tisha b'av past

the most dramatic tisha b'av i have experienced was when i was 13 years old and in sleep away camp. on the evening of tisha b'av  a shiur was held outside overlooking a lake. on the other side of the lake the camp created a fire that was burning as the shiur was going on. it was surreal. looking back i think its amazing that they were able to create this fire situation without burning the entire camp down.

yom kippur

yom kippur, a holiday i dread , soon will be upon us. of course the foremost reason i dread it, is not necessarily the most noble. i most dread yom kippur because of the day long fast. the true reason to dread yom kippur is because its the day of atonement and we all hope that hashem will forgive us for all of our averos. although i guess i always have faith that hashem will forgive everyone for all of our sins every yom kippur. its funny, i may not have supreme emunah all of the time in regard to other issues, but for this issue, i do have faith. i always believe that there will be a better year this year than last year. it doesnt always happen that way, but im usually hopeful.
i guess its not so bad to dread yom kippur mostly because of the fasting. maybe this is the reason we have to fast. so we remember that yom kippur is day of to be awed, and if fear of fasting is what gives one this feeling then so be it. the way to man's heart is through his stomach, so then that makes alot of sense. we have to search our hearts to do sincere teshuvah and therefore we must be hungry on yom kippur to do this. ahhhh....