Tisha B’Av: A Call to Unity in the People of Israel’s Final Exile

As we approach Tisha B’Av, the day commemorating the ruin of the Holy Temple and the shattering of our unity as a single entity, we face existential threats and witness a growing trend of Israelis wanting to leave the country. However, the people of Israel cannot go into exile again; we are in our last exile. This desire to leave Israel is not just a national issue but part of a more global yearning, with more and more people around the world wishing to escape the futile existence we have created for ourselves.

Rather than seeking to relocate, we should recognize the need to come together “as one man with one heart.” We must understand that we are all parts of a single, integral system, and improving our lives requires enhancing our human connections.

Where do we see the preparation for the construction of the Third Temple in this picture? The preparation is that we have arrived in the physical Land of Israel, which is now essentially under our control, and we have the power to defend ourselves. While we now have this physical foundation, we should thus gradually develop the need to unite, to elevate our spiritual unity according to the tenet, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and we will then also merit the spiritual Land of Israel.

Today, Tisha B’Av should remind us that we must correct the shattered spiritual vessels — our divisions and hatred — by cultivating a sincere desire for unity. Recognizing our nation’s shattered state is the first step toward its correction. According to the principle that good only emerges from evil, negative waves of hatred and internal conflicts must surface before they can be resolved.

Our correction lies in achieving unity at all levels. We, the people of Israel, must strengthen our unity above our divisive drives and inspire one another with positive examples of the unity that defines us as a nation. Today, more people and groups are open to the idea of unity above division and are willing to participate in this movement. By increasingly striving to unite, the force that desires unity and the positive force dwelling in nature that connects us will ultimately overcome the myriad forces of separation.