Shabbat Chazon, Seeing Beyond the Darkness

This week, we have entered the period known as the Nine Days, the final stage of the Three Weeks, when we intensify our mourning over the destruction of the First and Second Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temples in Jerusalem) and the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout our history.

The Nine Days culminate with the fast of Tisha B’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. This year, the fast begins on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, at 5:09 PM and concludes on Thursday, 23 July 2026, at 5:42 PM.

But what are we meant to gain from these days? Are they simply a time to remember a painful past?

The answer is no.

Judaism never asks us to dwell on tragedy for the sake of sadness. Rather, we pause to understand what was lost so that we can rebuild what can still be restored. We look back only so that we can move forward with greater purpose, stronger faith, and renewed commitment.

This idea is reflected in this week’s Shabbat, known as Shabbat Chazon, the “Shabbat of Vision.” It receives its name from the opening words of the Haftarah: “Chazon Yeshayahu” (“The Vision of Isaiah”). Although the prophet begins with a powerful rebuke, the Haftarah does not end in despair. It concludes with the uplifting promise:

“Tzion b’mishpat tipadeh, v’shaveha b’tzedakah”, “Zion (Jerusalem) shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through righteousness.”

Even within the vision of destruction lies the vision of redemption.

Rabbi Yossi Goldman, Rabbi Emeritus of Sydenham Shul in South Africa, recently shared a moving story.

During the Holocaust, a distinguished Torah scholar secretly learned Talmud with his young nephew inside a concentration camp. As the uncle sensed that his final moments were approaching, he turned to his nephew with one last request: “Promise me that you will finish studying this tractate of the Talmud.”

Think about that for a moment.

Surrounded by suffering, hunger, and uncertainty, with death standing before him, what occupied this man’s thoughts? Not revenge. Not fear. Not even his own survival. His greatest wish was that the Torah they had begun together would continue.

Perhaps this is one of the greatest secrets of the Jewish people’s survival. Even in our darkest moments, we never stopped believing in a brighter future. We never lived merely to survive; we lived with purpose, with faith, and with a vision that reached far beyond the pain of the present.

That is the message of these days.

We mourn the past, but not so that we become discouraged or despondent. We mourn so that we can rebuild. We reflect so that we can grow. We remember what was destroyed so that we can help bring about what will yet be rebuilt.

The same is true in our personal lives. We all experience disappointments, setbacks, and failures. Judaism teaches us to acknowledge them honestly, but never to be defined by them. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn, every challenge a chance to become stronger, and every fall a stepping stone toward future success.

May this Shabbat Chazon inspire us to look beyond the darkness and to see the vision of redemption, for ourselves, for our people, and for the entire world. May we merit to witness the fulfilment of the prophet’s promise, with the coming of Moshiach, when these days of mourning will be transformed into days of joy and celebration. Amen.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Zalman & Esty