This past Tuesday, we
commemorated the 17th of Tammuz. The 17th of Tammuz falls
in the category of a “minor fast day” – when Jews traditionally do not eat or
drink beginning very early in the morning until nightfall. The day commemorates
many tragedies in Jewish history, and also marks the beginning of a 3-week
mourning period that leads to the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, Tish’a B’Av or the 9th of Av.
What is interesting is how Jews
have approached these minor fast days through history. Rabbi Ethan Tucker has
written a brilliant evaluation of this topic. In his essay, he summarizes the
key rabbinic text that informs whether or not we should be fasting on these
days (Babylonian Talmud Rosh
Hashanah 18a-b): In a time of shalom (peace), fast days are days of
rejoicing, on which it would be forbidden to fast. In a time of shemad (persecution/suffering),
these days are mandatory fast days. In a time that is not completely shalom
or shemad, the minor fasts are optional, while Tish’a B’Av
remains mandatory.
Rabbi Tucker writes
that the founding of the State of Israel and living as equals in American
democracy are too significant to claim that we live in a time of shemad
– a time of full of persecution and suffering; yet especially at a time
like the past two weeks, we certainly cannot claim that shalom (peace) has
arrived in our world.
Rabbi Tucker suggests therefore that we
are best described as living in category three, where the fast days other than
Tish’a B’Av are optional. But he continues by emphasizing that people should
observe these fast days because of the injustice and imperfection in the world,
and we could say now the scary reality in Israel right now. Fast days provide a
thoughtful forum to trigger us to think about the dangers in our world, and
give us a space to pray for their redemption.
And finally, the prophet Zekhariah
tells us that these days will one day be ones of rejoicing. That means that
they must be maintained on the calendar so that the Jewish people will remember
them when history takes the turn that will enable us to see the world as one
infused with shalom.
This week and in the weeks ahead, I
hope that we all can take opportunity to for peace in Israel. And may we soon
see the day that these fast days can be celebrated as days of joy in a world of
peace.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Russo
