The Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, the Shabbat which just passed, is known as Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort. The name is taken from the first lines of the haftarah, where the prophet Isaiah cries out: Nachamu, nachamu ami—comfort, comfort My people. On our calendar, we are now in the 7 weeks of consolation between Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. This week, we will reflect on the theme of nechama, of comfort.
וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃
Adonai regretted having made humanity on earth, and God’s heart was saddened
Noting that the Hebrew verb for regret here is from the same root as the word for comfort, the Medieval sage Rashi suggests that this is a moment in which God turns from the Divine attribute of justice—expectations of behaviors and lack of tolerance for mistakes—to the Divine attribute of mercy.
While we might be in the throes of summer, enjoying reunions and travels and recouping lost time, our Jewish calendar is speeding ahead towards the High Holy Days. This image, of God moving from the justice to mercy, is one that comes alive on Rosh Hashanah. The words of Avinu Malkeinu call out to God as Sovereign—the site of justice, and as Parent—the site of compassion. And the shofar, the ram’s horn, is a rallying cry, a plea to God to make that move.
In our machzor, the High Holy Days prayerbook that we created for this community, we read: It is a powerful image, made more powerful by the idea taught by our sages that our own prayers and actions inspire that movement.
It is never too early to start the work of moving further towards compassion.
— Rabbi Sari Laufer