Tuesday Tammuz 17, 5777 / July 11, 2017
Today, Tuesday, the 17th day in the Hebrew month, Tammuz, is a fast day. (I always wondered why a fast day is called “fast” day, when the day drags on and on..)
Reason for the fast: Five tragic events occurred on this day throughout Jewish history:
1) The First Tablets were broken on the 17th of Tammuz. After spending 40 days on Mount Sinai, Moshe descended from the mountain with the Two Tablets, upon which were engraved the Ten Commandments. Upon seeing the people worshipping the Golden Calf, Moshe broke the Tablets.
2) The daily sacrifice was stopped. When the city of Jerusalem was under siege it became difficult to obtain animals for sacrifices in the Holy Temple. On the 17th of Tammuz the "Korban Hatamid" (the daily sacrifice), which was offered daily for hundreds of years, came to an end.
3) The walls of Jerusalem were breached. On this day, the Romans succeeded in breaching the walls of the Holy city of Jerusalem, which eventually led to the fall of the city.
4) A Torah was burnt. Apustmus, captain of the Roman occupation forces, publicly burned the Torah Scroll on the 17th of Tammuz.
5) An idol was placed in the Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) on this day.
From the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th day of Av, is a three week period dedicated to remembering the destruction of our two Holy Temples in Jerusalem. Weddings are not performed during these three weeks.
With the walls of Jerusalem being breached on the 17th of Tammuz, began the process of the destruction of the Holy Temple, which took place three weeks later on the 9th of Av. We refrain from happy celebrations during this period as we mourn the destruction of the Temple.
Q. G-d replaced the broken Tablets with a second set of Tablets, so why do we fast for the breaking of the First Tablets?
A. The First Tablets were very different than the second ones. The Torah tells us that the First Tablets were made and engraved by G-d (“And the Tablets were the work of G-d and the writing was the writing of G-d engraved upon the Tablets” Exodus 32,16). The Second Tablets were made by Moshe, who brought them up Mount Sinai. G-d then engraved the Ten Commandments on them.
May we merit the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the third Holy Temple. AMEN
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY