Seventeenth of Tammuz
Encyclopedia
The Seventeenth of Tammuz is a minor Jewish fast day
commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple
. It falls on the 17th day of the Hebrew month
of Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week
mourning period leading up to Tisha B'Av
.
The day also commemorates the destruction of the Twin Tablets of the Ten Commandments
. The Seventeenth of Tammuz occurs forty days following the holiday of Shavuot. Moses ascended Mount Sinai and remained up there those forty days. The Children of Israel built the Golden Calf
on the afternoon of the sixteenth of Tammuz when it seemed that Moses was not coming down when promised. Moses descended the next day (forty days by his count), saw that the Israelites were violating many of the laws he had received, and smashed the tablets.
The day is marked with a fast, which lasts from dawn to dusk. Religious Jews abstain from eating and drinking.
(Taanit
4:6) five calamities befell the Jewish people on this day:
The Babylonian Talmud
(Taanit
28b) places the second and fifth tragedies in the First Temple, while dating the third tragedy (breach of Jerusalem) to the Second Temple
period.
Jerusalem of the First Temple, on the other hand, was breached on the 9th of Tammuz (cf. Jeremiah
39.2, 52.6–7). However, the Jerusalem Talmud
(Taanit
IV,5) says that the breach of Jerusalem in the First Temple occurred on the 17th Tammuz as well; the text in Jeremiah 39 is explained by stating that the Biblical record was "distorted", apparently due to the troubled times.
More recently, the 17th of Tammuz was also the date of several events in U.S. history, including the Declaration of Independence
in 5536 (July 4, 1776), the surrender of Vicksburg in 5623 (July 4, 1863), and the Confederate withdrawal from southern Pennsylvania in 5623 (July 4, 1863).
among Ashkenazim to refrain from listening to music, public entertainment, and haircuts on this day, this is only because it is part of the Three Weeks
(see below, Bein haMetzarim); other deprivations applicable to the major fasts (i.e. Yom Kippur
and Tisha B'Av
) do not apply.
A Torah
reading, a special prayer in the Amidah
(Aneinu
), and (in many congregations) Avinu Malkenu are added at the morning Shacharit
and afternoon Mincha
services. Ashkenazi congregations also read a haftarah
(from the prophet Isaiah) at Mincha. Congregations also recite during Shacharit
a series of Selichot
(special penitential prayers) reflecting the themes of the day.
and arrives three weeks prior to the full-day fast of the Ninth of Av. The last of the four fasts is the Fast of Gedalia
, which is observed on the third or fourth day of Tishri.
. Some customs of mourning, which commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem, are observed from the start of the Three Weeks.
The oldest extant reference to these days as Bein haMetzarim - which is also the first source for a special status of the Three Weeks - is found in Eikhah Rabbati 1.29 (Lamentations Rabbah, fourth century CE?). This midrash
glosses Lamentations
1.3, "All [Zion's] pursuers overtook her between the straits."
The "three weeks of mourning
between the 17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av" is cited as a rabbinically instituted period of fasting for the "especially pious". Such fasting is observed from morning to evening, common with other rabbi-decreed fasts.
Ta'anit
A ta'anit or taanis or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water...
commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
. It falls on the 17th day of the Hebrew month
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
of Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week
The Three Weeks
The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples...
mourning period leading up to Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av
|Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date...
.
The day also commemorates the destruction of the Twin Tablets of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. The Seventeenth of Tammuz occurs forty days following the holiday of Shavuot. Moses ascended Mount Sinai and remained up there those forty days. The Children of Israel built the Golden Calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
on the afternoon of the sixteenth of Tammuz when it seemed that Moses was not coming down when promised. Moses descended the next day (forty days by his count), saw that the Israelites were violating many of the laws he had received, and smashed the tablets.
The day is marked with a fast, which lasts from dawn to dusk. Religious Jews abstain from eating and drinking.
Sources
The fast of Tammuz, according to R. Akiva's interpretation, is the fast mentioned in the Book of Zechariah . The verse states: "the fast of the fourth month". This refers to Tamuz which is the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar. This fast was originally on the ninth of Tamuz. After the Second Temple's destruction, the fast was moved to the seventeenth. According to the MishnahMishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
(Taanit
Ta'anit (Talmud)
Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature.The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers...
