As we prepare to once again mourn the Churban and the unfathomable tzaros that klal yisroel has faced in galus – both previously and currently – I believe we have to take stock of what our connection to the Churban is, and what sort of mourning we actually observe on this saddest and most somber day of the year. Chazal say that Tisha B’Av should ideally be observed for two day, but instituting it as such would be a גזירה שאין רוב הציבור יכולים לעמוד בה. But I am wondering if this is truly something that still applies today. Today, Tisha B’Av for many people means watching specialized videos and programs created for this day. In fact, there are so many of them, nobody could possibly get through all of them in a single day. As such, maybe Tisha B’Av should be for two days? Clearly we can handle it – we have all the entertainment needed to power through a second day. I know that many of you are likely reading this with scorn. ‘We need those videos and programs to connect with the Churban and to feel sad about it!’ is likely what you’re thinking. You may be right, but isn’t that troubling? The only way we can connect with the pain of the Churban and the tzaros that have befallen us and our Jewish brethren over our thousands of years in Galus is by watching a video that blurs the lines between entertainment/educational/inspiring? Does that not weight heavily on your heart? I am not ch”v attacking anyone for watching these videos and programs, and I am certainly not attacking those who create them. I think, in sum, the videos and programs provide a necessary service for us. What troubles me is that such things are necessary in the first place. We have become comfortable in Galus. It’s an undeniable fact. How can we say we truly want the Geulah when we don’t seem to understand what the Galus is? If you can, join me this Tisha B’Av in reflecting on what the Churban was and how it is still so extremely relevant to our lives. Forget the videos, forget the programs, forget the inspiration for just a moment. Sit and think, absorb what klal yisroel as a whole is facing, and has faced, in exile. If we can connect with that, Tisha B’Av will be meaningful. If not, it won’t be – no matter how many videos you watch. Troubled in Far Rockaway  The views expressed in this letter do not necessarily reflect those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.  (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)