Living Torah Archives

On the tenth of the Hebrew month of Teves, Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon laid siege to the holy city of Jerusalem. This led to the eventual destruction of the first Holy Temple on the ninth of Av.

17 Tammuz, 5743 · June 28, 1983
In Jewish tradition, a communal fast day is an auspicious time On High. This Divine favor then manifests itself in this world below, and can be intensified by man’s deeds. Maimonides writes that fasting is one of the paths of repentance, and hastens G-d’s promise: “These fast days will be transformed into days of joy and festivity.”