the three weeks
Question
Dear Rabbi, I amsurprised that you push observance of the three weeks, I though, basedon reading the shulachan aruch, that sephardim only observe the prohibitions during the week in which tisha bav falls??? ( though, when I was in the kosher restaurant at Nice, I was told that the regional rabbi-sephardic taught, that one should not eat meat after Rosh chodesh av. )
Answer
Answered by Aaron AbadiI don't know what you mean by "push the 3 weeks." I push the Shulchan Aruch. Sephardim should follow their Minhagim & Ashkenazim should follow theirs. I hope that the people don't just follow the dry Halachah of don't eat this or don't do that, but rather reflect on the destruction of our Temple and the consequences thereof. That is what this mourning period is about. That reflection should bring to mind the reasons why we haven't been brought back yet. It says in the Gemara that any generation that the Temple is not rebuilt in, is equal to having had the Temple destruction in that generation. Meaning that today we are deserving of the Temple destruction. Doesn't that bother you? Clearly we are not on the right track. Rather than try to find that right track, we are going to get there on our own. We are going to move to Israel. We are going to take back the land. But it isn't working. God is waiting for us to find the right track. Break it to Sharon & Bibi, they can talk all they want, but it will be useless. Teshuva (repentance), Tefilah (Prayer), and Tzedaka (Charity) remove a bad decree. Not eating Pig and negotiating. Not hugging murderers. Not wearing wonderful Yeshivish clothing, but having worse Midot than Korach. Not when all the learning being done is similar to sitting on a stationary bicycle, and never really getting anywhere. I can go on all night, but I'll spare you. You got my point and I hope I got you thinking. AA