בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



8 Jul 2009

The 17th of Tammuz

This Thursday is the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day commemorating the fall of Jerusalem, prior to the destruction of the Holy Temple. The fast also marks the beginning of a 3 week period of mourning leading up to Tisha B'Av.
"The 17th of Tammuz is the first of four fast days mentioned in the prophets. The purpose of a fast day is to awaken our sense of loss over the destroyed Temple - and the subsequent Jewish journey into exile.
Agonizing over these events is meant to help us conquer those spiritual deficiencies which brought about these tragic events. Through the process of "Teshuva" - self-introspection and a commitment to improve - we have the power to transform tragedy into joy. In fact, the Talmud says that after the future redemption of Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple, these fast days will be re-dedicated as days of rejoicing and festivity. For as the prophet Zechariah says: the 17th of Tammuz will become a day of "joy to the House of Judah, and gladness and cheerful feasts."
Five great catastrophes occurred in Jewish history on the 17th of Tammuz:
Moses broke the tablets at Mount Sinai — in response to the sin of the Golden Calf.
The daily offerings in the First Temple were suspended during the siege of Jerusalem, after the Kohanim could no longer obtain animals.
Jerusalem's walls were breached, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
Prior to the Great Revolt, the Roman general Apostamos burned a Torah scroll - setting a precedent for the horrifying burning of Jewish books throughout the centuries.
An idolatrous image was placed in the Sanctuary of the Holy Temple - a brazen act of blasphemy and desecration."

I couldn't help but think of reason number four when I read an article in the Jpost entitled "Hundreds to attend burial of holy books." It is as if history hasn't changed much since the time Apostamos burned a Torah Scroll. Today, the day before the seventeenth of Tammuz, there will be a burial ceremony at Homesh for holy books allegedly burned by local Arabs.


1 comment:

  1. You are so right, Moshiach is coming. What do we need to do, bring yourselves on HOME:

    Aliyah Stimulus
    http://habayitah.blogspot.com/2009/07/aliyah-stimulus.html

    and Aliyah Impetus
    http://yeranenyaakov.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete