While our narrow vision sees destruction our broader deeper perspective enables a more profound interpretation: the power to see the budding light of Geulah even during the blackest night of the present Galus
After midday on Tisha B’Av we get up from our low seats and begin to change our thinking. In some communities there is even a minhag to clean the house on Tisha B’Av afternoon in anticipation of Mashiach’s coming. In the midst of our mourning over the Churban we make room for our dreams of Redemption. This is most fitting as the Midrash proclaims that the Mashiach is born on Tisha B’Av in the midday hours. And thus every year since the Destruction we leave Tisha B’Av and enter the gates of Shabbos Nachamu when we read the first of the seven Haftaros of Consolation.
In this way we learn and internalize the lesson that the Geulah is actually implanted deep within the Churban itself. This truth applies on all levels of Jewish life – to the Jewish Nation as a whole to each community and to each individual Jew.
From where does this ability stem this power to shift gears and begin envisioning Redemption even as the bitter words of the Kinos still flow from our lips reminding us not only of the loss of our Beis HaMikdash and dreadful events surrounding that calamity but also of many other horrific episodes in our history including the Holocaust that is still fresh in our memories? How are we capable at that point of entertaining thoughts of Mashiach?
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