Pour Out Your Heart Like Water • 'Bein HaMetzarim' Gathering for the 'Mechina

On Wednesday night, the 21st of Tammuz, a 'Bein HaMetzarim' (The Three Weeks of mourning for the Temple) gathering was held for the Mechina (preparatory program) for Yeshiva Ketana (minor yeshiva) of the "Youth Group of the Shuvu Banim Holy Community."

For over half an hour, the pure youths sang melodies of emotion and awakening together with our teacher, the Rav (Rabbi Berland) shlit"a (may he live long and good days). Afterward, the Rav delivered a lesson to them; here is a summary of the lesson:

Rav Ada bar Ahava would say to them, "Until you go to eat dry bones at Abaye's..." Abaye used to receive a greeting of peace [from Heaven] every Erev Shabbos (Sabbath eve). Rava was a spark of Lot and received it only on Erev Yom Kippur (the eve of the Day of Atonement). Lot was on the level of Avraham Avinu (Abraham our Father); he would study Torah twenty-four hours a day. Abba Umna received a greeting of peace every day because he conducted himself with extreme modesty. Haman knew that [this period] would eventually turn into a holiday, which is why he only wanted one day [for his decree]. During the three weeks, it is possible to revive the dead through the secret of the Luz (the indestructible bone)—as explained in Torah 85 [of Likutey Moharan]. The Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) says that specifically now, a great light descends; during the destruction [of the Temple], such intense lights descended that there were no vessels to contain the light, and therefore the destruction occurred. The Megaleh Amukos (Section 87) on the verse "I will climb the palm tree" explains that this is the beginning of the Geulah (Redemption); back then was the aliyah (immigration) from Yemen, and they were not allowed to enter Jerusalem at first. Similarly, a hundred years ago, the Ashkenazim were not allowed to enter Jerusalem. The 'Arzei HaLevanon' (Cedars of Lebanon) mentions that when they placed Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon [on the pyre], he did not burn. Likewise, on the 7th of Av, they tried to set the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) on fire and it would not ignite, until "From on high He sent fire into my bones and it subdued them." This is like what happened after they went into exile and reached North Africa. The governor asked them, "Who are you?" They said to him, "We are Jews." "How will I know you are Jews?" "We are circumcised." He replied, "The Muslims also circumcise; I read that Jews can be thrown into fire and they do not burn." Avraham said to Eliezer: "If you are with Avraham Avinu and you do not see the fire on Mount Moriah, then you are a donkey!" Whoever is in Shuvu Banim and does not see fire is a donkey! All the missiles went aside in the merit of the girls saying Tehillim (Psalms). Nero Caesar was the opposite; every direction he shot, the arrow turned toward Jerusalem. "The kings of the earth did not believe, nor all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter the gates of Jerusalem." Mar Ukva would give a poor man ten shekels every day. The poor man followed to see who it was, so Mar Ukva and his wife began to run and hid inside an oven. His wife was cold, while Mar Ukva’s feet were burned; one must finish Tractate Kesuvos by morning. Shmuel knew his midwife; Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi knew his mohel (circumciser). A person can say the Tikkun HaKlali (The General Rectification) every time on the way to the Kollel (study hall). Those Jews who reached North Africa told the governor, "Give us thirty days." Each one recounted his dreams. On the thirtieth day, one dreamed of two words starting with "Ki" and three with "Lo," and it turned out to be the verse: "When (Ki) you pass through water, I am with you... and through the rivers, they shall not (Lo) overflow you." The reason Mar Ukva’s feet were burned while his wife's were not was because his wife would provide prepared food and not just money. Rav Acha bar Yaakov sent his son to learn Torah, but his son was not learning. One must finish four tractates by Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak [Bender] would only study Gemara (Talmud) all day; he would finish the entire Shas (Talmud) every month. Korach said, "Why do you lift yourselves above the congregation of Hashem," in the secret of Rachel and Leah. The spies were Leah, while Moshe and Aharon were Rachel. From Migdal Eder the Mashiach (Messiah) will come, because Eder is the gematria (numerical value) of Rachel and Leah. For what fear made a crown for its head, humility made a heel for its sole. Rabbi Shimon [bar Yochai] cried over four words: "O that Ishmael might live before You!"... we are suffering until now! Returning to Abaye in the discussion regarding Chuma, whether she is considered a "deadly woman" (katlanit) or not. The Tosafot (commentary) on page 61 brings that Rivka (Rebecca) was 14 years old, however, the Sifrei brings the pairs who passed away at the same time, and Rivka was among them at 133 years old; it follows then that she married Yitzchak (Isaac) at the age of 3. Let us finish the story of the Jews in North Africa: he said the verse "When you pass through water... when you walk through fire," and then he entered the fire. Then Abaye said not to let Rav Acha bar Yaakov enter, let him sleep on the benches. We used to sleep on the benches in Meron; we would do Hisbodedus (secluded prayer) in the snow with snow up to our knees and scream—they heard us all the way to Uman... So he slept in the Beis Medrash (study hall) and encountered a seven-headed snake; let everyone study the continuation on their own.