Rambam's father, the rabbi and judge Maimon, wrote a letter to the Jews of Morocco, against whom the Muslims had issued harsh decrees. In his letter, he offers them consolation and encouragement, strengthening their faith and trust in G-d:
Shabbat Chazon, and the next day, the 9th of Av, the Jewish people are weeping and lamenting the destruction and the troubles that have befallen us previously, and in our own times. Previously, there was the destruction of the First and Second Temples, the Desert Generation who betrayed Eretz Yisrael and died in the desert. There was Beitar, which was destroyed, and the Temple Mount that was plowed. There was the expulsion from Spain over five hundred years ago.
Today, there is the threatened expulsion of Jews ? by Jews ? from Gush Katif and Samaria. Woe to us over what has befallen us!
Even so, despite everything, we believe and are certain that our troubles are a momentary phenomenon and our redemption will last forever. Our suffering shall not rob us of our sanity or our faith. We trust in G-d that G-d's oath will be fulfilled: "You and your ancestors will long endure on the land that G-d swore to your ancestors, promising that He would give it to them as long as the heavens are above the earth." (Deuteronomy 11:21)
The righteous man shall live by his faith.
"Let our suffering not drive us mad. Let us recall that our covenant is eternal and irrevocable. Surely, He who made it is the G-d of the universe... who chose His people Israel. How can He then abandon them? Surely He gave our people a name the likes of which He gave to no other being that He created [Israel, containing G-d's own name].... G-d will not abandon us, neither will we abandon him. He cannot hate us. Shall a father hate his own son? Surely we are sons to the L-rd G-d.... Let us cast no doubt on His fulfilling His promises to us, just as we cast no doubts on His very existence.
"From time to time, the nations attacking us will overcome us, pursuing us in their hatred, but we will stand firm by means of our faith in G-d's promises. Let us always remember and let us say with a full heart, without deception or doubt, 'Moses is truth and his Torah is truth'.... And let us recite daily Moses' prayer, 'A prayer by Moses, the man of G-d' (Psalm 90). Let us pour out our hearts through its recitation during days of distress, times of torment and tribulation, days in which sons and daughters are being lost, days of cruelty and despair. Through it, let us find much consolation and become stronger in our faith.... Moses' prayer shall help us to pass through life's tribulations that are seeking to swallow us up.
"That psalm reassures us of our eternity and teaches us to see our enemies as a momentary phenomenon, and our future redemption as everlasting. It further reassures us that G-d will bring us joy, as it says, 'Gladden us in proportion to the days wherein You have afflicted us, the years wherein we have seen evil' (verse 15). And one of G-d's days equals a thousand years of joy."
Shabbat Chazon, and the next day, the 9th of Av, the Jewish people are weeping and lamenting the destruction and the troubles that have befallen us previously, and in our own times. Previously, there was the destruction of the First and Second Temples, the Desert Generation who betrayed Eretz Yisrael and died in the desert. There was Beitar, which was destroyed, and the Temple Mount that was plowed. There was the expulsion from Spain over five hundred years ago.
Today, there is the threatened expulsion of Jews ? by Jews ? from Gush Katif and Samaria. Woe to us over what has befallen us!
Even so, despite everything, we believe and are certain that our troubles are a momentary phenomenon and our redemption will last forever. Our suffering shall not rob us of our sanity or our faith. We trust in G-d that G-d's oath will be fulfilled: "You and your ancestors will long endure on the land that G-d swore to your ancestors, promising that He would give it to them as long as the heavens are above the earth." (Deuteronomy 11:21)
The righteous man shall live by his faith.