Ma’amar by the Tolna Rebbe Shlita
It is told that when Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer ztz'l was an older man, Tisha B’Av once began on Motzaei
Shabbos and he left his home too late to daven in the shul which he normally attended. He therefore
started walking to the shul of the chassidim which was nearby. As he walked, however, it dawned on
him that the chassidim most likely do not follow the Lithuanian custom of wearing weekday clothes on
Motzaei Shabbos which is Tisha B’Av, and he did not want to stand out by wearing his weekday attire,
and to appear as “a mourner sitting among grooms.” And so, Rav Isser Zalman turned around, went to
his home, put on his shtreimel and kapoteh which he wore on Shabbos, and then went to daven and
listen to Eicha at the minyan of the chassidim.
To his shock, all the chassidim were following the custom
of the misnagdim, and were dressed in their weekday clothes.
Although the members of this minyan turned out to be wearing weekday clothing, the fact that Rav Isser
Zalman assumed that they would be wearing Shabbos attire teaches us about the proper mode of
conduct during this period – the mode of conduct which was always particularly pronounced among
Tolner chassidim. Namely, they conducted themselves with joy, even during this period of mourning.
Although mourning had its place, the chassidim knew how to make room in their hearts for mourning
alongside their joy.
In truth, there is no contradiction whatsoever between the two. A person’s heart is
capable of experiencing feelings of joy and grief simultaneously. And it is known that melancholy is the
root of all sin, and joy is the root of all mitzvos and good deeds.
Let us, therefore, muster all our strength to combat the dangerous yetzer ha’ra of melancholy which
takes hold of our hearts, and feel truly joyous over our being the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and
Yaakov, and over the very fact we are alive, and we will thereby earn the arrival of Mashiach Tzidkeinu,
.
לעילוי נשמת הרה"ח ר' אברהם יהודה בן ר' פסח אליעזר ז"ל קורדיש נלב"ע ח"י מנחם אב תש"ע
*
Delivered on Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Devarim, 5766 (2006). Adapted into English by David Silverberg.
