Wednesday, December 31, 2014

New Year's Eve and a fast day?

New Year's Eve and a fast day? Tonight starts Tenth of Tevet (Hebrew: עשרה בטבת, Asarah BeTevet), the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, is a fast day in Judaism. It is one of the minor fasts observed from before dawn to nightfall. The fast commemorates the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia—an event that began on that date and ultimately culminated in the destruction of Solomon's Temple (the First Temple) and the conquest of the Kingdom of Judah (today southern Israel).
Why commemorate the beginning of the siege? it is a reminder to look at the root causes and beginnings of disaster. The result 9th of Av in 586 BCE, 18 months later, was the destruction of the Temple. We face many grave challenges today : jihadism on the upswing, a US President desperate to make a deal with the devil (Iran), many Jews so naive as to think deals can be made with the devil of Abbas and Hamas, and much more. In our revelry tonight for the New Year, let us also somberly reflect on REAL history. The ancient Iraqi's besieged Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. Isis is now on Israel's north and south borders, Iranian soldiers were photographed on the Lebanese border this week, barbarian terrorist Abbas, director of daily war crimes, has the chutzpah to try and join International criminal court to falsely accuse Israel of war crimes, and on and on. The messiah is not yet here. Stand up against evil and for the good.

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