Tisha B’Av
When a temple is destroyed we have to ask ourselves who built the bulldozers.
Tisha b’av, which is Hebrew for the 9th of Av, is a major fast day during the Jewish month of Av. The ninth of Av commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, as well as a series of other tragic historical events that befell the Jewish people on Tisha Bav. In addition to the fast on Tisha B’av, there are other laws and customs of observing the day such as observing other mourning customs, reading Eicha (the book of Lamentations), and reading Kinot. The Meaningful Life Center offers deep, yet accessible, insights into Tisha B’av. Our archive of videos and essays will help you to learn not just what the 9th of Av events were, but what their spiritual and mystical ramifications were and how the spiritual dimension of the 9th of Av can enhance your life. Based on the mystical teachings of Chassidus, the insights offered by The Meaningful Life Center about Tisha B’av offer a hopeful vision of the future redemption.
From Destruction to Resurrection
One of the most powerful sights to behold is the regeneration of a forest after it has burned down. Few things are more astounding to witness than renewal after hopelessness and rebirth after death.
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Where Is G-d?
A correspondence between Rabbi Jacobson in response to a self-proclaimed agnostic.
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Does God Have a Plan for Us in These Bizarre Times?
Join Rabbi Jacobson on Tisha B’av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, for a heartfelt discussion on pain and suffering, and how God can (and will!) turn it into light and happiness.
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Why Is the World Fighting Over the Temple Mount?
What is it about the Temple Mount that causes the whole world to fight over it? Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a short talk about the Temple Mount, and learn about its mystical and historical significance.
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Comfort My People
Left with no one else to blame, the child erroneously sees himself as the culprit. And this self-loathing and sense of inadequacy further erodes the child’s confidence.  It’s not your fault. Don’t allow yourself to be invalidated. You have all the strength necessary to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life.
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Three Weeks of Pain, Seven of Comfort, & Two of Return
Cracks in our systems shake us up; but a crack also exposes what lies within. We can be demoralized by the cracks or we can attempt to look between the cracks and see an emerging larger picture.
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Five Roots of Trauma Revisited
Using the concepts of The Five Roots of Trauma, this article looks at the five tragic events that took place on the 17th of Tammuz..
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The Five Roots of Trauma
The three weeks between the first attack on the Holy Temple and the final destruction are a time concentrate on healing by addressing the root of the issue.
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What Happened as the Flames Rose? Tisha B’Av Workshop
Our sages tell us that Moshiach was born as the flames consuming the Holy Temple. Learn how the Western Wall, with all its cracks, carries immortality.
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