This week begins the seven weeks of comfort was we begin to recover from Tisha B'Av. The Haftarah opens with the famous words, נחמו נחמו עמי - Be consoled, be consoled my people. The Midrash explains that the double-Lashon, the repetition of נחמו twice is coming to teach us that the עמא קדישא - the Yidden are to receive a double portion of comfort לעתיד לבאו. What is the meaning of this? Is one set of condolences not enough?
The Rama MiPano (beginning of מאמר חיקור הדין) explains the following verse from Tehilim: שמחינו כימות עיניתנו - Gladden us as the days of our suffering. On the surface this verse is not understandable. He explains that this verse is a prayer that all of the times that we wanted to serve Hashem but could not should be transformed into merits as if we actually accomplished our goals. Make us glad, meaning bestow upon us the Zechus, as the days of our suffering - when we were held back from doing what we really wanted to do for You. שמחינו כימות עיניתנו.
The Shem MiShmuel (page 32) explains that this is the meaning of נחמו נחמו עמי. Hashem knows that during the Galus, without a Navi, without a Beis HaMikdash, without enough Gilui Shechinah - it's very hard to serve Him. The culture around us holds us back. Sometimes we fall. Hashem is empathetic to our situation. He sees us for who we really are: Pure Neshamos that want to do the right thing. But the Galus makes us like fish out of water.
The Geulah will not only reveal our inner goodness through Teshuvah, but it will even show how all of our good intentions stand for us as a tremendous reward.
When Hashem answers our request of שמחינו כימות עיניתנו, that will be the moment of נחמו נחמו עמי.
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