Weekly D'var Torah

For all that we are a people of memory, we don't venerate the past.  Instead we live our history through the here and now by remembering and focusing on how ancient lessons can help move us forward.  

This Sunday we commemorate the 17th of Tammuz which begins the "Between the Straits", the 3 Weeks leading up to the Black Fast Day, Tisha B'Av.  Why do we need to relive the dark days when our Temple was destroyed, we were exiled and subjected to all of the sufferings and oppression of the last two millennia?  Not to bring us down but to lift us up.  Just as every sorrow contains a memory, it also contains an aspiration; something to live up to, something to work toward, something to hope for.  

On the 17th of Tammuz the following five tragic events occurred- but also the five following aspirations were born.

Prayer for the Seventeenth of Tammuz

On the 17th of Tammuz, the wicked Syrian Greek commander Apostomos burned a Torah scroll and placed an idol in the Temple, the collective home of the Jewish people.

 And so let us work to study Torah, place a Chumash on our shelves and affix Mezuzot to each doorway of our homes.

On the 17t of Tammuz, the Daily offering came to an end during the wars between the heirs of the Makabees, Jewish prince against Jewish prince until both surrendered Jerusalem to Rome and ended our independence. 

And so, let us strive to love and create peace between every Jew.

On the 17th of Tammuz, the enemy broke through the besieged walls of Jerusalem.

And so, let us strive to support and nurture the rebuilt Jerusalem and reborn State of Israel.

On the 17th of Tammuz, Moses shattered the two Tablets of the Law and destroyed the Golden Calf

And so, let us strive to restore the brokenness of our world and resist submitting to the Golden Calves our society confronts today.