SKG Articles: Tisha B'Av - Building the Vessel

This year: Sunset on August 2nd to sunset on August 3rd, 2006.

From Kabbalah.com: "This is the most negative day of the year. The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was
destroyed twice on the same day, in entirely different years. Other tragedies have taken place
throughout history on this day. The Spanish Inquisition and Hitler’s signature of approval on “the
Final Solution” are just a few of them. We know that each one of the 365 days of the year is
connected to each one of the 365 sinews in the body. Every action that we do affects each of those
parts spiritually, and also connects to one day a year. When fighting with Esau’s angel, Jacob
injured his Achilles’ tendon, and since then, the Torah has advised us not to consume this part of
any animal’s body. The Achilles’ tendon is connected to the 9th of Av, and that is the day upon
which Satan takes control. Therefore, the 9th of Av has been negative since its inception, as Satan
dominates it completely. What happens is that when a person’s actions are so negative, like hatred
for no reason, the result can be nothing but destruction, and that is what happened. Therefore
every year when we approach this day, it is a day of calamity, upon which it is customary to fast, in
order to control the desire to receive of the body. The bottom line is, the most negative day of the
year, a day of destruction and tragedy, can be the day of the greatest revelation of Light in the
year. Because instead of almost total darkness, we have the potential to reveal the greatest Light in
the world, and that is why Tisha b’Av is also considered a holiday, the day upon which the Messiah
is born."

It is recommended that you avoid travel, large decisions or starting new projects, or situations that
are potentially dangerous during Tisha b’Av and the eight days preceding it. If you is required to
travel, it may be appropriate to meditate with the 72 Name for Avoiding the Evil Eye.

Now, here we are in the month of Av, the most negative month of the year… discussing Tisha b’Av,
the most negative day of the year. But don’t fret! Coming up six short days after Tisha b’Av, we
have Tu b’Av… one of the most positive days of the year, a holiday for soulmates, and a turning
point in the energy of the entire month! More information on that h ere!

Ways to Connect:

Fast from food and drink. People restrict from eating for the 24 hours from sunset to sunset.
The last meal before Tisha b’Av is usually something somber like bread, water, a hard boiled egg,
etc. By not eating, we diminish our dependence on the physical and increase our connection to the
Light.

Sit low. For the 24 hours, we can connect to the somber consciousness of Tisha b’Av by sitting on
the floor or in low chairs. This reminds us that we are currently imprisoned in malchut, this physical
realm, and our own limited ego-consciousness and it will take a transformation of ego for us to rise
above this imprisonment.

Listen to the reading of Megillah of Eicha (Book of Lamentations) on the night of August 2nd.
The sound of the Hebrew letters, even if you do not understand them… are recognized by your
soul and are the specific “DNA Sequence” of the energy/consciousness for this connection. The
Hebrew reading will help you achieve the transformation of ego that is appropriate for Tisha b’Av.
Throughout the reading, our meditation should be on the actions and consciousness you have
continued that has lead to the destruction of the temple and our own inability to contain the Light of
the Creator. You can download the reading of Eicha by right clicking HERE and selecting
“Save As” to save it to your hard drive. (Download only available the week of Tisha b'Av)

Why are the Three Weeks, leading up to Tisha b'Av called a time of mourning?
Doesn’t “mourning” mean depression?
Let’s talk about… Good Grief

There is nothing as whole as a broken heart. -Chassidic saying

Depression is not a sin; but what depression does, no sin can do. - Chassidic saying

Is sad bad? Kabbalistic teaching differentiates between two types of sorrow: merirut, a constructive
grief, and atzvut, a destructive grief. Merirut is the distress of one who not only recognizes his
failings but also cares about them; one who agonizes over the wrongs he has committed, over his
missed opportunities, over his unrealized potential; one who refuses to become indifferent to what
is deficient in himself and his world. Atzvut is the distress of one who has despaired of himself and
his fellow man, whose melancholy has drained him of hope and initiative. Merirut is a springboard
for self-improvement; atzvut is a bottomless pit.

How does one distinguish between the two? The first is active, the second—passive. The first one
weeps, the second’s eyes are dry and blank. The first one’s mind and heart are in turmoil, the
second’s are still with apathy and heavy as lead. And what happens when it passes, when they
emerge from their respective bouts of grief? The first one springs to action: resolving, planning,
taking his first faltering steps to undo the causes of his sorrow. The second one goes to sleep.