The Jewish fast days serve two purposes: 1. To remind us of a tragic time in our history 2. To give us the opportunity to reflect and repent Today is the fast of Asarah BiTevet, which commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem during the First Temple period. Although that event may not directly touch our emotions, the battle that Israel is fighting must. The fast day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the current situation, and on our own lives. Are we doing all that we can to help our people? Are we leading...
Fast Days
Nachamu – Consolation
The Shabbat directly following the fast of Tisha B’av is called Nachamu or “be consoled”. The name is taken from the prophet Isaiah who prophesizes the return of the Jewish people from their exile to Israel. The prophecy begins with the words, “Nachamu, Nachamu”. Whenever there is, what seems to be, a superfluous word in the Torah the Rabbis make every effort to give meaning to it. What is the meaning of the repetition of Nachamu, be consoled? The simple answer is that the word is repeated for dramatic effect. The Torah often uses the language of common speech...
Tisha B’av – Mourning Details
This Wednesday night, we will observe Tisha B’av, the day on which both of our holy temples in Jerusalem were destroyed. It is a time of sadness, mourning, and reflection. It’s really almost impossible to feel true sadness and loss for a Temple that has been gone for nearly 2ooo years. No one ever seen or experienced it, and only a select few even study the details of its sacrificial service. How then can we be expected to mourn its loss? Our sages realized the difficulty in truly mourning for the Temple, and therefore, gave us laws that practically...
Taanit Esther – Festival?
This morning, Taanit Esther, they left out Tachanun and Avinu Malkeinu at the small Chassidic “Shtieble” where I occasionally daven. We usually skip these prayers on holidays, but today was a fast day? The character of Taanit Esther is unlike other fast days. Taanit Esther is actually part of Purim. On Purim we celebrate our physical existence by feeding our bodies. On Taanit Esther, we nourish our souls by fasting. Only when combined do Taanit Esther and Purim become a complete and total religious experience. This same idea also relates to Yom Kippur, which our sages compare to Purim...
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