Tisha B'Av Feels Different This Year...

Summary

In this reflective script, Tisha addresses the Jewish community's mourning of historical and recent suffering, specifically referencing the events of October 7th. The speaker encourages a deeper contemplation of God's pain alongside human suffering, drawing an analogy to parental love and concern. The narrative pivots to a call for collective action, emphasizing that the Creator's desire for a perfect world is the driving force behind humanity's resolve to alleviate pain and injustice, suggesting that the immense suffering we experience is part of a grand, benevolent plan.

Takeaways

• 😔 The speaker reflects on the mourning of the Jewish people's historical suffering and oppression, particularly noting a recent event on October 7th.
• 🙏 The fast day is used as a time to seek God's mercy and salvation for the Jewish people.
• 🤔 The script encourages considering the pain that God might feel on behalf of his people, suggesting a deep empathetic connection.
• 👨‍👧 The analogy of a parent's pain when their child suffers is used to illustrate God's potential emotional response to human suffering.
• 😢 Judaism is presented as teaching that God feels pain infinitely more than humans, crying with them in sorrow and joy.
• 🌏 The speaker emphasizes that God is not a distant, indifferent creator but is deeply involved and affected by the world's state.
• 💪 The call to action is for the Jewish people to renew their resolve to make the world better, partnering with God in fixing it.
• 🌟 The idea that God has the biggest stake in the world's improvement is highlighted, suggesting that it is God's need to perfect the world.
• 🤷‍♂️ The script acknowledges the mystery of why there is pain in the world but maintains a focus on ending it.
• 🔑 The suffering is suggested to be part of an 'incredibly awesome plan,' implying a grand purpose behind it.
• 🙌 The speaker concludes by reminding that the Jewish people's mission to fix the world is not out of neediness but because it is the Creator's desire.

Q & A

What is the significance of the day being discussed in the script?

The day being discussed is a day of mourning, where the Jewish people reflect on the suffering, oppression, and heartache they have experienced throughout history.

Why is the year mentioned as different from prior years in the script?

The year is considered different because the Jewish community experienced a 'pogrom' on October 7th, which is a violent attack on Jewish communities, making the reflection on suffering more immediate and personal.

What is the purpose of the fast day mentioned in the script?

The fast day serves as a time for people to plead with God for salvation and mercy, asking Him to look upon His people with compassion.

How does the script suggest we should consider God's perspective on human suffering?

The script suggests that we should consider the pain that God feels in response to human suffering, as it is believed in Judaism that God feels our pain infinitely more than we do.

What is the analogy used in the script to help understand the concept of God experiencing human pain?

The script uses the analogy of a parent and child to illustrate how a parent may have to cause their child distress for their long-term well-being, which can be a source of even greater pain for the parent than for the child.

What does the script imply about God's role in the world's suffering?

The script implies that God is not a distant or indifferent creator but is deeply involved and affected by the suffering in the world, crying with us in our sorrows.

What is the script's message about the responsibility of the Jewish people in relation to the world's suffering?

The script conveys the message that the Jewish people, and by extension all people, have a responsibility to make the world better and to partner with God in fixing it.

Why does the script suggest that the world's suffering might be part of a grand plan?

The script suggests that if the suffering causes God so much pain, it must be part of an incredibly awesome plan, implying that there is a greater purpose behind the pain.

What is the script's perspective on why we should strive to end suffering in the world?

The script's perspective is that we should strive to end suffering not because we are needy and vulnerable, but because it is the Creator's need for us to make the world perfect and whole.

What does the script say about our understanding of the existence of pain in the world?

The script acknowledges that we have no idea why there is pain in the world, and our focus should be on bringing it to an end, recognizing that if it causes God suffering, it must serve an equally significant purpose.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Reflecting on Jewish Suffering and Divine Empathy

This paragraph discusses the unique nature of the current year's mourning for the Jewish people's historical suffering, including the recent event on October 7th. It emphasizes the idea that God feels the pain of His creations even more intensely than they do themselves. The speaker suggests that while people often focus on their own pain, they should also consider the pain God experiences on their behalf. The paragraph concludes by encouraging the audience to remember that God has the greatest stake in the world's perfection, and it is His desire for the world to be made whole and complete, which should motivate people to work towards ending suffering and partnering with God in improving the world.

Keywords

💡Suffering

Suffering refers to the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. In the context of the video script, it is used to describe the historical and current pain experienced by the Jewish people. The theme of suffering is central to understanding the video's message about empathy and the shared pain of humanity and the divine.

💡Oppression

Oppression is the unjust treatment or control exerted over others, often resulting in social or political subjugation. The script mentions the historical pogroms and the recent events of October 7th, suggesting a continuity of oppression as a significant theme in the Jewish experience.

