This Shabbos is called Shabbos Nachamu, or Shabbos of “consolation”. The name ‘chazon’ comes from the first word in the Haftorah- “Nachamu Nachamu Ami – Console yourself Console yourself my people”. The obvious question is, why is there a double expression used; why does it say twice to console yourself?
The Dubna Maggid offers a most beautiful thought. He tells of two women whose husbands left them and traveled overseas. One was very poor There was peace and harmony in their home. Her husband left to try to find a better business opportunity overseas. The other was very wealthy. However, there was unfortunately constant strife and argument in their home. Her husband left because he simply couldn’t be in the same city as her.
Both women would constantly ask anyone who came from the country that their husbands had traveled to if they had met them. One day they met someone who had brought them each a letter from their husbands. He told both of them, “your husbands each told me how much they miss you, and they each gave me a letter for you. However, it’s packed away in my luggage. Please come back tomorrow, and I’ll have it for you”. The wife of the rich man was very happy, and left. The wife of the poor man, however, burst into tears, and begged if she could get the letter now. “Why are you so impatient, unlike the other woman”?, asked the merchant. She explained, “don’t you see there is such a basic difference between our situations. The other man’s wife was worried that her husband may never want to return to her. The minute that she heard that her husband still cared for her, she was content and happy. My situation is different. I have no doubts about my husband caring for me. I just want to find out how he’s doing, and if our situation has improved. I can’t know anything until I see the letter”.
Our situation, is very similar to that of the wife of the rich man. When we lost our Temple, not just the fact that we were punished hurt. Our entire relationship with Hashem was strained. When a person strays from Hashem, he is in danger of losin his relationship with the Almighty. When Hashem says Nachamu Nachamu Ami – Console yourself Console yourself my people, the first consolation is the very fact that He cares about us and wants to console us. The very fact that He will have a relationship with us – that in itself is the greatest consolation that we could ask for.
May we soon witness that day when we will all connect with Hashem and reestablish our connection to Hashem.