When we hit rock bottom, is this the end of the line? Or is it the beginning of our climbing back up? There is a saying in the Recovery Community that, “Rock bottom just means there’s nowhere to go except up”, and that “The valley will teach you lessons the mountain top never can.”
The Gemara on top of amud alpeh tells us that the same exemption allowing sacrifices when the majority of the congregation is impure applies as well to the Rosh Chodesh sacrifice. The proof text is Rosh Chodesh is also referred to as a “moed”, appointed time, thus including it under the general law of the Tamid sacrifice.
The Pri Tzaddik notes the following irony. The verse that identifies Rosh Chodesh as “moed”, refers to the prophecies of doom that were established via setting month of Tammuz as a 30 day month, which meant the spies would return forty days later on Tisha B’Av. Thus, the origin use of the term “appointed time” in reference to Rosh Chodesh, had to do with the ill-fated time period from Tammuz to Tisha B’Av.
The deeper meaning is derived that the source of holiness and acceptance of Israel in the midst of their sin, even allowing the Rosh Chodesh sacrifice to occur during impurity is from the disasters of the three week period of Shiva Asar B’Tammuz to Tisha B’Av. This continues the theme we have been studying the past few days; that the Shekhina is present even while the congregation is at its lowest point.
Pri Tzaddik (Rosh Chodesh Av II) offers a wonderful Derash on the verse (Eichah 1:3)
גָּֽלְתָ֨ה יְהוּדָ֤ה מֵעֹ֙נִי֙ וּמֵרֹ֣ב עֲבֹדָ֔ה הִ֚יא יָשְׁבָ֣ה בַגּוֹיִ֔ם לֹ֥א מָצְאָ֖ה מָנ֑וֹחַ כָּל־רֹדְפֶ֥יהָ הִשִּׂיג֖וּהָ בֵּ֥ין הַמְּצָרִֽים׃
Judah has gone into exile Because of misery and harsh oppression; When she settled among the nations, She found no rest; All her pursuers overtook her In the narrow places.
The simple meaning of the verse is relating the way in which the Jewish people were hunted down. However the derash is as follows
“All her pursuers caught up with her in the narrow times”, that is all those that chose to pursue the Shekhina during narrow and difficult times will be able to catch up with Her. When there is difficulty and challenge, there is also great opportunity.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation 
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