💡Pogrom

A pogrom is a violent riot aimed at the massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group, typically used in the context of Jewish history to refer to attacks on Jewish communities. The script uses 'pogrom' to illustrate the historical and contemporary violence faced by Jews.

💡Fast Day

A Fast Day is a day designated for fasting, often observed for religious or spiritual reasons, such as mourning or seeking divine intervention. The script mentions Fast Day as a time for the Jewish people to plead with God for salvation, tying it to the theme of seeking mercy and relief from suffering.

💡Mercy

Mercy is the act of showing compassion or forgiveness where it might be withheld. In the script, the Jewish people are described as pleading for God's mercy, emphasizing the desire for divine compassion in the face of their pain and suffering.

💡Theology

Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious beliefs. The script may shock some theologians with its perspective on God's emotional capacity, suggesting that God feels pain and sorrow alongside humanity, which is a key concept in understanding the divine-human relationship in the video's narrative.

💡Creator

The term 'Creator' refers to the entity believed to have created the universe and all life within it. The script positions the Creator as not only the source of the world but also as deeply invested in its perfection and wholeness, highlighting the Creator's role in the resolution of the world's pain.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The script discusses the empathy of God, suggesting that God feels the pain of the Jewish people even more intensely than they do themselves, which is a central concept in conveying the depth of divine compassion.

💡Salvation

Salvation, in a religious context, is the deliverance from sin or the afterlife. The script implies that the Jewish people are seeking salvation from their suffering, making it a key term in understanding their plea to God for relief.

💡Resolve

Resolve refers to a firm determination to do something. The script speaks of renewing resolve to make the world better and to partner with God in fixing it, indicating a commitment to action as a response to suffering.

💡Perfection

Perfection is the state of being completely free from flaws or defects. The script suggests that the Creator's desire for a perfect world is a driving force behind the resolution to end suffering, tying the concept of perfection to the video's overarching message of hope and improvement.

Highlights

The speaker reflects on the unique nature of this year's mourning, focusing on recent suffering rather than historical events.

A pogram experienced on October 7th is mentioned, bringing a personal dimension to the discussion of suffering.

The fast day is described as an opportunity for people to seek divine intervention and mercy.

The idea of considering God's pain in addition to human suffering is introduced.

A comparison is made between God and a parent, suggesting that God feels pain when His creations suffer.

The concept that God's pain might be infinite due to human suffering is presented.

Judaism's perspective on God's emotional connection to human pain is explained.

The speaker emphasizes that God is not a distant or indifferent creator.

A call to remember God's stake in the world's perfection and wholeness is made.

The idea that the world was created by a Creator with the intention of making it perfect is discussed.

The speaker encourages the audience to resolve to fix the world, aligning with the Creator's needs.

The purpose of human suffering is questioned, suggesting it may be part of a grand plan.

The notion that if God feels immense pain, the purpose of suffering must be equally significant is explored.

The audience is reminded that the focus should be on ending suffering, not understanding its cause.

A final thought on the Creator's need for the world to be perfect, motivating human action, is shared.

Transcripts

Tisha of feels different this year on

this day we mourn the suffering

oppression and heartache of the Jewish

people over our history but on prior

years we spoke about pograms of Prior

centuries this year we experienced our

own pogram on October 7th and as we

think about all the pain in our world

people will use this fast day as a time

to plead with God for his salvation that

he look upon his people with Mercy but

here's one thing we might not have

considered before we often think about

our our own pain the pain of our

families and friends and our nation and

the world but how many of us have

stopped to think about the pain that God

feels we sometimes hear that God is like

a parent and parents will sometimes have

to do things that cause the children

dist stress but that they must do for

the long-term well-being of the child

and that helps people to get a

perspective on suffering but does that

mean that it doesn't hurt the parent

when their child is in pain if anything

it causes the parent even more pain than

it does the child to see their child in

pain this may shock some theologians but

Judaism teaches that when we feel pain

it hurts God infinitely more he cries

with us in all our Joys he is with us

but in all our sorrows too he's not a

distant indifferent

Creator and so this year as we mourn all

the pain we've endured and continue to

endure and as we renew our resolve to to

make the world better to partner with

God in fixing it let's remember who

actually has the biggest stake in all of

this who really cares about making this

world better more than anyone else whose

idea was this whole world we may feel it

is us who are needy but actually we were

created by our creator and it is the

Creator's need to make this world

perfect and whole so we resolve to fix

this world not because we are pathetic

and vulnerable and needy but because

this is what he needs of all of us we

have absolutely no idea why there is

pain in this world and we don't want to

our only focus is on bringing it to an

end but we know one thing for sure if

all this suffering causes God so much

suffering let alone his Creations then

it must be part of some incredibly

awesome plan because if the pain is so

awesome its purpose must be equally so