Discomfort can be a catalyst for change
We’ve got plenty of time to prepare for Tishah B’av. We know that it’s the next “big day” after Shavuos and as we’re planning our summer vacations and outings, we know we need to work around it. We have, the Three Weeks, initiated by a fast day, to help settle us into a period of sadness and loss.
In case we’ve missed something, there’s the Nine Days and the week of Tishah B’av — the message drumming ever louder into our consciousness that we’ll soon be immersed in national mourning. And then it arrives.
“Mommy! I’m bored. He’s hitting me! Mommy, what’s there to eat? Mommy, I’ve got nothing to do. Mommy, d’you want to play a game with me? Mommy, when’s the fast over — I’m starving!”
Even with all the preparation, it can be hard to concentrate. The needs and demands of children break the contemplative mood. It’s tricky enough to keep youngsters occupied on regular days, but having to keep them happy while being appropriately sad is far more challenging. (“Here’s some Lego guys… you play while Mommy reads her holocaust memoir. And please keep the noise down because Mommy’s head hurts.”)
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