Tammuz is a relatively quiet month in the Jewish calendar. Following a busy Spring of holidays, Tammuz ushers in the Summer – a time of rest before the preparation begins in Elul for the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe.
Traditionally, there is a fast day which falls in the month of Tammuz. It takes place Shivah Asar b'Tammuz‹on the seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz. This day was designated by the prophet Zechariah [Zechariah 8:19] to commemorate the Roman entrance into the walled city of Jerusalem. It was on the seventeenth day of the fourth month (Tammuz) of the Jewish calendar that the Romans broke through the walls of Jerusalem in the year 70 C.E. This terrible infiltration of the Jewish holy city was the beginning of the destruction of the city – and a tragic foreshadowing of the destruction of the Second Temple. The Romans' attack on Jerusalem culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple on Tisha b'Av – the ninth day of the month of Av
, three weeks after Shivah Asar b'Tammuz. This three week period is a time of Jewish mourning and solemnity. Traditionally, no weddings are performed during these three weeks because of the somber atmosphere in the community.
In addition to being remembered as the day the Romans entered Jerusalem, the seventeenth of Tammuz is the anniversary of other sad events which befell the Jewish people. The Mishnah [Ta'anit 4:6] mentions the following other events which occurred on this inauspicious day: the breaking of the tablets of the Ten Commandments by Moses; the setting up of an idol in the Temple; and the burning of Torah scrolls by a Syrian Greek general.
The Jewish people have experienced persecution throughout our history. Some of the dates are marked on our calendar to help us remember them and to allow us to mourn for our ancestors' suffering. What are other dates commemorating persecution in the Jewish calendar? How do we, as a community, observe them? Is it important to honor these dates each year?
May we remember those Jews who were persecuted because they were Jews. May we honor their memories by teaching tolerance and cooperation among all Jews and all people. And may we work to build a world filled with peace and generosity.
–
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman,
Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow
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