Tisha B'Av - Kinnah 16 - When Titus Defeats Hashem and Jewish Children Sing

2:43 The Kinnah describes how the boots of the Roman soldiers had spikes in them, iron nails, that left impressions on the ground, the ground that we walked on so carefully that we treated with such sanctity was now being desecrated by the Roman soldiers. And the young men at the time were certain that a miracle was going to occur. The Medish describes that when the enemies came to Yerushalayim 600,000 destructive Malachim were there ready to destroy all of the soldiers. But when they saw that Hakadosh Baruch Hu Himself was sitting back and not attacking the soldiers, the Malachim stood down, stepped aside, and did not attack. The Kinnah describes how it appears as if Hakadosh Baruch Hu Himself is bound in chains. Not Chazvash Olam that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is restrained in any way, but he presents himself as someone who's bound and will not intervene in this terrible tragedy.

3:49 And so act two of the Kinnah is that Hashem sees what's happening, has the power to stop what's happening, and nevertheless refrains from stopping it. Yet one wall of the base Hamikdash remains, the kina describes, and that's of course the kota will be later tonight. The kota will never be destroyed, the Medrash says. It is the luzbon of Yerushalayim. The final section of the kina is really a mixture of Gemara and Midrashim. Gemara describes 400 boys and girls that were taken captive and loaded onto three ships where they will be forced to be degraded in a very inappropriate way. They're going to be sold into prostitution. And they have to make a chashbin, these children, little kids. They have to make a chashbin. Should we commit suicide or not? And what's their chashbin? Their chashbin is if we commit suicide, do we lose our place in Eulam HaBah?

4:57 They have no paisik to ask. There's no rabbanim around. They darshan absukkim themselves, the oldest child darshans the pasuk, that indeed if they do commit suicide, they will still merit Eulam HaBah. And the girls jump overboard. The boys make a kavachaimer without getting into any of the details. The boys make a kavachaimer instead of the girls jumped off the boat and committed suicide that certainly we should as well. And they also jumped into the sea. And the kina describes, though I didn't see it quoted in any Gemara or any Magish, the kina describes that at this moment as these children are jumping into the sea, They're singing Shirais v Shbaqais. Commentaries explain that it's in contrast to the Shirais v Shbaqais that we sang when we went through the Amsuf. Different Shirais v Shbaqais this time as they perished under the sea. What is this Kinnah meant to evoke? What is the Kinnah trying to communicate to us?

6:12 There's such a thing called evil in this world. We see it with our own eyes. We live with it in our door. It's really just another spin of the wheel of history where Yiddin once again are experiencing persecution. We could make a terrible mistake and think that this war is with us. The war is never really with us. The war is always with their Abanishlalom. We are Akalash Baruch Hu's representatives in this world. If Titos was seeking a military victory, surely he could have just destroyed the Beis HaMetosh. Why desecrate it in such a despicable fashion? The answer is that Titos is a person, like all evil in the world, who seeks to control rather than to surrender. That's the avaidah for every single person in this world. We can submit to something that's higher than ourselves, Or we can wage war with the highest power. And that's what Titos represents in this world.

7:17 It's not enough to defeat Klal Yisrael. It has to be the absolute destruction and desecration of the Beis Hamik Dosh in the most despicable fashion to express the fact that he is in fact in control of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and not vice versa. And he declares himself victor. Gemara says miraculously the blood flowed from the parochas. It appears as if Hakadosh Baruch Hu created an ace. that allows titus in this world and all of the tituses throughout history to declare themselves the victor over Hakadosh Baruch Hu. They're able to take our kalim, they're able to make monuments that still stand today, that represent all the kalim of the miklos that they took. In fact, I just learned last night from Roshreyer's upcoming Sefer that if you look around in that area where the Arch of Titus is, It's all ruins. The only thing that's remained in that area is the Arch of Titus, which is fascinating. How did it survive and nothing else survived?

8:23 And the answer is because they keep restoring it. Like every other monument, it should have fallen. And yet this arch is so important to them that they keep restoring it. Millions and millions and millions of dollars are poured into restoring the Arch of Titus. Enchletus. Why? They didn't restore any of the other fallen colosseums, and they're also tourist attractions. Why must they restore the arch of Titus? It's because the war continues to be waged and this is the semael of their victory. Not over us. Over Ak Hurvish Baruch Hu. That's where we're living today. And Ak Hurvish Baruch Hu, we feel this. He is Rebbe Nachman Rav B'Av

9:42 And yet the Kinnah tells us that the Kotel Hammuravi will never be destroyed. That what appears to be completely broken will never be completely broken. There is an irreducible essence that exists at the core of everything that can never be destroyed. There's a Pinta L'Yid, a nikudah tayvah, whatever you want to call it. There's something in this world. There's some Helekel L'Kamimal. There's some aspect of it. That can never be destroyed you can destroy the walls of Yerushalayim you can destroy the qaytush hakadoshan The qaisala marabi where we're going to be in just a couple of hours greeting Mashiach Is the expression that we are never absolutely defeated and from that place from that essential Place of irreducible essence children precious Jewish children have to Be confronted with sometimes the most painful choice in the world which is what precisely do I value? Do I value my life in this world or do I value building this world into Eilem HaBah?

10:58 What do I value? Can you imagine being a child on a ship? Because on some level we all have moments in our lives where we are these children on a ship I'm faced with a choice Save myself or live for something higher And it's from that Loosbone It's from that Kotel Amaraavi It's from that place that a Yid knows can never be destroyed That these haligah children jump overboard singing Shirais vishbaqis Because a Yid sings not for one but for two reasons Sometimes we sing when there is revealed redemption, where we cross onto the other side of the Yom Suf, and we watch our enemies perish. And sometimes we sing when the outcome is tragically different. But either way, a Yid sings because a Yid recognizes, I am always connected to the Rebbe Nachol. The outcome is not mine. Titos is fighting for control of the outcome, that's what he wants in this world.

12:05 A'yid is surrendered. Whatever the Ribono Shel Olam wants, my job is to follow the will of the Ribono Shel Olam. And if the will of the Ribono Shel Olam is that I can jump off of this ship and be connected to Eulam Abba, then that is cause for unbelievable Shirais Seshbafis. And Kahl Yisrael sings over and over and over again throughout history. We see unbelievable songs that come from those unbelievable soldiers singing as they go into Gaza, singing as they go into Lebanon, singing as they return, singing at Levayuz, singing because they're surrendered to the will of their Abunishlom and they've earned their place in Eilam Ha'bah.