Do we really accept that the ways of Torah are pleasant and that we can improve keeping the Torah for ourselves and for our fellow Jews?

There are two very different challenges when it comes to mourning the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (plural).

The first is to get our heads and hearts into the mourning for something we lost so long ago that we have learned to live without it. Let's leave this aside.

Since Asara b'Tevet is now behind us for this year, the next challenge is how to effectively get rid of the sad fast days and witness (and more than that - to help bring) the Geula by doing our share to show G-d that we no longer need Galut, no longer need mourning the Churban, because we have changed ourselves and our fellow Jews to the point that we can truly move forward.

Let's take a simple example. If SIN'AT CHINAM is blamed for the destruction of the Second Beit HaMikdash, then the question is not so much how much you cry for the destruction, but how are you doing on the SIN'AT CHINAM meter.

Have we become caring, sincere Jews who get along with our fellow Jews in our joint efforts to become better people and better Jews?

Or are we still fractialized with this group looking down its collective nose at another group?

Do we really accept that the ways of Torah are pleasant and that we can improve the keeping of the Torah and its values and its Mitzvot for ourselves and for our fellow Jews?

Take a measure of two major tasks of Melech HaMashiach, each of which we can do a lot of the preliminary work to hasten his coming.

What have I done - what am I doing, to spread Torah learning, and mitzva observance to myself, to my family, to my friends and neighbors, and to others within Klal Yisrael?

What have I done to bring the Jewish People back to Eretz Yisrael? Have I come on Aliya? Do I encourage others and inspire them to make Aliya? Or at least to want to come on Aliya?

Or - G-d forbid - am I behaving just like the generations who lost the Beit HaMikdash. We might not have the allure of classic idolatry, but to we have modern substitutes for it?

We have a lot of thinking to do. We have a lot of things to do.

So let's do them and celebrate the Yamim Tovim as promised to us.