The Tenth of Tevet

Siege of Jerusalem
Sunday, January 4, 2004 is The Tenth of Tevet , a Jewish fast day commemorating Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem 2,500 years ago. In Jewish consciousness, a fast day is a time of reckoning, a time to correct a previous mistake.

During Nebuchadnezzar's siege, there was little damage on that first day and no Jews were killed. So why is this day so tragic? Because the siege was a message, to get the Jewish people to wake up and fix their problems. They failed, and the siege ultimately led to the destruction of the King Solomon's Temple.

Today we are also under siege. Much of the Jewish world is ignorant of our precious heritage. The results are catastrophic: a blurring of our national goals in Israel and for some, shame and self-loathing for being Jewish.

If the Jewish problem today is a lack of appreciation of our heritage, then the solution is clear: increased love of Torah, love of Jews, and love of Israel and Jerusalem.

The siege will not be lifted until we correct the mistakes.