The Book of Devarim is known as Mishneh Torah, the Repetition of the Torah. It contains Moshe’s ethical will to the Jewish nation and many of the mitzvos not mentioned in the first four books of the Torah. Ramban sees the Book of Devarim as the book intended for the nation entering the Promised Land. Moshe thus reiterated the severity of serving idolatry, for example, many times, because he foresaw that this would be a challenge for the people in the land.
Moshe learned from Jacob to postpone his major admonition of the people until shortly before his death. He felt that his words would then be taken more seriously. Moshe began his words by gathering the entire nation together. He wanted to ensure that no person be able to claim that he would have challenged Moshe’s words of rebuke had he been there, he would have challenged them. Moshe thus spoke to everyone, allowing them to respond to his chastisements-- yet not one person did so.
He was also careful to be considerate even while rebuking the nation. When he reminded them of the history of the past forty years, he only made veiled references to their sins. One must be careful not to embarrass any individual when rebuking him.
Moshe reviewed the nation’s past sins in order that the people understand their underlying cause. Only when this would become clear to them would they be equipped to rectify their misdeeds. As an example, Moshe mentioned that part of the sin of the spies was the way the people had approached him. They clamored around him, rudely demanding that he send spies. This lack of orderliness in itself was improper, even if the request had been appropriate. This, then, may have been the root cause of the sin, and had to be recognized before they could repent for the actual sin of sending the spies and the resulting complaints that they didn’t want to enter the land.
In a similar vein, the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av is called Shabbos Chazon because the Haftara from Isaiah, begins with the words "Chazon Yeshaya" (A Vision of Isaiah). It discusses Isaiah’s prophecy about the upcoming destruction of the Temple. Isaiah already envisioned a destroyed Jerusalem over a hundred years before the destruction. Although the destruction may have occurred at a later date, the eyes of the prophet already discerned the roots and seeds of the destruction much earlier.
Whoever mourns the Temple on Tisha B’Av will merit to see its rebuilding (Talmud Ta’anis 30)
How is it possible to mourn the loss of something that was destroyed almost 2000 years ago? Rav Elya Lopian once found his rebbe, Rav Nachum Ziv , sobbing over the loss of his brother-in-law, Rav Tzvi Hirsch Broyde, many years after his passing. Rav Elya asked Rav Ziv why he still mourned the loss when Jewish law limits the laws of mourning to a year. Rav Ziv replied that although the personal loss is mourned for a year, the spiritual loss brought about by a great man’s passing is felt even more keenly as time passes. Similarly, when one realizes the spiritual devastation brought by the Temple’s destruction, it is cause for even greater mourning as the time passes by.
Did You Know...
On Tisha B’Av it is prohibited to wear leather shoes, as a sign of our mourning the Temple. All leather shoes are prohibited, regardless of whether the leather is on the top, bottom, inside, or outside of the shoe. Although modern sneakers may be even more comfortable than leather shoes, the Rabbis only forbade wearing leather shoes. Other articles of clothing, such as belts, may be made of leather.
If one has no other shoes he may wear his shoes outdoors, but they must be removed as soon as he enters a building.
Even young children should be trained not to wear leather shoes.
After the fast is over, Kiddush Levana (the monthly prayer recited on the new moon) is recited, if the moon is visible. One should preferably first change into leather shoes before reciting the prayer, as it is improper to recite Kiddush Levana while appearing in mourning.
