The Fast of The Tenth of Tevet

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10 Tevet
Jerusalem Under Siege

The Walls of Jerusalem At Night

On the 10th of Tevet of the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later -- on Tammuz 9, 3338 -- the city walls were breached, and on Av 9th of that year, the Holy Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years.

Tevet 10 (this year December 19, 2007) is observed as a day of fasting, mourning and repentance. We refrain from food and drink from daybreak to nightfall, and add the Selichot and other special supplements to our prayers. More recently, Tevet 10 was chosen to also serve as a "general kaddish day" for the victims of the Holocaust, many of whom the day of their martyrdom is unknown.

An ancient Jewish custom, which was revived by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, is to deliver words of inspiration and arousal to repentance on fast days. Presented here is our modest contribution to our duty as Jews to reflect on the significance of the tragic events of our history and come away motivated, encouraged, and -- yes -- even inspired: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/102698/jewish/Tevet-10.htm .

[OdKahaneChai]

Also no one mentioned that the Yahrtzeit of Ezra Hasofer A"H was The 9th of Tevet.

[OdKahaneChai]

And The 8th of Tevet was when The Bible was translated into Greek.

All three of these days were observed as fast days in Talmudic times, but Chazal made the ruling that only Yud Tevet needs to be observed today.