This shabbat is called “Shabbat Nachamu” (Shabbat of Comfort), named after this week’s haftarah which offers consolation following the devastating events of Tisha B’Av, commemorated last week.

Since my first visit to Jerusalem, prior to beginning cantorial school, I’ve been torn about the purpose and method for observing Tisha B’Av. On the one hand, I have no desire to see us return to a patriarchal system of priestly castes, with animal sacrifice as the primary form of Jewish spiritual expression, and on the other hand, we Jews can now rejoice in Jerusalem rebuilt in our own time.

What finally dawned on me was that I could mourn the destruction of the Temple, and the way of life that went with it, as I might mourn the loss of my childhood. I have no desire to actually return to being six years old, yet that doesn’t mean I don’t miss so many things about that age – the constant sense of awe and discovery, the freedom from responsibility, the list is endless. My six-year-old self helped me become the person that I am (and I’m sure glimpses of him appear, now and again, in my less-than-mature moments). Likewise, I don’t have to yearn for a return to Temple worship to mourn the passing from one paradigm to another.

This is probably why we love comfort food so much – it’s one of the most satisfying, visceral bridges between our past, when a bowl of mac & cheese or a cookie (or four) could make everything all right again, and our present, when the occasional PB&J still hits the spot the way no 3 Star Michelin restaurant ever could.

It’s appropriate that the Shabbat prior to Tisha B’av also has a name: Shabbat Hazon. The wonderful work that Hazon does helps envision how the best qualities of our past might improve our future on this planet, and avoid the most heartbreaking conequences of our society’s ignorance of our shared heritage of preservation and sustainability.

Bonus links

Here’s a wonderful article from Salon.com about one woman’s complicated exploration of food, memory and tradition.

And here’s what happens when comfort food goes way, way, way overboard!