4:6) five calamities befell the Jewish people on this day:
- MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
broke the two tablets of stoneTablets of stoneThe Tablets of Stone, Stone Tablets, Tablets of Law, or Tablets of Testimony in the Bible, were the two pieces of special stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments when Moses ascended Mount Sinai as recorded in the Book of Exodus...
on Mount SinaiMount SinaiMount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
; - The daily tamid offeringKorbanThe term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
ceased to be brought; - The walls of Jerusalem were breached (proceeding to the destruction of the TempleSecond TempleThe Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
); - Prior to Bar Kokhba's revoltBar Kokhba's revoltThe Bar Kokhba revolt 132–136 CE; or mered bar kokhba) against the Roman Empire, was the third major rebellion by the Jews of Judaea Province being the last of the Jewish-Roman Wars. Simon bar Kokhba, the commander of the revolt, was acclaimed as a Messiah, a heroic figure who could restore Israel...
, Roman military leader ApostomusApostomus-The Talmudic account:Among five catastrophes said to have overtaken the Jews on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the Mishnah includes "the burning of the Torah by Apostomus"....
burned a TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
scroll; - An idol was erected in the Temple.
The Babylonian Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Taanit
Ta'anit (Talmud)
Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature.The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers...
28b) places the second and fifth tragedies in the First Temple, while dating the third tragedy (breach of Jerusalem) to the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
period.
Jerusalem of the First Temple, on the other hand, was breached on the 9th of Tammuz (cf. Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
39.2, 52.6–7). However, the Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
(Taanit
Ta'anit (Talmud)
Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature.The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers...
IV,5) says that the breach of Jerusalem in the First Temple occurred on the 17th Tammuz as well; the text in Jeremiah 39 is explained by stating that the Biblical record was "distorted", apparently due to the troubled times.
More recently, the 17th of Tammuz was also the date of several events in U.S. history, including the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
in 5536 (July 4, 1776), the surrender of Vicksburg in 5623 (July 4, 1863), and the Confederate withdrawal from southern Pennsylvania in 5623 (July 4, 1863).
Customs
As a minor fast day, fasting lasts from dawn to shortly after dusk. Although it is customaryMinhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
among Ashkenazim to refrain from listening to music, public entertainment, and haircuts on this day, this is only because it is part of the Three Weeks
The Three Weeks
The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples...
(see below, Bein haMetzarim); other deprivations applicable to the major fasts (i.e. Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
and Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av
|Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date...
) do not apply.
A Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
reading, a special prayer in the Amidah
Amidah
The Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
(Aneinu
Aneinu
Aneinu, also transliterated as Aneynu or Anainu is a Jewish prayer of atonement, asking God to forgive and protect his followers...
), and (in many congregations) Avinu Malkenu are added at the morning Shacharit
Shacharit
Shacharit is the the daily morning Tefillah of the Jewish people, one of the three times there is prayer each day.Shacharit is said to have been established by the patriarch Abraham when he prayed in the morning...
and afternoon Mincha
Mincha
Mincha, מנחה is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism.-Etymology:The name "Mincha" is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice.-Origin:...
services. Ashkenazi congregations also read a haftarah
Haftarah
The haftarah or haftoroh is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im of the Hebrew Bible that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice...
(from the prophet Isaiah) at Mincha. Congregations also recite during Shacharit
Shacharit
Shacharit is the the daily morning Tefillah of the Jewish people, one of the three times there is prayer each day.Shacharit is said to have been established by the patriarch Abraham when he prayed in the morning...
a series of Selichot
Selichot
Selichot or slichot are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days...
(special penitential prayers) reflecting the themes of the day.
Cycle of Fasts
The 17th of Tammuz is the second of the four fasts commemorating the destruction of the Temple and the Jewish exile. It is preceded seven months by the fast of the Tenth of TevetTenth of Tevet
Tenth of Tevet , the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, is a minor fast day in Judaism. It is a "low fast" observed from sunrise to sunset. The day has no relationship to Hanukkah, but it happens to follow that festival by a week...
and arrives three weeks prior to the full-day fast of the Ninth of Av. The last of the four fasts is the Fast of Gedalia
Fast of Gedalia
The Fast of Gedalia , also spelled Gedaliah, is a Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple.-Origins:...
, which is observed on the third or fourth day of Tishri.
Bein haMetzarim
The three weeks beginning with the 17th of Tammuz and ending with the 9th of Av are known as Bein haMetzarim ("between the straits", i.e. between the days of distress) or the Three WeeksThe Three Weeks
The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples...
. Some customs of mourning, which commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem, are observed from the start of the Three Weeks.
The oldest extant reference to these days as Bein haMetzarim - which is also the first source for a special status of the Three Weeks - is found in Eikhah Rabbati 1.29 (Lamentations Rabbah, fourth century CE?). This midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
glosses Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
1.3, "All [Zion's] pursuers overtook her between the straits."
The "three weeks of mourning
The Three Weeks
The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples...
between the 17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av" is cited as a rabbinically instituted period of fasting for the "especially pious". Such fasting is observed from morning to evening, common with other rabbi-decreed fasts.