With the approach of Rosh Chodesh Av, we begin walking the solemn corridor of the Nine Days that leads us into Tisha B’Av.
We spend much of our reasoning in these difficult days imploring others to do their part in this world.
As Zionists, we wonder why Israel does not have a partner in peace, be it in Ramallah or on the other side of the fence in Gaza.
We wonder why something as toxic as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement could find any sort of toehold on our university campuses.
Aside from matters of Israel, many of us find it difficult to even respectfully disagree and dialogue with one another around the sanctity of a Shabbat table, especially when it comes to the political differences we face.
We watch in many other areas of American discourse an arena of anger becoming the voice we hear more frequently than civility.
During the Nine Days it behooves all of the Jewish people to personally advocate against and build momentum countering sinat chinam, baseless hatred. These Nine Days cannot be about why the Palestinians won’t choose peace. It has to be about settling differences in our own houses.
This time cannot be about why we differ with such anger toward one another regarding our president or even the upcoming Senate discourse about a new Supreme Court nominee.
The Nine Days must transcend these national and international issues, and we must work to counter the impact of families and friends who have allowed argument and disagreement to silence once-close relationships.
These Nine Days are a uniquely Jewish opportunity to look within ourselves, to make right what we need to correct with other people we love or once loved. It is a time to show Hashem that we ourselves, as Jews, are prepared for a peaceful Middle East, and that the U.S. is a nation with a pledge “under God” that we can thrive under. But we cannot take anything for granted. On Tisha B’Av we remember the destruction of our two holy Temples. We have learned through the years that sinat chinam is our greatest enemy, not the people who don’t vote the same way we do, or those who are simply anti-Israel or pro-BDS. Enemies of Israel and the descendents of Amalek may always be here, but Hashem has shown that they can’t ever truly destroy us.
Take hold of this time. Don’t let it pass by. It is a serious, opportune moment in life for all of us to make the world a better place, to hasten the building of the Third Temple. It starts with us.
