The Foundation Stone
Tisha b'Av                  July 23, 2009 - 2 Av, 5759
  
 


Nightmares


  Nightmares
My first nightmare was of being attacked by the monsters described by one of my siblings in a bedtime story. My father came running when he heard me scream and took care of the nightmare (and my sibling).  The monsters metamorphosed over the years into tests, my experiences as a prison chaplain, certain congregants, and then into some doctors. Tisha B'Av is when all of us relive the terrifying nightmares of our long exilic history.

My Tisha B'Av nightmare is that we stop dreaming of the impossible:  Even as Isaiah and Jeremiah continued to dream no matter how dark their situation, Pindar, the greatest of the Greek lyricists, wrote: "O my soul, do not aspire to immortal life, but exhaust the limits of the possible." That, is my Tisha B'Av nightmare! The only way we will overcome the destruction of Tisha B'Av is by aspiring to "the immortal life". The Jewish people have survived, even thrived under the most terrible circumstances only because they held fast to their aspirations to the immortal existence of our nation.

Jonas Salk had it right when he said, "I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams."

The Foundation Stone  invites you to dream with us of a community that is capable of achieving Isaiah's Vision of Justice. We hope that all our offerings, Rabbi Chaim Goldberger's Voice of Torah, Rabbi Yaakov Shlomo Weinberg's The Torah Connection, the Heileger Chana Chaya's Life Lessons -  What God Really Wants, El-Ad's Na'aseh V'Nishmah, and Bentzion of Medziboz's Stories of the Baal Shem Tov and Keter Shem Tov, will enhance your dreams. Eavesdropping, Expecting, Truth and Learning About Crying are all available on our Blog.

The Foundation Stone Kinot and Commentary to Lamentations are dedicated in memory of  Nathan Seymour Salvay.

Sweet Dreams & Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg
President          
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