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Written by WUJS Main
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Monday, 29 May 2006 |
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Tevet
What is Tevet?
Tevet is the fourth month of the Jewish year. With the exception of the closing days of Chanukah, the month of Tevet contains no festivals. During Tevet we commemorate the 10th of Tevet by fasting, for a number of historical events happened on that day. What happened in Tevet?
Eighth of Tevet: The Torah was translated into Greek by the decree of King Ptolemy. At the time, this was considered a terrible event as the Torah can never adequately be translated from Hebrew.
Ninth of Tevet: Death of Ezra the scribe who faithfully led Israel during the return from Babylonian captivity (500 BCE)
Tenth of Tevet: Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, besieged the city of Jerusalem for three years, until the walls fell on this day. Why fast on the tenth of Tevet?
When Israel entered the Land of Israel they were to dwell there eternally. Of the twenty-one generations that dwelt there before the Babylonian exile, many failed to observe God's commandments and turned to idolatry. Prophets were sent to admonish the people and stir them to repentance. This did not succeed and we are taught that the first Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE as a punishment. The tenth of Tevet, on which the walls of Jerusalem were breached, was thus the beginning of the chain of calamities that finally ended with the destruction of the first Temple. To commemorate this, we fast. Back to Index of Jewish Months Also on the WUJS site: Link to the Tenth of teveth
Rosh Chodesh Ceremony - Tevet
Suggested Activities for Tevet: Image and Beauty and Jewish Women in History Jewish Activities on various topics.
Jewish Festivals: Historical, traditional, and contemporary sources.
The very basics on the festivals of the Jewish Calender.
This year's dates for the Jewish Year can be found in our Jewish Calendar |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 October 2006 )
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