17th of Tammuz
Jun. 27th, 2002 10:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidToday is a minor fast day (minor = dawn to dusk), and it's the longest one, the hardest since it's so bloody hot. And despite drinking copious quantities of water yesterday, I started the day somewhat parched, 'cause I'd sweated out far too much of what I drank. I feel kinda flat: not creative, not interesting, not entertaining. All of which is the effect of the fast. Usually I don't have much problem with them; hopefully I'll be able to concentrate on stuff to do today, just keep my head down and go on t o the next thing until it's over. I'm glad I work in an air-conditioned office...
Why is today a fast day? There are bunches of reasons, however most of them feel auxiliary other than these, to me. On this day in the Jewish calendar:
In 586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem which led to the final destruction of the First Temple. (Later during the siege, it was on this day the daily sacrifice stopped being offered.)
The Romans under Titus (70 CE) breached the walls of Jerusalem.
According to bible calendarizing, this is the day Moses broke the first tablets after coming down from Mount Sinai and seeing the golden calf the people had made.
Exactly three weeks from today is the ninth of Av, a major fast day (dusk to dusk), which is always a hard day for me. Yom Kippur, the only other major fast day, is much easier: fasting for atonement, after doing some soul-searching and asking for forgiveness (from people wronged, as well as from the deity), ending in a joyous feeling of a clean slate, a new year to become a better person. Tisha b'Av (lit. "Ninth of Av") is a commemoration of the destruction of both the first and second Temples, as well as myriad other heinous things that have happened to the Jewish people over the centu ries, including exile, pogroms, etc. There are special lamentory prayers, written in complicated, somewhat unapproachable Hebrew. The book of Lamentations is read in a sad chant, in the specially low-lit room. The traditions are those of mourning: people sit on the floor or low stools, do not eat, or drink, or have sex, or wear leather shoes, or anoint themselves. A day of mourning, but I find so little connection. It is hard to be depressed on command. There is no looking forward at the end, just the sadness for all the badness of the past. Mentally, this is the hardest day of the Jewish calendar for me.
Additionally, there are traditionally restrictions during the three weeks between these fast days, some for the whole three weeks, some from the beginning of Av, and some from the Saturday night of the week Tisha b'Av is in. These differ between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews (as usual, Sepahrdim have more understandable (to me) law, with the three weeks being not such a deal, more falling in the beginning of Av, the week of the fast.).
What sort of stuff? (not in any particular order) Many people avoid large happy gatherings, especially those with live music. Swimming. During the nine days (ie from the beginning of Av), or during that week, some people don't eat meat, or do laundry. There's probably something about no haircuts. And there's probably some other stuff I'm not remembering - I haven't looked stuff up about this yet. It always makes me somewhat grumpy, though, probably because of my difficulties with Tisha b'Av itself.
I think this entry would be less blechy had I written it another day...
a
Why is today a fast day? There are bunches of reasons, however most of them feel auxiliary other than these, to me. On this day in the Jewish calendar:
In 586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem which led to the final destruction of the First Temple. (Later during the siege, it was on this day the daily sacrifice stopped being offered.)
The Romans under Titus (70 CE) breached the walls of Jerusalem.
According to bible calendarizing, this is the day Moses broke the first tablets after coming down from Mount Sinai and seeing the golden calf the people had made.
Exactly three weeks from today is the ninth of Av, a major fast day (dusk to dusk), which is always a hard day for me. Yom Kippur, the only other major fast day, is much easier: fasting for atonement, after doing some soul-searching and asking for forgiveness (from people wronged, as well as from the deity), ending in a joyous feeling of a clean slate, a new year to become a better person. Tisha b'Av (lit. "Ninth of Av") is a commemoration of the destruction of both the first and second Temples, as well as myriad other heinous things that have happened to the Jewish people over the centu ries, including exile, pogroms, etc. There are special lamentory prayers, written in complicated, somewhat unapproachable Hebrew. The book of Lamentations is read in a sad chant, in the specially low-lit room. The traditions are those of mourning: people sit on the floor or low stools, do not eat, or drink, or have sex, or wear leather shoes, or anoint themselves. A day of mourning, but I find so little connection. It is hard to be depressed on command. There is no looking forward at the end, just the sadness for all the badness of the past. Mentally, this is the hardest day of the Jewish calendar for me.
Additionally, there are traditionally restrictions during the three weeks between these fast days, some for the whole three weeks, some from the beginning of Av, and some from the Saturday night of the week Tisha b'Av is in. These differ between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews (as usual, Sepahrdim have more understandable (to me) law, with the three weeks being not such a deal, more falling in the beginning of Av, the week of the fast.).
What sort of stuff? (not in any particular order) Many people avoid large happy gatherings, especially those with live music. Swimming. During the nine days (ie from the beginning of Av), or during that week, some people don't eat meat, or do laundry. There's probably something about no haircuts. And there's probably some other stuff I'm not remembering - I haven't looked stuff up about this yet. It always makes me somewhat grumpy, though, probably because of my difficulties with Tisha b'Av itself.
I think this entry would be less blechy had I written it another day...
a