WHY DO WE FAST ON THE 17th OF TAMUZ
Today, Tuesday July 23, 2024, we commemorate the 17 of Tamuz, a day of public fasting (תענית ציבור). This day we also inaugurate a period of 3 weeks, until the 9th of the month of Ab, dedicated to keeping a partial of mourning for the destruction of our Bet haMiqdash (= Temple of Jerusalem) and other tragedies suffered by the Jewish people.
Five tragedies happened to the Jewish people on the 17 of Tamuz
1. The Tablets of the Law were broken.
2. An idol was placed in the Bet haMiqdash.
3. The daily sacrifice offering was interrupted.
4. Apostomus publicly burned a Sefer Tora.
5. The walls of the city of Jerusalem were destroyed.
WHO IS EXEMPT FROM FASTING?
The fast starts at dawn and ends at nightfall.
Minors: children under 13 and girls under 12 are completely exempt from this fast.
Pregnant women are exempt from this fast.
Nursing women, in many Sephardic communities the tradition is that after giving birth, women are exempt from fasting for 24 months, even when they are no longer breastfeeding their baby. In other Sephardic communities, and in most Ashkenazi communities, a woman is excused from fasting for 24 months only if she is still nursing her baby.
A person who feels sick, with symptoms of flu or fever, or a person with a chronic illness, such as diabetes, should not fast.
Elders should consult with their doctors to determine if fasting would affect their health. In which case they are exempt from fasting.
In addition, extreme your caution and try to keep yourself indoors protected from heat. In case of any sign of dehydration, nausea, vomits, very dry mouth, etc. DO NOT HESITATE TO BREAK THE FAST.
