Nechama -Consolation through Reconsideration
בס"ד It is the beginning of the seven weeks of Nechama. We typically understand Nechama to mean consolation—something we, as a Nation, desperately need after the tragic events commemorated on Tisha B’Av. This past Shabbos I was privileged to hear a talk by Rav Karmi Gross, Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Chaim , (One of the only Chareidi Yeshivot Hesder) who offered a deeper perspective. He pointed out that the Hebrew word Nechama often appears in the Torah with the meaning “to rethink” or “to reconsider.” The first instance is in Parshas Bereishis (6:5): וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' כִּי עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם—Hashem reconsidered His decision to create Man. Rav Gross suggested that this period is not only about consolation, but also about introspection and reevaluation — especially the notion that perhaps I am not always right, and the other is not entirely wrong. Such humility is essential, because when we view the other side as completely mistaken, we feel no obligation to compromise or reflect. Th...