SKG Articles: Av - Awakening Ideas

MYSTICAL THOUGHTS ON THE HEBREW MONTH OF AV

In a kabbalistic treatise on the month of Av it is written, "When one contemplates a piece of
wisdom and he's having difficulty, he should think thoughts of repentance, feel the pain of the
exile, and pray for the redemption. This will awaken his mind to the idea he wishes to grasp."
The merit of the mitzvah of praying for the redemption is spiritually connected o the need for
wisdom. They are really one and the same. The redemption is the reuniting of God and man.
Our world is not in an ideal state. There is war, famine, ignorance, crime, etc. The redemption
will bring and end to all that is dark in the world. Feeling this loss brings a person back to a
consciousness that is elevating.

In another kabbalistic treatise on Av it is written an explanation of the verses from Lamentations
"all who chose God will grab a hold between the bad times" "This means that people who want
deeply to grasp an understanding of God's infiniteness will find it easier in the days known as
"between the bad times" - which is from the 17th of Tammuz (last month) until the 9th of Av."
We see that now is an auspicious time for expressing the need and desire for more clarity
about God.

These two quotes form the foundation of the spiritual quality that exists in Av. There is a
potential for clarity in our relationship with God and spirituality. This clarity comes from a
sincere desire to correct our faults. We must focus on the barriers we share as a society.

This month is known historically for being the time of the Jewish peoples' greatest tragedies
e.g. the destruction of the temples in Jerusalem during Talmudic times. Yet the Kabbalah, which
it often does, looks at what lies underneath the tragedies, which is the potential for a greatness
that didn't exist before the tragedy. This is why tradition says that the new temple will be built in
the month of Av. This is also why tradition says that the time of Messiah is born in the month of
Av. In mystical knowledge good things are often hidden in bad things. Holiness is hidden in
impurity. The truth is, if you understand Oneness you'll see it has to be this way. This is a
broader topic that the present format does not allow for. For our purposes it sufficient to
understand that sometimes a tragedy brings a person to clarity that they never had before. For
example, the passing of a loved one often brings in to sharp focus all the wonderful things
about the person that we failed to truly appreciate when they were alive. In a similar vein, when
the first temple was destroyed it showed the people clearly that they were not living up to their
potential in spiritual endeavors. This wake up call brought out a feeling of repentance, which
has a spiritual power that is experienced in every generation. This year you may feel it.

That yearning to correct what we need to correct in ourselves is so powerful that it's the seed of
the ultimate redemption, the foundation of the final temple, and the doorway to a clearer
understanding of our Creator.

Source: Kabbalah Made Easy
By: Max Weiman