As Tish’a B’av approaches, we are invited to incorporate signs of sadness and bereavement into our lives. The 3 weeks, the 9 days, Erev Tish’a B’av, and Tish’a B’av itself are periods dedicated to mourning the loss of the Bais Hamikdosh/The Temple
Aside from time-sensitive markers of mourning, we are surrounded, year round, by Halachos/laws and Hanhagos/customs that commemorate the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh. We refer to these markers as Zecher LeChurban - a remembrance of the destruction. These laws govern how we decorate our homes, how we celebrate joyous events, even how we relate to wine and song. Our observance of Zecher LeChurban is characterized by abstinence and the minimization of pleasure
In parallel fashion, we are surrounded by Halachos and Hanhagos that commemorate the existence of the Bais Hamikdosh - particularly in its glory and splendor. We refer to them as Zecher LaMikdosh. They show up in how we conduct the Seder (Korech: the Hillel sandwich) and how we celebrate holidays (carrying the Lulav seven days, instead of just one). Our observance of Zecher LaMikdosh is characterized by the reenactment of the spiritual opportunities afforded us by the Bais Hamikdosh
Why, in addition to symbolizing the loss of the Bais Hamikdosh, are we invited to recreate its prosperous moments? The Gemara in Sukkah (41:a) provides a source from Yirmiyah Hanavi (30:17):
כִּי אַעֲלֶה אֲרוּכָה לָךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַיִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵךְ נְאֻם ה׳ כִּי נִדָּחָה קָרְאוּ לָךְ צִיּוֹן הִיא דּוֹרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ״.
I will staunch your wound; from your wound I shall create healing; for they have called you “the forlorn one”. It is Tziyon, yet none seek it.
Explanation: Tziyon can be all of Israel; it can be Yerushalayim; our Gemara interprets it as Bais Hamikdosh.
Our enemies mock Tziyon; they say “There are none who seek her.”
The Gemara continues: ״דּוֹרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ״, מִכְּלַל דְּבָעֲיָא דְּרִישָׁה
At the moment we encounter the taunting of our enemies - “Nobody seeks you, cares about you, Tziyon,” the Gemara points us toward the restorative, the solution: We are expected to be Doresh Tziyon - to seek the Bais Hamikdosh.
There’s a problem with this: I’m translating Derishah as “seeking”, which is prospective or forward thinking, whereas Zecher - as in Zecher LeMikdash - means remembrance, which is retrospective - looking backward. More specifically, how does the perpetuation of customs that lived and breathed in the days of the Bais Hamikdosh orient us toward seeking and restoring the Bais Hamikdosh?
Perhaps Drishah isn’t just about looking forwards
When I performed an internet search on Zecher Lemikdash, one source, provided by the Daf Yomi app, was Rav Ariel Cohen. Rav Cohen points us toward the first time the term Doresh was used:
Hashem addresses the survivors of the Mabul/Flood: אַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כׇּל־חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָֽאָדָֽם
“But the blood of your soul I will be “Doresh”. From every wild animal I will be “Doresh”. And from the hands of one person [harming] his peer, I will be “Doresh” the soul of the person.”
What does the word Doresh mean in this context? (Somehow the translation of “seeks” falls short.Targum Onkelos helps: וּבְרַם יָת דִּמְכוֹן לְנַפְשָׁתֵיכוֹן אֶתְבַּע מִיַּד כָּל חַיְתָא אֶתְבְּעִנֵּיהּ וּמִיַּד אֱנָשָׁא מִיַּד גְּבַר דְּיֵשׁוֹד יָת דְּמָא דַאֲחוֹהִי אֶתְבַּע יָת נַפְשָׁא דֶאֱנָשָׁא:
The term אֶתְבַּע/Etbah is the same as to be Tove’ah - to demand. (It is consistent with Targum Yonasan ben Uziel for דּוֹרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ.
So, the Navi isn’t just hinting to us that we should seek Tziyon. He is directing us to demand Tziyon. What does this mean?
Could you imagine if you walked into a bank and announced “I demand a million dollars”? They would laugh you out of the bank. Perhaps, they’d call the police. What right do you have to demand a million dollars or really any money from a bank? On the other hand, if you had earlier deposited a million dollars in that bank and were now insisting that the bank give you your money, it would make a lot of sense.
In the context of Parshas No’ach, Hashem is Doresh, he demands, he is Tove’ah the life of those who are created in His image. You took the life of another human being (whom I created), you took your own life (which I also created). I demand accountability of you!
Roughly 3 years ago, we celebrated the wedding of our son, who served in the IDF. An hour before the ceremony, the members of his Tzevet/unit arrived on a bus, changed out of their army clothes, and prepared to celebrate with us. It was a joy for us to meet his Tzevet members. One who left a particular impression was named Oded.
Two months later, on the evening of October 7, our son hastily made contact with members of his Tzevet; all were accounted for except for Oded. Over the next few agonizing hours they discovered that Oded had attended the Nova festival. Oded’s body was found a few days later.
When our son and his team entered Aza, they carried a flag, a standard. Oded's name and (I believe) his image were emblazoned on their battle standard.
My son and his unit were Doresh, they sought, they demanded accountability of Hamas and their henchmen, by looking not just forward, but backward: We commemorate the life of Oded, on this standard… and we demand justice for Oded.
So too, when we are Doresh Tziyon, we look not only forward, but backward. We relish the glory of the days of the Beis Hamikdsh. We recall the sumptuous Pesach sandwich of Hillel. We conjure in our minds the beauty of 7 days of celebrating with our Lulavim in our hands.
It is particularly because we remember Tziyon that we can demand Tziyon.
May the Bais HaMikdosh be speedily rebuilt in our days. May Yerushalayim achieve its ancient splendor, filled with old people and young people and everyone in between. May the land no longer be experienced as Azuvah/desolate, but as Be’ulah/inhabited - in the most intimate and profound of ways.