shall never again be uprooted or torn down forever.” [31:39]

                Isaiah, who prophesied “And the daughter of Zion shall be left like a hut in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city …” [1:8], is also the prophet of consolation. Indeed, the “Seven Haftarot of Consolation,” read from the Shabbat following Tisha b’Av until Rosh haShana, are all taken from the Book of Isaiah.

                Perhaps the prophecy which most overtly expresses the concept that consolation is inherent in the destruction is that of Zachariah.  While Zachariah lived at the time of the building of the Second Temple and was not a prophet of calamity, he was privileged to deliver the word of God to the Nation of Israel:

So said the Lord of Hosts: “The fast of the fourth (month), the fast of the fifth (month), the fast of the seventh (month), and the fast of the tenth (month) will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah.” Therefore, love truth and peace. [8:19]

That is, the four fast days associated with the destruction of Jerusalem will become days of rejoicing. Zachariah conveys God’s explicit promise that the destruction carries with it the promise of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple.

                Concerning our Sages’ comments on the matter, it would seem appropriate to quotes their statement that “Whoever mourns Jerusalem will merit and see her joy, and whoever does not mourn Jerusalem will not see her joy.” [Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anit 30b] However, there is nothing novel in this statement of the Sages, who merely stress the simple meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy [66:10] “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all who mourn her.” 

                Rather, it is likely that our Sages’ strongest expression of the connection between calamity and consolation is the story of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues, related at the conclusion of Tractate Makkot:

(Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Akiva) were ascending to Jerusalem together, as they came to Mount Scopus they tore their garments (as a sign of mourning the destruction of the Holy City), as they reached the Temple Mount, they  saw a fox emerging from the Holy of Holies. They began to cry, while Rabbi Akiva smiled. They said they to him, why are you smiling? He said to them: “Why are you crying?” They responded, “A place of which it is said ‘And the common man that comes near shall be put to death’ [Numbers 1:51, i.e, the Holy of Holies may be entered only by the High Priest as part of the Yom Kippur service] has now become the haunt of foxes, how can we not cry?” Rabbi Akiva replied to them: “Therefore smile; for it is written, ‘And I will take to Me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the Son of Jeberechiah.’ [Isaiah 8:2] What is the connection between Uriah the priest and Zechariah? Uriah lived during the times of the First Temple, while Zechariah lived during the times of the Second Temple; but Scripture linked the prophecy of Zechariah with that of prophecy of Uriah.  In the prophecy (in the days) of Uriah it is written, ‘Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field, etc.’ [Micah 3:12] In Zechariah it is written, ‘So said the Lord of Hosts: Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of old age.’ [Zachariah 8:9] So long as Uriah's prophecy had not been fulfilled, I had misgivings lest Zechariah's prophecy might not be fulfilled; now that Uriah's prophecy has been fulfilled, it is a certainty that Zechariah's prophecy also is to find its fulfillment.”

                Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest sages of the Mishna, the “armor bearer of ben Koziva the king (Bar Kochva),” [Maimonides Laws of Kings 11:3] in elucidating the verse in a manner contrary to its simple meaning, saw it as an expression of the consolation inherent in the calamity of the destruction of Jerusalem.

                The Halacha expresses the connection between consolation and calamity in the determination that taḥanun, the penitential prayer, is not recited on Tisha b’Av. [Shulḥan Aruch, Oraḥ Ḥayyim 559:4]

                Jewish tradition expresses the concept by referring to the month of Av as “Menaḥem Av” (the comforting Av). [Ta’amei haMinhagim 632-3]                                                                       
                In his insightful commentary on Jeremiah 1:10, Malbim provides the rationale for the fact that the promise of redemption and rebuilding is to be found within the destruction: God does not destroy for the sake of destruction, rather in order to rebuild (in an improved manner). Thus, the destruction necessarily carries the guarantee of consolation through rebuilding Jerusalem.
                Indeed, it is true that the destruction necessarily heralds consolation, as “Whoever mourns Jerusalem will merit and see her joy,” however, we may not simply passively await the day of consolation. Our Sages noted the apparent contradiction in God’s declaration concerning the coming of Messiah: “In its time I will hasten it,” [Isaiah 60:22] and commented “If Israel is worthy, I will hasten it, if not he will come in his time.” [Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a] We have the power to hasten our final redemption. Without question, the means for hastening the redemption is rectifying the reason for the Temple’s destruction, as Rabbi Kook phrased it:

Given that we were destroyed and the entire world destroyed with us due to unfounded hatred, we shall be rebuilt and the world rebuilt with us through unbounded love.

            It is in our hands.