Tue Jul 3 '07 - 17 Tammuz 5767

• Verse (Posuk) of the day
  And the word of G-d of hosts came unto me, saying: Thus said G-d of hosts, the fast of the fourth month (17th of Tamuz), and the fast of the fifth (9th of Av), and the fast of the seventh (3rd of Tishrei), and the fast of the tenth (10th of Teveth), shall be to the house of Judah, to joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons, only if you love truth and peace. (Zechariah Chapter 8:19)
  
  
• Gemara (Talmud or Midrash) of the day
  Five things happened to our ancestors on the 17th day of Tamuz and 5 on the 9th day of Av. On the 17th of Tamuz 1)the tablets (the 1st two Luchos of the 10 commandments) were broken, 2)the Kurban Tumid (which was sacrificed on the altar every morning & evening) was abolished 3)the city (Jerusalem, under siege from the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar) was penetrated 4)Apostomus (commissioner of Antiochus) burned the Torah (at the narrow pass of Lydda or in Tarlosa, see Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 23b) 5)An idol was erected in the Temple. On the 9th of Av 1)a decree was issued on our ancestors (after the return of the Twelve spies-Meraglim) that they will not enter the (promised) land (Israel) 2-3)the 1st & 2nd temple were destroyed 4)The city of Betar was killed (after the fail of the Bar Kokhba revolt) 5)the city (Jerusalem) was plowed. (This fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 3:12) (Mishnah Taanit, 4:6)
  
  
• Character Trait (Middah) of the day
  The Netziv dramatically expands the understanding of the sinas chinam which caused the churban. He says that the hate was not limited to those who "wronged" a person. Rather, it extended to those who served Hashem differently. If one would see a halachic leniency, he would brand it heresy, and distance himself from that person. He would then mistakenly justify attacking that person, even to the point of murder.
  The Netziv laments that such internal hatred within the observant community existed in his time (the late nineteenth century) as well. Hating someone who "wronged" us is necessarily limited. With how many people can we fight over money or honor? But if we hate those who differ with us on matters of halacha or hashkafa, the sinas chinam is unlimited. Unfortunately, Orthodox individuals and communities with different halachic practices and/or ideologies are still guilty of this type of sinas chinam, which is preventing the ge’ula. (Meishiv Davar 1:44)
  
  
• Quote of the day
  Rend your hearts, not your garments (Joel 2:13) (repentance is the main ingredient for Teshuva, not the torn sackcloth’s)
  
  
• Halacha (Jewish Law) of the day
  We are obligated to fast on Tisha B'Av {ninth of the month of Av}, and on the seventeenth of Tammuz and on the third of Tishrei and on the tenth on Tevet because of the bad things which occurred on them.
  Even though it says in the pasuk: "On the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was breached" {Jeremiah 39,2}, we do not fast on the ninth of it {Tamuz}, rather [we fast] on the seventeenth, because even though for the [destruction of the] first [temple] it was breached on the ninth, since for the second [temple] it was breached on the seventeenth of it, they determined to fast on the seventeenth of it, because the destruction of the second temple is harsher for us. (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 549:1-2)