Shabbos Nachamu, which always follows Tisha B’Av, is so named for the words of the Haftorah: נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ, עַמִּי--יֹאמַר, אֱלֹקֹיכֶם, Comfort, comfort, My nation, says your G-d; Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her, for she has become full [from] her host, for her iniquity has been appeased, for she has taken from the hand of the Hashem double for all her sins; וְנִגְלָה, כְּבוֹד ה’ וְרָאוּ כָל-בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו, כִּי פִּי ה’ דִּבֵּר, And the glory of Hashem shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of Hashem spoke; שְׂאוּ־מָר֨וֹם עֵינֵיכֶ֚ם וּרְאוּ֙ מִֽי־בָרָ֣א אֵ֔לֶּה הַמּוֹצִ֥יא בְמִסְפָּ֖ר צְבָאָ֑ם לְכֻלָּם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יִקְרָ֔א מֵרֹ֚ב אוֹנִים֙ וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֔חַ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א נֶעְדָּֽר - Lift up your eyes on high and see Who created these, Who takes out their host by number; all of them He calls by name; because of His great might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing (Yeshayahu 40:1-26).  In addition to this special Haftorah, which begins the series of the Shiva d’Nechamta, the seven Haftoros on the seven Shabbasos with which we close the Jewish year, the sedra of the week is Va’Eschanan, which is read on the Shabbos following Tisha b’Av.  

While Mashiach has not yet come, and the long exile endures, we must wonder: is there anything that can truly comfort us?  Yerushalayim herself mourns her fate, as well as that of her children, and she laments and cries out for her pain, expressing the idea that there is no one to comfort her.  

בָּכוֹ תִבְכֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה, וְדִמְעָתָהּ עַל לֶחֱיָהּ--אֵין-לָהּ מְנַחֵם, מִכָּל-אֹהֲבֶיהָ כָּל-רֵעֶיהָ בָּגְדוּ בָהּ, הָיוּ לָהּ לְאֹיְבִים - She weeps bitterly at night, her tears are upon her cheeks, there is no one to comfort her from all of her lovers, all her friends betrayed her, they became her enemies (Eichah 1:2); עַל-אֵלֶּה אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה, עֵינִי עֵינִי יֹרְדָה מַּיִם--כִּי-רָחַק מִמֶּנִּי מְנַחֵם, מֵשִׁיב נַפְשִׁי; הָיוּ בָנַי שׁוֹמֵמִים, כִּי גָבַר אוֹיֵב - over these I cry, my eye, my eye runs with tears, for the one to comfort me and restore my soul is far from me, my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed (ibid, v.16).  

If our suffering endures, if October 7 and its aftermath are ongoing, if all the travails of exile continue to besiege us, in what way does this special Shabbos offer us a measure of solace and comfort?

It is interesting to note that in the sedra of Va’Eschanan, the Aseres ha’Dibros (The Ten Commandments) are relayed to the nation.  While the Torah was given to the first generation after they left Egypt, it is in Va’Eschanan that Moshe transmits and teaches the Aseres ha’Dibros to the second generation, those about to enter the Land of Israel.  While their fathers heard it from Hashem at Har Sinai, they receive the Torah now (so to speak) from Moshe, on the Eastern side of the Yarden River.  

I am Hashem your G-d Who took you out of the land of Egypt; You shall not worship gods of others; You shall not take the Name of G-d in vain; Guard the Shabbos day to keep it holy; Honor your father and mother; Do not murder; Do not commit adultery; Do not steal (kidnap); Do not bear false testimony against your fellow; Do not covet all that your friend has (Devarim 5:6-17).  

Perhaps it is these very words, the eternity of Torah which will endure forever, the brilliance of Torah that enlightens us, the calm of Torah that soothes us, and the warmth of Torah that envelops us, which is the purest, most absolute, and greatest comfort there is.  There is no greater comfort, and no greater testament to the eternity of Klal Yisrael, than our Torah.  In all places and all times, all exiles and all travails, in all destructions and all rebuilding, our Torah never abandons us nor leaves us.  She remains by our side, giving us the courage to continue on, strengthening us when we are weak, and picking us up when we are down.  

It is no accident, therefore, that we read Va’Eschanan, and the Aseres Ha’Dibros - the foundation of kol ha’Torah kulah (Rashi to Shemos 24:12) - specifically on Shabbos Nachamu.  While all other attempts at comfort are fleeting and false, the powerful comfort of Torah revives us.  

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt’l teaches that, “We have already noted that during the last century of the existence of the (second) BHM”K, and even right after the churban, Rome did not institute any religious persecution.  On the contrary, the Roman governors in Jerusalem received strict orders not to interfere with the rituals in the BHM”K while it was still standing.  And then, suddenly, after Beitar, about 60 to 65 years after the churban, Rome’s policy completely changed.  Rome suddenly became one of the worst religious persecutors in Jewish history.

“Apparently Rome realized that it had made a mistake.  They had thought that once the BHM”K was destroyed, they would have no problems with the Jewish people as a separate entity; they assumed that the Jewish people would be assimilated into the general society that was open to them.  All they had to do, thought Rome, was to destroy the BHM”K.  They assumed that it would not be necessary to touch Jewish observances.

“But Rome realized later that even though they had destroyed the BHM”K, they had not destroyed the Jewish community.  The Jewish community was as loyal to G-d after the churban as it was during the time the BHMK was standing.  Rome realized that the strength of the Jew is not dependent upon the BHMK; (they realized) that (the) Torah is the cohesive force that unites the Jews and helps them carry on even under the worst of circumstances.  The observance of Jewish law is what unites them.  And it was at this point that a wave of persecution in the form of restrictive decrees inundated the Jewish community and the first of the Ten Martyrs were killed” (The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways, p.253-254). 

Though comfort may seem far, when we turn to the Torah, we are reminded that Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Toras Yisrael will always prevail.  And indeed, there is no greater comfort than this.  דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי-נֹעַם; וְכָל-נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם, Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace; עֵץ-חַיִּים הִיא, לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ; וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר - She is a tree of life for all who hold fast to her, and those who lean upon her are fortunate (Mishlei 3:17-18).

בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום