We interrupt the regular flow of Holy Madness to bring you this Extra Madness in preparation for Tisha b'Av (the 9th day of the month of Av). Tisha b'Av is the day the 2nd Temple was destroyed, the day the 1st Temple was destroyed, and the day the twelve spies returned from their reconnaissance mission and discouraged the people from entering the land - a day in which we experience the Holy One's dedication to perfecting the world and terrifyingly uncompromising love. It is a mo'ed, an appointed time, a time of meeting, a day dedicated to re-membering, a day to investigate how what broke us then breaks us still today and to wonder how we got here, a time now of mourning but soon, we hope, of rejoicing.

Meir-Simchah gave this talk shortly before Tisha b'Av last year (5777/2017) at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, USA. The talk was in a bustling cafe, and we apologize for all the atmosphere that got into the recording.

May we return to the Holy One with great love and merit complete redemption, true integration, and uncompromised wholeness.