Adapted from: A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av by Rabbi Yechiel Spero

קינה מד: צִיּוֹן גְּבֶרֶת

צִיּוֹן גְּבֶֽרֶת לְמַמְלְֿכוֹת מְצִירֲֽיִךְ, רֻבֵּי שְׁלוֹמִים שְׂאִי, מֵאֵת אֲסִירֲֽיִךְ.

Tzion/Yerushalayim, you once ruled over the other nations who are now your enemies, who torment you. Accept many good wishes for peace from your people who are now in galus.

Background — The Importance of Peace

Yerushalayim used to be the center of the world, where everyone would come together. Now, it is destroyed and disgraced. This is what we cry about in this Kinnah.

In the first stanza, we mention how all those in galus are still sending their best wishes for peace in the city. And in the last two stanzas, we again speak about how we wish for peace in Yerushalayim. Only when there is peace can we enjoy all the blessings in our lives.

We know that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam, hating another person for no good reason.

If we really want Mashiach to come, we have to do the opposite. We have to show our fellow Jews ahavas chinam. We have to love them for no reason. This is called unconditional love, since the love is not based on any specific condition or reason.

We must love all Yidden.

• A Story •

Reb Yisrael Klein was a Belzer Chassid who lost his entire family during World War II. Somehow, someway, he survived. He was once asked, “In what zechus did you survive, when so many others were killed?”

He responded with a story:

“One day, I was walking in one of the concentration camps when I saw a fellow searching near the garbage. I walked over to him and asked if there was anything I could do for him.

“He said four words, ‘Epes vus tzu essen.’ He wanted something to eat. As I looked closer, it was clear that he had not eaten in days. But I had no food to feed his starving body, and I had no way to get hold of it.

“I apologized to him and told him that I didn’t have any food for him. But he would not accept that answer. He begged me for something, anything.

“I could see that if I didn’t give him food right away, he was going to die. I began to cry. I had nothing. But he begged me, ‘Please, give me something!’

“And then, it hit me. I told him that although I didn’t have food for him, I did have something to offer. ‘I do have something for you. I have love.’ I put my arms around him and I told him, ‘I love you. I love you. I love you.’

“We cried on each other’s shoulders. And then, he looked at me gratefully and walked away. It was remarkable. Although I had not given him even a morsel of bread, he was full. And, most important, he was alive.

“We both survived the war, and we both rebuilt our families.”

Reb Yisrael concluded, “If there is any one act that served as a zechus for me to survive the war, I believe it was that hug and show of love.”

• Bringing Us Closer •

This is the power of love. If you see a friend who is down and in need of encouragement, show your love. Even if he isn’t on your list of friends, he’s still a Yid. He still deserves unconditional love.

WATCH: An Incredible Story by Rabbi Yechiel Spero