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The breached walls we must rebuild this Seventeenth of Tamuz - opinion

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz marks the start of the "Three Weeks" period, a time for Jewish introspection and renewal.
  • Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz emphasizes that these observances are not just historical reminders but spiritual journeys designed to awaken hearts and open paths to repentance.
  • The breaching of Jerusalem's walls, a precursor to the Temple's destruction, serves as a metaphor for internal weaknesses and neglected divisions that must be addressed and rebuilt.

The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz initiates the period known as Bein HaMetzarim, or the "Three Weeks," a time traditionally observed by Jewish people for introspection and spiritual renewal. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz explains that these fast days and festivals are more than mere historical commemorations; they are intended to "awaken hearts and open the paths of repentance."

There are days on which the entire Jewish nation fasts because of the calamities that occurred on them, in order to awaken hearts and open the paths of repentance.

— MaimonidesRabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz quotes Maimonides to explain the deeper spiritual purpose behind Jewish fast days.

Rabinowitz highlights that the sages established an annual cycle not as historians, but as educators shaping the human spirit. This cycle represents an ongoing journey of learning and renewal, urging a deeper reflection on the significance of events like the breaching of Jerusalem's walls.

Why was the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls assigned its own day of mourning?

— Rabbi Shmuel RabinowitzThe rabbi poses a question to prompt reflection on the significance of the Seventeenth of Tamuz fast.

The breaching of Jerusalem's walls, occurring before the ultimate catastrophe of the Temple's destruction on the Ninth of Av, is presented as a distinct moment of profound destabilization. The physical fall of the walls, Rabinowitz argues, was a consequence of pre-existing internal weaknesses and fractures in the "spiritual and social walls" that had been neglected.

The physical walls fell only because the spiritual and social walls – the inner structures upon which they rested – had already become deeply weakened.

— Rabbi Shmuel RabinowitzThe rabbi uses the breaching of Jerusalem's walls as a metaphor for internal societal weaknesses.

Drawing a parallel to contemporary society, particularly in light of the period preceding October 7, the article prompts a painful self-assessment: "Which walls are we striving to strengthen, and which walls have we neglected?" It distinguishes between essential walls of justice, honesty, and the protection of the Divine image within every human being, and destructive walls of fear, division, and hatred that foster alienation and contempt. The piece calls for dismantling these divisive walls within hearts and society to foster unity and recognize shared humanity.

Which walls are we striving to strengthen, and which walls have we neglected?

— Rabbi Shmuel RabinowitzThe rabbi prompts readers to consider which societal divisions need addressing and which values need reinforcing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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