Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

1. The Hidden Strength of the Mourning Jew

Many Yidden who left Mitzrayim were also in mourning. As it states (Shemos 13:18):
וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, and Rashi explains that only one-fifth — or even just one-fiftieth or one five-hundredth according to other views — left Egypt. The rest perished during makas choshech. That means there were mass levayos, and many Jews were in mourning.

Yet, Chazal say טְרוּדִים בְּאֲבֵלָם, they were engaged in aveilus, but not consumed by it. They followed the halachos, but didn’t lose their yishuv hadaas — their peace of mind.

The Yismach Yisrael asks: why does the Torah even need to command us to mourn? Everyone mourns naturally. Even non-Jews, l’havdil, feel pain when they lose a loved one. Why then does the Torah codify aveilus?

He answers that Hashem wants us to be happy at all times. So He made mourning a mitzvah. That way, even our sadness is elevated through connection to Him. As it says in Tehillim (19:9),
פִּקּוּדֵי ה׳ יְשָׁרִים מְשַׂמְּחֵי לֵב — “The mitzvos of Hashem are upright, causing the heart to rejoice.”

The Avnei Nezer once said at a nichum aveilim that the word אָבֵל (mourner) is an acronym:
אֵין בִּי לְשִׂמְחָה — “I am happy.”
People asked for a source, and he pointed to Rashi in Succah 25a, where Rashi says:

> “Although one must observe the outward halachos of aveilus, like not wearing shoes or washing, one is not obligated to feel inner distress.”

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2. Prophecy, Simchah, and National Resilience

The Chazon Ish quoted the Brisker Rav zt”l with a deep insight: prophecy only comes when a person is in a state of simchah. So how could Yirmiyahu HaNavi utter the devastating words of Megillas Eichah and still be in a state fit for prophecy?

The answer: mourning is not a contradiction to simchah when it’s done with the understanding that we are serving Hashem. The outer sadness can coexist with inner joy, because it’s framed by purpose and emunah.

The Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh taught that just as Klal Yisrael traveled 42 journeys in the midbar, each Jew undergoes 42 spiritual journeys in life. The Torah warns us (Vayikra 18:3):
כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם… לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ — “Do not follow the ways of Egypt.”
Don’t be like the goyim, who are טְרוּדִים בְּאֲבֵלָם, lost in their grief.

The Jewish way is different: we go through every test with emunah, bitachon, and yishuv hadaas — and even with joy. Not because life is always happy, but because we know Who runs the world, and that we are part of His plan.

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3. The Meaning of Mourning on Tisha B’Av

This brings us to Tisha B’Av.

We do not mourn just out of sadness or nostalgia. Tisha B’Av is meant to awaken us to the purpose of our existence — to serve Hashem with clarity and devotion. The mourning is not defeat; it is a call to rebuild — spiritually, morally, and nationally.

It’s like reading a powerful novel: the pain draws us in and makes us confront truth. But unlike a story, this isn’t fiction. We are the characters, and Hashem is the Author.

That’s why even on Tisha B’Av, we don’t sink into despair. We don’t call it a “happy day,” but we don’t surrender to hopelessness either. We know that Tisha B’Av will become a Yom Simchah. As the Navi says:

> צום החמישי… יהיה לבית יהודה לששון ולשמחה — “The fast of the fifth [month] will become for the house of Yehudah a day of joy and gladness” (Zechariah 8:19).

A person who loves mitzvos can find joy even in mourning — because he knows it’s all from Hashem, and all leading somewhere.

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Conclusion: Aveilus with Joy, Mourning with Meaning

We are not a nation that escapes pain — we elevate it. We don’t ignore suffering — we sanctify it. Our aveilus is not depression — it is service.

And in that service, we find the deepest joy: the joy of knowing we belong to Hashem, that every chapter has meaning, and that even tears can lead to redemption.