* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin (y[email protected])
“Shalom Sivan from a reserve unit in the south. Tomorrow, Friday, is the fast of the 10th of Tevet. Many will not fast because they are serving in the military, and I am among them.
But I already heard about several people who said that they never fasted on this day in the past but they will try to fast tomorrow. In my eyes, this is significant. Where were we during the Yom Kippur fast and where are we today?
The 10th of Tevet is the day on which the siege of Jerusalem began. The Babylonian enemy surrounded the walls of the city on the 10th of Tevet, broke through the walls on the 17th of Tammuz and, ultimately, on the 9th of Av, the Holy Temple was destroyed. We do not fast only to memorialize what happened, but also to rectify that event. To move forward together, toward building and not toward destruction.
In our generation the 10th of Tevet has also been dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victims, including those who tragically never received a proper burial and whose date of murderous death is unknown. The 10th of Tevet has thus been called “The day of general Kaddish.” It appears to me that after the massacre on Simchat Torah we understand the value of every soul and every individual better than before, and appreciate how important it is to give everyone a proper Jewish burial.
The recent victims of terror, more than a thousand dear people who were murdered, join the six million souls above on this day of general Kaddish.
May these fast days turn into days of joy, may all those fasting have an easy fast,
and may everyone hear good news.
