Tisha b'Av

The Lament: Hidden Key to Effective Listening

by Barry Bub, MD

This free example article is from the recently released 2nd edition of Seeking and Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual Guidance and Development, published in honor of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. Eds. Rabbis Goldie Milgram and Shohama Wiener, Reclaiming Judaism Press.
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The Three Weeks, Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B’av: Mourning the Hard Knocks of History

It is important to recognize the presence of sadness, fear, and lingering mourning from horrific events in our lives and lineage. To express the anguish of this is called a lament. The sages noticed that excess lamenting was destroying the creative spirit of our people. After allowing an ample period for grieving, they created a container for the grief, an annual three week process to honor and integrate our losses.