מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֱלֹהִים בָּאוּ גּוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ, לָא הֲוָה קְרָא צָרִיךְ לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא בְּכִי לְאָסָף, נְהִי לְאָסָף, קִינָה לְאָסָף, וּמָה אוֹמֵר מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף,
כָּךְ אָמְרוּ לְאָסָף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֶחֱרִיב הֵיכָל וּמִקְדָּשׁ וְאַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וּמְזַמֵּר, אָמַר לָהֶם מְזַמֵּר אֲנִי שֶׁשָּׁפַךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֲמָתוֹ עַל הָעֵצִים וְעַל הָאֲבָנִים וְלֹא שָׁפַךְ חֲמָתוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיַּצֶּת אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל יְסֹדֹתֶיהָ.
“A psalm of Asaf: God, peoples have invaded Your inheritance” (Psalms 79:1). The verse should have said weeping of Asaf, wailing of Asaf, lamentation of Asaf. Why does it say: “A psalm of Asaf”?
They said to Asaf: ‘The Holy One blessed be He destroyed the Sanctuary and the Temple, and you are sitting and playing?’ He said: ‘I am playing because the Holy One blessed be He vented His wrath on the wood and stones and did not vent His wrath on Israel.’ That is what is written: “He ignited a fire in Zion, and it consumed her foundations.”
Let's recognize first and foremost that we are worse off. And throughout history, far too often it feels like the anger hit us all.
The first part of our High HolyDays, the first moment, is to recognize Shevirah. Recognize we are broken, full stop.
(א) לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ {ס}
(ב) עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת
עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃ (ג) עֵ֤ת לַהֲרוֹג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפּ֔וֹא
עֵ֥ת לִפְר֖וֹץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֽוֹת׃
(ד) עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק
עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃
(ה) עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים
עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃ (ו) עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד
עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמ֖וֹר וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃ (ז) עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר
עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃
(ח) עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א
עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס}
(ט) מַה־יִּתְרוֹן֙ הָֽעוֹשֶׂ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר ה֥וּא עָמֵֽל׃
(י) רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃
(1) A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven:(I.e., all human experiences are preordained by God;)
(2) A time for (Lit. “giving birth”.) being born and a time for dying, A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted;
(3) A time for (Emendation yields “wrecking…repairing”.) slaying and a time for healing, A time for tearing down and a time for building up;
(4) A time for weeping and a time for laughing, A time for wailing and a time for dancing;
(5) A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones, A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces;
(6) A time for seeking and a time for losing, A time for keeping and a time for discarding;
(7) A time for ripping and a time for sewing, A time for silence and a time for speaking;
(8) A time for loving and a time for hating; A time for war and a time for peace.
(9) What value, then, can the man of affairs get from what he earns?
(10) I have observed the business that God gave man to be concerned with:
ואתה מחיה את כולם וצמצם כביכול עד מדרגות התחתונות והושם חלק אלו״ה ממעל תוך חשכת החומר כי כל עיקר כוונה היא שיתעלו מדרגות התחתונות למעלה ולהיות יתרון האור מן החושך. כדכתיב ויתרון האור שיש יתרון תענוג כשהועלה מן החשך.
And you give life to them all (Nehemiah 9:6), you contract, as if it were possible, down to the lowest levels; and a portion of Divinity from above is placed within the darkness of materiality. For the whole essence of the intention is so that the lowest levels can rise above and have the advantage of light over darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:13). That is what is written the advantage of light, that enjoyment advances when it is lifted from within the darkness, from within the brokenness.
(יב) וּלְכֹל֙ הַיָּ֣ד הַחֲזָקָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל הַמּוֹרָ֣א הַגָּד֑וֹל אֲשֶׁר֙ עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(12) and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before all Israel.
(ג) לעיני כל ישראל. שֶׁנְּשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ לִשְׁבֹּר הַלּוּחוֹת לְעֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וָאֲשַׁבְּרֵם לְעֵינֵיכֶם" (דברים ט') וְהִסְכִּימָה דַעַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְדַעְתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ" (שמות ל"ד) — יִישַׁר כֹּחֲךָ שֶׁשִּׁבַּרְתָּ:
(3) לעיני כל ישראל [WHICH MOSES SHOWED] BEFORE THE EYES OF ALL ISRAEL — This refers to the fact that his heart inspired him to shatter the Tablets before their eyes, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 9:17) “And I broke them before your eyes” (Sifrei Devarim 357:45), and the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding this action agreed with his opinion, as it is stated that God said of the Tablets, (Exodus 34:1) אשר שברת "Which you have broken", [which implies] "May your strength be fitting (יישר; an expression of thanks and congratulation) because you have broken them" (Yevamot 62a; Shabbat 87a).