Four Internal Tisha B'Av Related Links

As Tisha B'Av approaches - and I hope for the best case scenario - I think of Tisha B'Avs past. I generally watch the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation videos, and wrote about one of those talks here. Last year on Tisha B'Av I shared some relevant thoughts here, and wrote about Dara Horn's In The Image and how it relates to Tisha B'Av here. Last year as well I wrote a pre Tisha B'Av poem, which included the line, "Love - why G-d destroyed a Home and not a People." That line prompted this comment, "It's amazing - that one line got to me more than weeks of preparation and divrei Torah, more than hours of kinnot and reflection and physical affliction. It's so beautiful. It's almost provided me with that feeling I've been after this Tisha B'av. Thank you so much." Two years ago I wrote a poem and some thoughts about Tisha B'Av on the day itself here. In '06 I lived in the Old City of Jerusalem and wrote my own long kinnah, which I posted here. It prompted a reader to write write, "omg - i WAS having trouble connecting to the kinnot today. last night the proper mood grabbed me easily. today not so. so i came here for some chizuk, but didn't expect that you would really have any time to post! thank you so much...as your fast is ending you have put me into the mood to go daven again for the right things. thank you for not keeping this kinnah to yourself. you have a true gift...Artscroll should add this to their kinnot on tisha b'av...may G-d bless...and again thank you for helping me to not only daven as a grain of sand but IY"H as a star as well." It is my belief that we can and should all reflect and write down what we feel. May you and I and all of us be moved during this time of communal mourning to think, feel, record, share, and inspire. And may we merit seeing redemption today.