Our Sages tell us that on the day the Temple was destroyed, Mashiach was born. And our Rabbis note that Tishah B’Av always falls on the same day of the week as Passover, the holiday of our Redemption.

This is by no means coincidental; both days are symbolic of redemption. Although Tishah B’Av marks a national calamity of awesome magnitude, the thrust of the day is not towards descent and tragedy, but towards redemption and return. Indeed, for that reason, Tishah B’Av is referred to as a moed, festival, and, in the Ultimate Future, will be celebrated as a holiday. Indeed, even in the present age, there are certain dimensions of the observance of the day that are associated with the festive quality that will ultimately be revealed.

These concepts are alluded to in the prophet’s description of the exile with the analogy of sowing seeds, as the prophet says, “I will sow [Israel] unto Me in the earth.” When harvested, the produce that grows from seeds greatly exceeds the quantity initially sown.

For this growth to take place, the exterior husk of a seed must utterly decompose. Only then, can its kernel flourish into a flowering plant. In a similar way, the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash and our people’s exile were intended to strip away all superficiality and allow the Jewish people to blossom into fulfillment in the Era of Redemption.