_____________________________________________________________

I never thought I would be jealous of someone else for initiating a lawsuit, but I must admit that I am. You see, my oldest daughter Rachelli was born in Sha'arei Tzedek Hospital in Yerushalayim. When she was just 9 days old we traveled back to America and obviously needed a passport. I waited on line in the American Embassy until I was able to arrange for a passport, only to be terribly disturbed by something it contained. That passport, like every one she has had subsequently, listed as her place of birth Jerusalem. There was no mention of Israel as the country of her birth because officially, the State Department will not formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. As upset and aggravated as I was, I am embarrassed to admit that I did nothing about it.

Not so Ari and Naomi Zivotosfky. In 2004 they sued the State Department to put Jerusalem, Israel in the passport of their son Menachem, born in 2002. After years of back and forth, the lawsuit will finally come before the Supreme Court of the United States in November of this year and the implications of the pending decision of significant and far reaching.

The Zivotofskys are not alone but have found support from many groups. The Anti-Defamation League filed a friend of the court brief for itself and 10 other organizations, including major Orthodox, Conservative and Reform groups. A group of 28 senators, led by Republican Jon Kyl, Democrat Carl Levin and Independent Joseph Lieberman have filed a brief asking for Israel to be added to US passports as well.

The status of Jerusalem is not only an issue for the State Department. Just this week, a reporter covering this story posted a picture from the White House website that showed VP Joe Biden with Israeli President Shimon Peres, with a caption that identified the location as "Jerusalem, Israel." Disturbingly, the very next day, the caption on the White House website was changed to remove a reference to Jerusalem being in Israel.

"Nachamu nachamu ami, yomar Elokeichem, Comfort, comfort my people says God." The long awaited shabbos nachamu, the shabbos of consolation and comfort has arrived. Yeshayahu's message of solace is very much needed and welcomed at this time.

However, while we welcome the nechama, the consolation, we can't help but be skeptical of it. Has anything really changed since Tuesday? Just a few days ago we sat on the floor fasting, moaning and crying not only for the loss of the two batei mikdash, but for the totality of Jewish suffering and persecution over the past millennia. Just a few days ago we read the poignant kinnos depicted the horrors of the exile. We lamented for the devastation of the first and second crusades which took the lives of hundreds of thousands. The cries for the Holocaust and the six million including many of our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles still ring in our ears.

So what has changed? Is anything different that in good conscience and with any integrity we can declare this - 'shabbos nachamu?' I have shared this question many times before, but I want to suggest a different answer and a new angle this year.

In understanding the true meaning of a word or term, our Rabbis (Rav Tzadok Ha'Kohen of Lublin and the Rav among others) have encouraged us to look at the first time it is used in the Torah. In the beginning of the book of Bereishis, when God sees how corrupt and immoral people had become, 'va'yinachem Hashem ki asah es ha'Adom ba'aretz,' and God reconsidered, He regretted placing man in the land. Comforted or consoled is clearly not the meaning given this context. This term va'yinachem is the same root as nachamu or nechama and it really means to reconsider or to make a paradigm shift in our thinking.

When we perform nichum aveilim, pay a shiva call, we can't replace a loved one or bring the deceased back to life. Rather, we seek to shift their thinking and behavior from profound grief and uncontrolled sadness, to finding comfort in reflecting positively on their loved one and understanding the wonderful impact they had on others.

Allow me to give you another example that supports this definition. After the sin of the golden calf God pledged that He will annihilate the perpetrators. Moshe intercedes and pleads for mercy and the pasuk says, 'vayinachem Hashem al ha'raah asher dibeir la'asos l'amo, and God reconsidered regarding the punishment that he declared He would do to His people.' Again, it doesn't mean comfort, but nechama means to reconsider and to reevaluate.

Nachamu nachamu ami, the Shabbos of nechama is not a Shabbos of superficial or artificial consolation and comfort. We don't sit around telling each other that everything will be ok, there is nothing to worry about. Rather, nechama means to have a paradigm shift in our thinking and in our behavior. The greatest comfort is learning from the past and living an inspired present and future.

Shabbos nachamu doesn't stand alone; it is the first of shivah d'nechemta, the seven weeks of consolation that culminate in Rosh Hashana. The Prophets message to us this morning is that the nechama we take out of the experience of Tisha b'av and out of reflecting on all of our suffering, is the need to reevaluate our lives, to make a change and to reconsider the direction we were in. In other words, if you want to know if you had a meaningful tisha b'av, then see how is your Rosh Hashana, how was your elul, did the experience of sitting on the floor inspire you to make a difference, a change, to be motivated and inspired? Tisha b'av and Rosh Hashana are connected by these seven messages of comfort, because true comfort is learning from the past and being motivated to make the changes that will bring about a better future.

