Parashas Va'Eschanan - Shabbos Nachamu

Parashas Va’eschanan is always read on Shabbos Nachamu, “the Shabbos of Consolation” that follows Tisha B’Av. Indeed, our parashah recounts our receiving the Torah, offering inspiration and strength as we recover from our national tragedy of churban Bayis.

Why, then, does the Torah begin with the discouraging and disconcerting episode of Hashem’s refusing to allow Moshe to enter Eretz Yisrael?

One lesson may be that, when we face Hashem’s punishment and wrath, we not be dejected, but move forward in the knowledge that He still loves us.

There were 6 arei miklat, cities of refuge, where one who killed accidentally could run for haven. Three were located in Trans-Jordan – where the Jews were encamped at the time of this parashah – and three were in the mainland of Eretz Yisrael, which was not conquered until years later. Although those in Trans-Jordan would not be functional until those in Eretz Yisrael were established, later on in the parashah, Moshe establishes the three cities he could. He wasn’t disheartened – he moved on, doing what he could. Klal Yisrael would go on, and he would be as much a part of it as possible.

The seventh day of our shivah for Tisha B’Av is Tu B’av. The culmination of the most awesome period of the Jewish year is Yom Kippur.

And it is those very days that were the most festive days on the calendar, celebrated by maidens going out to attract husbands (Taanis 26b).

We sit homebound and overcome by mourning. We quake in fear as we stand in judgment before the

Heavenly Court

. But we do not remain paralyzed. We emerge – we “go out” – confident in a brighter future, a future represented by building new homes and families.

It is a future grounded in our abiding faith in the One Above – to Whose justice we were just subject.

As we emerge from the mourning of this year’s Tisha B’Av, may we go forward to achieve and accomplish all that we can, confident in a bright future for Klal Yisroel and in the hope that next year we will celebrate Tisha B’Av b’vias goel.

Gut Shabbos.