Reply To: Q&A With Rav Avigdor Miller

Q:
How can I learn to mourn for the ??? ??????

A:
How can you mourn for the ??? ??????! Well, if you never think about the ??? ?????, you’ll never be able to understand the loss. So first of all, think about the ??? ?????. Most people don’t even think about it. And then the ???? ?? comes and they want to know – tell me how to mourn for the ?????.

So when you finish ????? ????, make sure to say the last few words slowly, with some thought. Most people are already thinking about breakfast or something else when they say these words: ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????. Say it with ????. At least these words you can say with ????. Say ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? and think about the words you are saying.

Say these words slowly. And think about them. Show that you understand that it’s a loss. If you don’t even understand that it’s a loss, then there’s no use talking. So every day, when you finish ????? ???? make sure to say these words. That’s number one.

Also, if you can think about how great the opportunity was when the ??? ????? existed. You would come to the ??? ????? and you would learn ???? ???? just from looking at it. ???? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ????? – “In order that you should learn to fear Hashem your G-d all the days” (Dvarim 14:23). Merely by coming there and seeing the ????? ??????? and the ????? ????? ???????, you would become so inspired. And that’s a terrible loss!

You know, that ???? ????? became a ???? because he was at the ???? ??? ?????? in the ??? ?????. And he was so inspired by what he witnessed, that the ??? ????? came upon him and he became a ????.

And therefore you can say, “????? ?? ????, please restore for us the ??? ?????.” It doesn’t mean you want ????. The ??? ????? without ???? is also good. Of course it won’t come without ????. But you have recognize the great gift of the ??? ????? on its own. So you have to think, “I want ???? to come build the ??? ????? again, and we should all come together in the ??? ????? and we’ll get ??? ????? just from being there.” That’s why we want the ??? ????? – to get closer to Hashem.

So that’s how to mourn for the ??? ?????. Little by little, you have to think these thoughts and that’s how to begin. You’ll never mourn for it if you don’t feel the loss. So first you have to train yourself to feel how great was the opportunity when we had it. And then you’ll know what it means to not have it, and you’ll be able to mourn for the loss.
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