During the period of the Three Weeks we are urged to awaken ourselves to the horrifying and the heartbreaking. The moments of our existence as a People that bring us to tears and make us long for the geula. In this moving shmuz Rabbi Shafier encourages us to look at our greatness and our failings, including our own misconceptions of the nature of Hashem and the purpose of suffering.

Our understanding of Hashem is often based on a limited interpretation of human nature. Can Hashem get angry with us? Is He punitive, lacking rachmonos? It can sometimes feel that way, as we struggle to understand the Holocaust, the Churban and modern-day tradegies. What is the pain of Hashem? That He wants the geula more than us. That He is waiting, with endless patience, for us to get it right. This Tisha B’Av shmuz will straighten out our crooked thinking, show us where we are needing to improve and give us hope for the future.