While Tisha B'av is normally thought of as a very sad day, the Talmud comments that "On Tisha B'av the redeemer of Israel (the Moshiach) was born."
What exactly does it mean?
Well, certainly when Moshiach comes we will clearly understand what the Talmud meant by that statement. But even prior to that time it conveys a comforting message:
Just when you think you are in the deepest darkness and at the height of despair, know that precisely there a silver lining lies, because this difficult time will give birth to a much better one, an era that will far eclipse the goodness of anything known before.
May we see it speedily in our days.
William Thompson wrote...