GC#109 - On Cloud Nine - Perek Shira 40 - The Clouds of Glory Sing
Reb L's G-dcast
English - July 31, 2020 16:51 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MBJudaism Religion & Spirituality Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
One of the interesting theories of the origin of the phrase 'to be on cloud nine' dates from 1896, when a certain Sir Ralph Abercromby was involved in the new grading of cumulonimbus clouds as a level 9 cloud. They are the densest and tallest of all clouds, producing rain and often called thunderheads.
Tisha b'Av is a cloud on day 9 of the month in which Aharon - in whose merit we had the protective Clouds of Glory - died. And whilst it all seems hopeless, dark and threatening, day 9 is the day which signals the birth of Moshiach too.
The point of crying in Judaism, is not to wallow in grief - it is to cry for what was lost, and aspire for its return, or rebirth. Out of the ashes. The ashes which we dip the egg - the symbol of birth and rebirth - into.
Before the tragic day even begins...