Why Cry Over Ruins? Finding Meaning in Mourning the Temple

As modern Jews, especially outside of Israel, the destruction of the Temple can feel like a distant and abstract loss. So why do we still fast, cry, and read Lamentations thousands of years later? In this episode, Rabbis Rachel and Marcus Rubenstein explore the spiritual value of mourning the Beit HaMikdash today. What does this grief open in our souls? How can remembering the brokenness of Jerusalem help us reconnect—with God, with people, with our own inner wholeness? Drawing from rabbinic texts, Chassidic thought, and their own experiences as clergy and partners, they uncover the enduring relevance of Tisha B’Av and the Three Weeks in a post-Temple, post-modern world.