The Fast of Tammuz
Rabbi Daniel Leeman
This year, the 17th of Tammuz falls on this coming Shabbat, and so the fast of the 17th of Tammuz is pushed off to Sunday. We have been taught that five tragedies befell the Jewish people on the 17th of Tammuz and another five tragedies (three weeks later) on the 9th of Av [Taanis 4:6].
But why do we have to fast over these historical events that we were not responsible for?
Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the five tragedies on the 17th of Tammuz were the beginning of the five tragedies that occured on the 9th of Av. But if we are anyway mourning over the final tragedies themselves, why is it so important to mourn the beginning of the tragedies?
R’ Eizel of Slonim was once asked by a wealthy enlightened man why we mourn the sin of the golden calf today. He replied, “The sin of the golden calf was indeed a terrible one, but at least people were willing to give up their money for their god. Today the situation is much worse: people are willing to give up their G-d to make money!”
The tragedies that occurred throughout our history were not freak occurrences but rather repercussions of our insufficient spiritual efforts. Each year we do not merely mourn the history, but rather mourn our present status of continually diminishing spiritual efforts and ultimately we repent and improve our ways. If we fail to do this, then we add sin upon sin and tragedy upon tragedy.
But despite our continuous spiritual decline, each year we are given a chance anew to repent and amend our ways. Each year we have the opportunity not only to repent for our sins and their effects, but also to ensure that the full tragedy does not materialise.
If we utilise this valuable opportunity properly, there will no longer be a need to mourn the tragedies, and the 9th of Av will become instead a day of redemption and celebration!
Have a celebratory Shabbat and a redeeming 17th of Tammuz,
Shabbat Shalom
