The Tenth Of Tevet

After the First Temple was destroyed, the Prophets instituted fasts marking the tragic events surrounding the Destruction and the ensuing exile of the Jewish People.

The State of Israel with her Jewish army, is clearly the national answer to the Holocaust, but Rav Kook sees it also as the moral answer, to bring morality not only to individuals, but also to the masses and the nations, as the Or LaGoyim, Light for the Nations. In short, Yom HaAtzma'ut should be the answer to Yom haShoah, in both security and ethics.

Much has been written on the cause of Anti-Semitism, but, as usual, Rav Kook has an innovative take on the issue. The she'ur deals with this unique historic phenomenon of hate, but also sees the light, regarding the optimistic, but inevitable solution. Am Yisrael, as the conscience of mankind, inevitably is going to be hated until the world matures, but maturation is just an issue of time.

Should we remember what the modern-day Amalek did to us just as we must remember what the original Amalek did?

If I wake up in the middle of the night, can I eat? Can one rinse his mouth during the fast? I accidentally broke the fast, should I continue fasting? Who exempted from the fast?

The past situations may yet occur again

Several stages of the continuing evolution

Why do we fast on the 10th of Tevet?