Why is it allowed? inspirational videos on 9 av

amother

Navy

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 8:36 am

I tend to spend most of 9 Av watching videos designed for that day. Yes they discuss the churban etc but they tend to be inspirational rather than depressing, and involved a lot of Torah learning outside of the sad bits.

Loads of rabonim and female speakers do this.

I just wonder why it's allowed? Do you also listen to material like that?

OutATowner

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 8:48 am

You are not supposed to be depressed. You are supposed to yearn for what was lost, and be inspired to do better. We also need to feel sad and mourn the tragedies, but feeling pain at the plight of Klal Yisroel is not the same as sinking into depression.
The only way to mourn with purpose is to cling to hope that there will be a better time, and that we can be a part in making that happen.

ChossidMom

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:02 am

My understanding is that you can't learn torah, say tehillim and learn inspiration stuff that is not related to the churban. Whatever we read or watch needs to be related to the churban. Inspiration is important because we want to grow from the day. The reason for fasting is to awaken us to teshuva. Inspirational shiurim help us with that.

PinkFridge

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 6:49 pm

I'm going to try to rewrite this a bit more coherently.
Aveilus IS about sadness. You can't get away from that.
We should cry on Tisha B'Av. I called in to the women's kinos and I broke down during the singing of Aish Tukad, the kinah with the alternating refrains of leaving Mitzrayim/leaving Yerushalayim. It was a good thing. I think there are days when we should cry. Yom Kippur for another one. (Is that why the asara harugei malchus is part of the nusach? Is that what we need for real teshuva?)

Depression, OTOH, is not healthy. It's paralyzing. The avodah is to feel the sadness, and yes, to hold onto it, even if during the rest of the year when we try to take it out it feels distant.
And then to say, ok, I can't be the same person after feeling something so deeply. What now?

This is where the inspirational videos come in. They give real guidance and meaningful ideas on what we can do to return. Imagine, tens of thousands of people across the world, sharing this experience, getting the same mandate. (And if anyone's inner cynic is starting to speak up, hush!)

And let's go to the micro level. Bilvavi mishkan evneh. What am I doing to build and rebuild my inner sanctuary? As much as Hashem says, children, work on loving each other, that's more important than the bein adom laMakom, where do I stand in my relationship with Hashem?

And the sefarim (sorry I can't say which off hand) talk about the correlations of 22 days of bein hameitzarim (it's 3 weeks but really 22 days) and the first 22 days of Tishrei. And just about the same time between Tisha B'Av and R"H as sefira.

The takeaway from Tisha B'Av should be hirhurei teshuva, and ahavas Yisrael. And Hashem.

Well, now that I'm about to hit send I can't say if it's more coherent but it's certainly longer.

And yes, Chossidmom, good to hear from you. Thanks for the links, too.

Last edited by PinkFridge on Sun, Jul 22 2018, 9:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

SpottedBanana

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 8:53 pm

ChossidMom wrote:

ChossidMom! You don't know me but I love your old posts. So nice to hear from you!