Matos-Masei - Menachem-Av Sermon
בס"ד Sermon for Matos-Masei — From the Rebbe’s Torah — Humor to begin with: I met someone at the gas station, and he suddenly opens up to me and says: All my friends tell me that I have zero empathy. I don’t understand why they feel that way. We’ll get back to the subject of empathy. * But first: Today, we bless the new month of Menachem Av . This is the month during which the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash — our holy temple in Jerusalem — occurred. The literal translation of the name of this month — Menachem Av, is: “Comforts the father” — meaning that G-d, our father, needs comforting. Now, I understand why the need for comfort during this month; sad things happened. But why “Comforts the father ?” Isn’t G-d ok, regardless? Is G-d really affected by happenings down here in this technical world? Sure, he lost his “home” in this world — but didn’t he let it happen? And after all, G-d’s house in this world — the place where he showed his glory through great miracles that oc