Q. We would have been happy on Shabbat Nachamu...
A. That's right. The truth is that we need to be happy, but together with this, we need to be serious, because the time is draining away and passing and we are coming to the hardest things. This is another time. Everything is falling - the whole world around us - and when it's collapsing, it's impossible for a Jew to go out in the street happily. We can say everything is for the good, but on the other hand, we need to be sad over how Jews have arrived at such a low level. And even if it's written that it will be so, in any case, it's sad for a Jew, because it's dangerous for the children and it's dangerous for everyone.
Anyway, we need to operate at two levels: To understand that everything is for good, but also, to be sad. Like during the second world war that continued throughout the holidays inside the camps of destruction. The people would really need to arouse themselves to be happy if it was Hanukah or Purim, but that's not to say that they needed to forget what was happening around them and to know the seriousness of things.
A person waiting now for redemption is not able to be so happy right now because he is so waiting and he sees that it has begun. We see that there are now things that never were in the world, but he waits and waits. It's hard to wait and also to do everything that we need in the right spirit. It's possible to compare this to a person who is on a journey and he is exempt from many mitzvot and also, from mitzvot of prayer, because he is on a journey. He doesn't have stable or regular thoughts because he doesn't have a routine and doesn't have a stable place where he sleeps and eats, etc. Therefore, he is exempt from very many things.
Throughout the exile we were on the move. Sometimes, we would be several years in one place and sometimes, in another place. Sometimes, they were chasing us and sometimes, not. But, we got used to it. It was the way of life - that's it. We were able also to celebrate the holidays and also to live a regular life even in hard times. But, now, when the end of the exile is arriving, so we already don't have consideration. We don't have a daily routine to strengthen us, because we see how the world is collapsing and we're waiting for the end and this is a hard thing. Hard to organize our day the way we need to, hard to pray, hard to do many things. But, we need to fight against a lack of order, to put ourselves again in a routine so that we will be able truly to be at ease to receive our righteous Mashiach in mercy and in happiness.
[To be continued...]
