Dear
Friends,
This
year, the Fast of the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tamuz falls is the 25th of June. The Fast began at dawn and ends in the evening. On
the 17th of Tamuz, five tragedies befell the People of Israel:
1.
The first Tablets of the Covenant were broken by Moses when he
descended from the mountain and saw the worship of the golden calf.
2.
The daily offerings ceased in the First Temple during the siege by
the Babylonians.
3.
During the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in the Second Temple
period, the walls of Jerusalem were breached.
4.
During the Second Temple period, the Torah was burned by a Roman
leader known as "Apustumus-the-Wicked."
5.
During the Second Temple period, an idol was placed in the Temple by
the Romans.
The
17th of Tamuz begins a three-week mourning period for the loss of our
Temple and other related tragedies, and this mourning period
concludes with Tisha B'Av - the Fast of the Ninth of Av. On Tisha
B'Av, both the First and Second Temples were destroyed.
The
purpose of this fast day and all other fast days is teshuva
- the process of repentance and return. The root of this Hebrew word
is shuv
- return, as through this process of repentance and renewal, we are
to return to Hashem - the Compassionate One. On another level, we are
to return to our true selves - to our souls - and become the human
beings that we are meant to be. On each fast day we are to remember
that we are created in the Divine Image, with the capacity to emulate
the Divine love, compassion, and justice. And on each fast day we are
to remember that we, the People of Israel, are to become a social
model of Divine love, compassion, and justice which will serve as a
"light" to all the nations. The spiritual and universal
goals of the Jewish fast days are expressed in the haftorah
- portion from the Prophets - that we read on the 17th of Tamuz and
on most of the fast days:
"Seek
Hashem, in His readiness to be found, call upon Him, for He is indeed
near. Let the wicked one forsake his way and the iniquitous person
his thoughts; let him return to Hashem Who will have compassion on
him; to our God Who is abundantly forgiving. For My thoughts are not
your thoughts and your ways are not My ways - the declaration of
Hashem. As high as the heavens over the earth, so are My ways higher
than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as the
rain and snow descend from heaven and will not return there without
having refreshed the earth, fructified it, and furthered its growth
that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall
be My word that emanates from My mouth: It will not return to Me
unfulfilled without having accomplished what I desired and having
brought success to where I sent it. For in joy shall you go out and
in peace shall you arrive; the mountains and the hills will break out
in glad song before you, and the trees of the field will clap hands.
In place of the thornbush, a cypress will rise; and in place of the
nettle, a myrtle will rise. This will be a monument to Hashem, an
eternal sign never to be destroyed.
“Thus
said Hashem: Guard justice and perform righteousness, for My
salvation is soon to come and My righteousness to be revealed. Happy
is the man who does this and the person who grasps it tightly; who
guards the Sabbath against desecrating it and guards his hand against
doing any evil.
“Let
not the foreigner who has joined himself to Hashem, speak, saying,
'Hashem will utterly separate me from his people'; and let not the
barren one say, 'Behold I am a shriveled tree.' For thus said Hashem
to the barren ones who observe My Sabbaths and choose what I desire,
and grasp My covenant tightly: In My house and within My walls I will
give them a place of honor and renown, which is better than sons and
daughters; eternal renown will I give them, which will never be
terminated. And the foreigners who join themselves to Hashem to serve
Him and to love the Name of Hashem to become servants unto Him, all
who guard the Sabbath against desecration, and grasp My covenant
tightly - I will bring them to My Holy Mountain, and I will gladden
them in My House of Prayer; their elevation-offerings and their
feast-offerings will find favor on My Altar, for My House will be
called a House of Prayer for all the peoples. Thus said My Lord, the
God Who reveals His love even in judgements, Who gathers in the
dispersed of Israel: I shall yet gather others unto 'His gathered
ones'." (Isaiah 55:6-56:8)
The
redemption that will result from our teshuva
will be for all, including those who may feel somewhat separate from
the Community of Israel, such as the barren ones and the foreigners
who desire to join Israel and accept the Covenant. They too are full
members of the Community of Israel, and they too are beloved by
Hashem. In addition, the rebuilt Temple will be known as "The
House of Prayer for all the peoples," as Hashem will gather
other peoples together with "His gathered ones" - the
People of Israel.
Shalom,
Yosef
Ben Shlomo Hakohen (See below)
Most
of the information in this essay is taken from "The Book of Our
Heritage" by Eliyahu Kitov. In this work, published by Feldheim,
one can find teachings and stories which reveal the deeper meaning of
all the Jewish festivals and fast days. It is available in Jewish
book stores and through Feldheim Publishers: www.feldheim.com
