“THESE are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…” (Devarim 1:1)

RASHI: TO ALL ISRAEL — Had Moshe reproved only part of the nation, those who were then in the marketplace (absent) might have said, “You heard this from the son of Amram, and did not respond at all to his criticisms?! Had we been there, we would have answered him!” Therefore, he assembled all of them, and declared, “Behold, you are all here: anyone with a response, speak now!” (Sifrei Devarim 1:6-7).

Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu gathered together all of klal Yisrael to prevent those who weren’t there from claiming, “If we had been there, we would have responded to all the complaints that Moshe had.” With everyone there, no one would be able to use that excuse. This raises a question: Did they really have a valid response to Moshe’s rebuke? With everyone there, they remained silent, implying that they had no real response. If so, why was Moshe concerned about their absence if they had no response when present?

I saw an answer which applies to all of us, across time. In America there is an expression “Monday Morning Quarterback”, describing those people who, after the game, claim to have all the right moves. In reality, if those people actually had been participating in the game, they likely would never have been able to execute that which they said they would have done.

In other words, people who would have been there and saw what was going on, would have realized that they had nothing to say.

This is Rashi’s point regarding Moshe’s rebuke. Had some people not been there, since they weren’t in the presence of Moshe, they would have concocted many lame excuses. But in Moshe’s presence, they realized that their excuses had no validity and therefore remained silent.

Similarly, we often rationalize our actions all year round, but on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when we are standing before Hashem, all of our excuses evaporate.

This lesson is critical for Tisha B’Av. Many people think that they are not so bad, as they don’t commit any of the three cardinal crimes and don’t have baseless hatred. Therefore, they may believe that if they had been alive at the Churban, it would not have happened.  Yet Chazal tell us that in any generation that the Beis Hamikdash is not restored, the people are as accountable as those in the generation in which it was destroyed. This means that we are no less guilty.

As Tisha B’Av approaches, we hope it will be a meaningful one and perhaps the last one marked by mourning. We must begin by acknowledging our guilt. Accepting that humbling fact is the first step in the repentance process, which culminates on Yom Kippur.

May our actions merit a future where Tisha B’Av becomes a day of rejoicing in a rebuilt Beis Hamikdash.