Tisha B’Av — A Potent Meditation
Av is the month that includes the most fateful day in the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, which is distinguished by its extremely fallen state and yet its extremely great potential.
Achdut, A Tisha B’av Video by Sarah Yehudit Schneider, 2024
An inspiring and practical teaching on Tisha B’Av 2024 by Sarah Yehudit Schneider
Tisha B’av Video by Sarah Yehudit Schneider, 2023
Explores the metaphoric question of, “Does God cry?”
Tisha B’Av Teachings Through the Years
Tisha B’Av teachings over the years (2007-present).
Tisha B’av Video by Sarah Yehudit Schneider, 2023
Explores the metaphoric question of, “Does God cry?”
A Tisha B’Av Excerpt from “Dark Matters of the Soul: The Kabbalah of Shame”
Shame is the first emotion mentioned in the Torah, the Talmud extols its dark influence, and Maharal calls it the most powerful motivating force in the psyche.
Solemn Joy, Sweet Sorrow
When Tisha B’Av—the day for mourning the woes of our nation—falls on Shabbos—our day of spiritual delight when it is generally forbidden to mourn.
The Temple for Which We Are Supposed to Yearn
On Tisha B’Av we mourn the loss of our House of Holy Presence (aka Bet HaMikdash). But what is it, really, that we are missing?
Shame and Sinat Chinam: Tisha B’Av 2021
This is a video of Sarah Yehudit’s teaching on Tisha B’Av evening after Chana Yaffe’s beautiful Eicha reading. Below that is an audio file (no video) of the talk. Audio recording of Sarah Yehudit’s Tisha B’Av Teaching https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/SSV_Downloads/Tisha.b.av_2021_SY.mp3
Videos of Sarah Yehudit’s Tisha B’Av Teaching 2020
Video and Audio for teaching and discussion.
The Key to Sorting Truth From Lie
The chink that precipitated our Tisha B’Av fiasco was a defect in our ability to distinguish truth from falsehood; a flaw in our listening skills.
The Shame Behind Causeless Hatred
Baseless Hatred is what caused our exile, and yet for two thousand years we haven’t managed to fix it. Why?
When the People are Ready the Obstacles Dissolve
Tisha B’av 2017.
Enemies are the primary obstacle to quality of life. If they would just disappear, we could finally focus on our soul work instead of getting sidetracked by the need for self-defense. But it’s not so simple.
Master of Prayer: Tisha b’Av 2013
During the three weeks our obligation is to decrease simcha. We focus on what is missing, bewail those lacks, and downgrade our devekut. That is what it means to mourn.
I-Centers: A Circle of Ways to See the World
TISHA B’AV 5772 / 2012 By searching out the sliver of truth in contrary perspectives we acquire daat (the joiner of polarities) and build the Temple in our day.
Tisha B’Av 5771 / 2011
How do we hope for mashiach with certain faith that he REALLY could materialize at any moment and yet also find a way to embrace our present moment with unconditional acceptance.
Managing Dispute: Tisha B’Av 2010
If it is true that causeless hatred prompted the Temple’s demise and only its opposite can save us…then we have got to find another way to disagree among ourselves.
Tisha B’Av 5769 / 2009
In the month of Av, says Sefer Yetzira, the sense of listening is up for tikun. Our test is to not get hypnotized by voices that claim authority but do not embody Torat Emet.
Tisha B’Av 5768 / 2008
The spies understood that crossing into the holy land would initiate a new era—now they were princes, but across the border, in the new world, they’d become obsolete.