In his sefer ‘pirkei machshava,’ Rabbi Tauber writes extensively about the role of tragedy. We’ll try to sumarise it with one vort. Chazal relate that when the Romans were killing the great holy 10 martyrs, the angels shouted at HaShem ‘is this what the reward for [their study of] Torah is!’ and HaShem responded that ‘if the angels are quiet, fine, but if you continue then I will destroy the world.’ It seems HaShem had no response; were the angels right? Rav Pinkus explains that HaShem was saying here that the world deserves destruction, and the way to save it is to have a time of tragedy which will serve as a means for the jews to cry tears to HaShem in each generation for these holy martyrs. Thus, HaShem was telling the angels that ‘if you continue with your claims and want to get your way and stop these murders, then the world will end up being detroyed; only if you are silent and let this go then it is through this tragedy that future generations will cry out to Me and allow the world to continue.’
This is THE idea of tragedy/sadness; it is so that a Jew who seems like he is completely in the dark and despite that cries out and forges a kesher with HaShem – to hang on and show commitment; this is only an opportunity in tragedy and tests. ‘V’emunascha baleilos’ – true emunah is forged when one can hold on to HaShem in the dark.
This is why Tisha B’Av is called a ‘mo’ed,’ a name normally reserved for festivals, because mo’ed means ‘meeting’ – and on Tisha B’Av we do meet with HaShem even in our time of darkness and tragedy; this is the greatest expression of our commitment to Him.
