Thoughts on a Fast Day

Today is a fast day. Each and every Jew should stop and think, "Why am I fasting today? What is it that I am remembering?!"
It is so hard to remember when we don’t have the memories. How can we remember the bais Hamikdosh when we have never seen it standing? How can we remember the avoda of the kohanim if we never saw them bring up karbanos to Hashem?
Can we ever imagine the beauty of the harmony of the songs of the levi’im?
It’s so hard. It’s hard to picture that which you have never seen. It’s hard to feel like you miss the bais Hamikdosh if you’ve never been there before.
So how does one deepen their feelings and await the rebuilding of the bais Hamikdosh?
By thinking.
Think about what we have.
Think about what we could have.
Think about what we are missing.
Look around you. There is so much pain in the world.
Young children who are becoming adults are leaving the most beautiful path of life and exchanging our mesorah for the "street life." They are throwing away diamonds in exchange for cheap glass.
People are struggling to make a living. They work so hard and try to put bread on the table. They try one job, another and yet another but they just can’t seem to make it.
Young children are losing parents. A house that is meant to be run by a father and a mother begins to fall apart when the mother is gone. The children have to learn to take charge, make the suppers and do the laundry. The children have to do homework with their younger siblings and tuck them under their blankets and kiss them good night.
Parents are taking their sick children from one hospital to the next, from one specialist to another, waiting and hoping. They watch their child slowly deteriorate before their very eyes, until…those dreaded words…baruch dayan ha’emes...
People are dying in the most unnatural ways, at the most unexpected times. We are constantly hearing about accidents that make no sense. Every day, another story.
Don’t you think Hashem is trying to tell us something?!
Isn’t it about time that we wake up and take the message?
Hashem wants you to turn to Him!
He wants you to take one step closer to Him and make that change!
He wants you to dig deep inside yourself and see, Who am I?! What is it that is really hard for me?! What change can I make to become a better eved Hashem?!
Ask yourself these questions.
Get yourself some answers.
Make the change.
And when you show Hashem that you are willing to make that change, He will show all of us that He is ready to change the world!
And then He will rebuild the bais Hamikdosh and we will all go to Yerushalayim with moshiach!
It is up to YOU to bring moshiach today!