Chabad.org and CrownHeights.info

The walls of Jerusalem

The fast begins Sunday at 5:34am and ends at 5:09pm (NYC)

On the 10th of Tevet of the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later — on Tammuz 9, 3338 — the city walls were breached, and on Av 9th of that year, the Holy Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years.

10th of Tevet – Jerusalem Under Siege

Chabad.org and CrownHeights.info

The walls of Jerusalem

The fast begins Sunday at 5:34am and ends at 5:09pm (NYC)

On the 10th of Tevet of the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later — on Tammuz 9, 3338 — the city walls were breached, and on Av 9th of that year, the Holy Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years.

Tevet 10 (this year December 23, 2012) is observed as a day of fasting, mourning and repentance. We refrain from food and drink from daybreak to nightfall, and add the Selichot and other special supplements to our prayers. More recently, Tevet 10 was chosen to also serve as a “general kaddish day” for the victims of the Holocaust, many of whom the day of their martyrdom is unknown.

An ancient Jewish custom, which was revived by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, is to deliver words of inspiration and arousal to repentance on fast days. Presented here is our modest contribution to our duty as Jews to reflect on the significance of the tragic events of our history and come away motivated, encouraged, and — yes — even inspired:

Special directives from the Rebbe for Assoro B’teves

In Likutei Sichos (volume 15 p. 555, in a letter dated Hey Teves 5736, and a Sicha), the Rebbe gave special directives for Assoro B’Teves.

Pertinent excerpts:

Throughout the day, specifically for the merit, protection and strengthening of Eretz Yisroel materially and spiritually, and for the Jewish People, wherever they may be, the following should be done (preferably b’tzibur):

1) In the morning and by Mincha to learn (also) the concluding halacha of Hilchois Taanis of the Rambam.
2) Immediately after daavening (before the learning) to say Tehillim kapital 20, 22 and 69.
3) To give extra Tzedoko before and after davening, for a (building of a) Torah institution, in Eretz Yisroel and outside of Eretz Yisroel.

Whoever will do the above a number of times during the day, and in increasing measure, is praiseworthy.

The promise that these days be transformed into happiness and rejoicing should speedily be fulfilled.

5 Comments

  • YP

    Thanks for sharing the Rebbe’s horaos.

    As to the “Kaddish Day,” it’s a shame and a disservice that a Chabad site would post the Modern Orthodox YU practices. Chabad is moser nefesh for true Torah, which doesn’t change. These new practices add nothing and detract greatly from what we have to do as Jews. They weaken ch”v, and don’t strengthen yiddishkeit. The Rebbe said that the beautiful words of ChaZal in kinos include all tragedies and rejected adding new ones – vkol hamoshif goreih. That, at a minimum, should be reflected on a Lubavitch site.

  • Did Yidden cause breach?

    According to some historians, the Yidden caused the wall to breach, but inadvertently.
    At the time, a very useful war weapon was a “siege tower.” 75 ft. high, weighing several tons, the Romans managed to move this contraption next to the wall, and the soldiers would climb to the top. This gave them the vantage point of fighting from an above position (ancient air force?). What did the Yidden do? They dug a tunnel underneath the wall, extending under the siege tower – this enabled them to set fire to the tower and bring it down.
    So, the Romans realized that direct military confrontation was futile. So, they built a makeshift barricade, surrounding the city, thus cutting off supplies. Eventually, that part of the wall, hovering over the tunnel, gave in, resulting in the breach.

  • I understand

    To 4:

    Okay, but, still, the subject matter has to do with a breach, so I thought it would still be nogea, even though I’m fast forwarding to Sheva Aser B’ Tammuz.