The 3 weeks Questions

Questions on the 3 weeks to think about and discuss:

1. What is the hebrew name for the 3 weeks and what lies behind it?
2. The number of days associated with the 3 weeks is either 21 or 22 days. Which one is it or can it be both?
3. What is the significance of this number of 21 or 22 days?
4. Is there any way of rectifying these 22 days?
5. What do we publicly read to remind us of the three weeks?
6. Why do we find so many different levels of restrictions during the 3 weeks? (There is the start from the 17th of Tammuz until Rosh Chodesh Av. The nine days that become stricter in the week when Tisha BiAv falls. The afternoon before Tisha BiAv starts prohibitions in learning and then the day of Tisha BiAv itself.)
7. What is the purpose of the two fasts that start and finish the 3 weeks?
8. What practical things can we do during the 3 weeks in order to feel connected to the mood of this time?
9. Is there any significance in why these tragedies of the churban happen at this time of the year?
10. Ususally by an ovel, mourner, the severity of mourning starts from the day of burial and then slowly decreases. Yet, by the 3 weeks, we find that it works the opposite – it slowly increases in severity to the nine days, week of Tisha BiAv, etc. Why this reverse order?

Idea for answers on the 3 weeks:

1. It is known as “Bein Hamtzorim”, literally the time between constraints. Rashi in Eicha (1:3) sees here an allusion to the two constraints, bad events, that surround the 3 weeks. They are the 17th of Tammuz with five tragedies at the beginning, and at the end is Tisha BiAv with another five catastrophes. Perhaps another idea here: there is the infinite realm of miracles and there is this world with teva, nature. Usually, the Jews are guided by the supernatural realm that defies nature and is not constrained with limitations. However, during the 3 weeks, the Jews are placed “between constraints“, meaning the supernatural protection is removed and the Jews find themselves under the fixed laws of nature. This is where the danger of the 3 weeks lies, like the Gemora says (about in a natural set-up): how can one lamb survive amongst seventy wolves (i.e. one Jewish nation amongst the seventy power hungry nations).
2. If you actually count the days of the 3 weeks, there are 21 days between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha BiAv. This explains the name the 3 weeks, meaning 21 days are encompassed between these two days of tragedies. (See above that this lies in the name of “Bein Hamtzorim” – between constraints.) However, when chazal count 22 days, they include Tisha BiAv and not the 17th of Tammuz. Perhaps, this is because really the main burning of the Beis Hamikdosh took place on the tenth of Av (Gemora Taanis 29a), therefore Tisha BiAv, the 9th of Av, should really have been included. Or perhaps one can say to count in the opposite. This is because the days before Tisha BiAv all serve as a preparation for the actual churban on Tisha BiAv. According to this, the 17th of Tammuz is included in the 22 days of preparation.
3. The significance of 22 is that there are 22 letters in the Aleph-Beis (see further about this in Megillas Eicha Questions.) …
4. The Maharsha (to Gemora Bechoros 8) brings that the 22 bad days of the three weeks are paralleled by 22 good days from Rosh Hashana to Shemini Atzeres.
5. We read three special haftora’s on Shabbos that are known as the three haftoras of punishments. They come from the Neviyim who warned the Jews of the impending threat of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh if they did not mend their ways.
6. The 17th of Tammuz represents the start of the churban while Tisha BiAv is the end of the churban in practice. As long as the actual churban has not taken place, there is still a chance to change things through teshuva, repentance. As time goes on and the people do not repent the destruction gets worse and worse, progressing from the breaching of the walls of Yerushalayim heading towards the Beis Hamikdosh. This is why the restrictions get more severe as we come closer to Tisha BiAv.
7. The two fasts are like the borders that have the three weeks sandwiched between them – as we explained in the name of “Bein Hamtzorim”. They make the start point and the end point and are singled out for fasting. The rest of the days are simply a continuation and pathway between these two points. As to the reason behind fasting and what it achieves, there are two reasons. The is the reason because they express our Aveiles, mourning, over the churban. However, the Rambam points out that there is a more important point. It is to remember the cause behind the tragedies of these days. It is due to the sins of our ancestors and our own sins that follow that enable such events. Fasting is when we are meant to think into this and arouse ourselves to come onto doing teshuva.
8. This itself is a topic in itself (that i hope to address at some point). However, in general, there is a rule that whatever you put effort into is where you feel more attached. Another rule, is that truly appreciate something when go to the other extreme – e.g. only appreciate black when contrasted with white. In order to feel the churban we must spend some time thinking into it. During this time we must review our life and imagine how this would contrast with our life if we would have the Beis Hamikdosh. This also gives us a good idea of where we are holding that is always the first step in working on ourselves.
9. The Maharal (Netzach Yisroel, Chapter 8) explains the significance of the 3 weeks happening during the months of Tammuz and Av. The main idea is that this the time of year when things are in extremes – the sun is the strongest and the day is the longest. This reflects a time of year when the goyim can be in power since they go according to the solar year. He notes that the good time for the Jews are in the months that are equal, when the day and night are balanced, like in the months of Nissan and Tishrei. This is why we have two of our festivals then – Pesach in Nissan and Sukkos in Tishrei.
10. The idea here is that the pain of a natural ovel who loses a relative spills out naturally and only starts dissipating over time. This is reflected in the decreases level of mourning seen in the first three days when only close friends and relatives visit to the end of the shiva, week, and then the sheloshim, thirty days to the year, for parents. However, the 3 weeks are when we are working towards feeling the churban on Tisha BiAv and this unfortunately does not come naturally. It therefore requires us to prepare and work on ourselves to feel this loss as we drew closer to the actual churban. This is reflected in the increasing levels of severity of mourning.