Saturday Night

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

Yes,that' the question. Tomorrow, at dawn, 4:30am NY time, starts the fast of the 17th of Tammuz. It's the main opening of the three week mourning period, and it's a fast day, not one when you do things quickly. It's a fast day, like you don't eat and you don't drink. All Jews over the age of accepting mitzvot; that means 13 for a boy and 12 for a girl. We're not to eat until it's dark. This year that's after 9pm in New York. The reason is that the Holy temples were destroyed during the three week period of time that ends with the 9th of Av, three weeks later. Yes, it's really much more complex. But this year there's an added element. The government is planning on bannishing Jews from their homes, destroy synagogues, dig dead Jews from their graves, during this same season of destruction. G-d forbid it should really happen. Our fasting has to take all the present problems into account. We need G-d to save us, but the truth is, that it's really up to us.