Candlelighters
a place for women who cherish the TorahArchive for 17th of Tammuz
The Three Weeks
by seeandimprove
We are now in the middle of a three week period of mourning the loss of both of the Holy Temples. The three weeks begin with the fast on the 17th of Tamuz and end after the fast on the ninth of Av.
Foodlessness
by eshetkayil
Yesterday, the 17th of Tammuz, was a public fast day. It’s not commanded in the Bible – it’s purely traditional. It commemorates five sad things that historically and traditionally happened that day:
- Moses broke the first set of Ten Commandments tablets at Mount Sinai, in response to the sin of the golden calf.
- The daily offerings at the First Temple were suspended during the siege of Jerusalem, when the priests could not obtain any animals.
- The walls of Jerusalem were breached, heralding the destruction of the Second Temple three weeks later (on Tisha B’Av).
- Apostamos, a Roman General, burned a Torah scroll, setting a precedent for the burning of Jewish books for centuries.
- An idolatrous image was placed in the sanctuary of the Temple.