Today is the 10th of the Hebrew month of Tevet. According to II Kings and Ezekiel, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem on this date.  It marks the first stage in the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE. 10 Tevet is observed as a fast from sunrise to sunset. It's the only fast day, except for the Fast of the First-Born, that can occur on a Friday. In Israel, today is also known as "Yom Hakadish Haklali," the collective day of Kaddish. Jews commemorate the death of their loved ones each year on the anniversary of their death. Since so many lost family in the Holocaust, the Israeli rabbinate assigned the 10th of Tevet to say Kaddish for anyone … [Read more...]