Inside Prayer
Jewish prayer is a complex, multi-layered activity. The sages refer to prayer as avodah she'balev, service, the same term used to describe the sacrificial service in the Holy…
The Three Weeks
“When Av enters, we must lessen our rejoicing,” declare the Talmudic sages in Ta’anit 26b. In truth, however, this period of "sadness" begins on the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz…
The Second Uprising
History is a study in cause and effect. On the 9th of Av (Saturday, July 25. Fast observed on Sunday, July 26), the Jewish people mourn two additional tragic events that…
The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz
Everyone knows about Yom Kippur. There are, however, several other fast days in the Jewish calendar that are not nearly as well known, like the 17th of Tammuz. As mentioned in the…