The haftorah continues "dabru al leiv yerushalayim, speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her time of suffering is accomplished..."

What does it mean to speak to the heart of Jerusalem and how do we find nechama in fulfilling that message?

In May of 1979, Prime Minister Menachem Begin was invited to London where he was hosted for lunch at 10 Downing St. by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. On his way into their meeting, a reporter asked him, "Are you going to ask Mrs. Thatcher for her support of the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital?" Frigidly, the prime minister answered. "No, sir - under no circumstances." "Why not?" asked the reporter. Begin answered, "Because, sir, Jerusalem was a Jewish capital long before London was a British capital. When King David moved the capital of his kingdom from Hebron, where he had reigned for seven years, to Jerusalem, where he reigned for 33 years, the civilized world had never heard of London. In fact, they had never heard of Great Britain," and he turned on his heels towards the door, where Mrs. Thatcher was waiting to greet him. (Taken from "The Prime Ministers," by Yehuda Avner)

One piece of nechama, one thing to reconsider, I believe is the following. We are so concerned what the State Department and what the White House think about Jerusalem, and rightly so. We must continue to be concerned and protest their policies as necessary.

But, how close is Jerusalem to our hearts, and are we speaking to the heart of Jerusalem? Do we believe with the conviction of Begin in our rights to Jerusalem and special relationship with it? Are we prepared to enter a personal law suit against the State Department in defense of Jerusalem as Israel's capital? When we pray about Jerusalem, which we do in every prayer and every time we bench, do we mean it or are we offering lip service alone? Do we appreciate that all holiness and sanctity in the world stem from Yerushalayim? Have we taken the time to understand Yerushalayim's historical and contemporary significance? What are we doing to protect Yerushalayim? Do we, like the 28 Senators who filed a supportive brief, make our voices heard? Do we visit as often as we could? Do we educate those who are ignorant about Yerushalayim and advocate for Israel and her rights?

This morning's comfort following tisha b'avs grief is only realized when we draw from our history and reconsider our ways. One more story to close -

In July of 1977, Prime Minister Begin came to Washington for a difficult meeting with then President Carter. Before heading back to Israel, he went on NBC's Meet the Press where Bill Monroe of NBC News kicked off by asking, "tell us Mr. Prime Minister, how did your talks with President Carter go?"

Begin answered: "Before I respond to this very important question, I would like to say a few words about this day on which we meet, because of its universal importance. Today, in accordance with our Jewish calendar, is the ninth day of the month of Av. It is the day when, one thousand, nine hundred and seven years ago Roman legions - the Fifth and the Twelfth Legions - launched their ultimate onslaught on the Temple Mount, set the Temple ablaze, and destroyed Jerusalem, subjugating our people and conquering our land. Historically, this was the beginning of all suffering of our people, who were dispersed, humiliated and ultimately, a generation ago, almost physically wiped out. We forever remember this day, which we call Tisha b'Av, and now we have the responsibility to make sure that never again will the Jew become homeless and defenseless. This in truth, is the crux of the problem we face in the future - making sure it will never happen again. And that in a nutshell, was the underlying theme of my talks with President Carter." (Taken from "The Prime Ministers," by Yehuda Avner)

My friends, dabru al leiv Yerushalayim, speaking to the heart of Jerusalem means speaking to the Jewish people who are all a small piece of Jerusalem and who each have a piece of Jerusalem in their hearts. It means, as Begin said, making sure that never again will the Jew become homeless and defenseless. It means making sure that never again will a Jew be prevented from visiting the Kotel, shopping in Machaneh Yehudah, walking Yemin Moshe or even ascending the Temple Mount if they wish. Speaking to the heart of Yerushalayim means speaking to our brothers and sisters and helping them recognize that Jerusalem is their birthright, their heritage and our capital. When we find our voices, shift our thinking and behavior, and are prepared to advocate for our holy city, then indeed can we experience nachamu, nachamu ami, our people finding comfort.

Reprinted with permission from   Rabbi Ephram Goldberg

Boca Raton Synagogue

I answered my nephew and niece (not quite so eloquently , I must admit) the following,

Which ends dear reader with something , practical.