The Seventeenth of Tammuz: Five Tragedies, One Powerful Lesson in Gratitude

Every Jewish man and woman above the age of bar or bat mitzvah who is not ill is obligated to fast on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, from dawn until nightfall.

We fast because five tragic events occurred on this date.

The First Tragedy: The Breaking of the Tablets

After the giving of the Torah, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Tablets of the Covenant.

The Talmud teaches that had the Jewish people merited to receive those original tablets, no nation would ever have been able to dominate or exile Israel.

On the Seventeenth of Tammuz, Moses descended from Mount Sinai carrying the tablets. However, at the very last moment, the Jewish people committed the grave sin of the Golden Calf.

When Moses saw what had happened, the tablets became heavy in his hands and fell, shattering upon the ground.

At that moment, forgetfulness entered the world, and many of humanity's troubles began.

The Second Tragedy: The Daily Offering Ceased

In the Holy Temple there was a sacrifice known as the Tamid, the continual offering.

It was brought every morning and every evening to atone for the sins of the Jewish people. Even during times of siege, the priests continued offering the Tamid sacrifice.

However, on the Seventeenth of Tammuz they could no longer obtain sheep for the offering. As a result, the daily sacrifice ceased, and the spiritual protection it provided came to an end.

The Third Tragedy: The Walls of Jerusalem Were Breached

During the destruction of the Second Temple, Jerusalem endured a lengthy siege.

On the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the enemy finally succeeded in breaching the walls of Jerusalem and conquering the city.

This breach marked the beginning of the final stages that led to the destruction of the Temple three weeks later, on the Ninth of Av.

The Fourth Tragedy: The Torah Scroll Was Burned

A servant of the Roman emperor named Apostomos was attacked by robbers who stole all his possessions.

The Roman governor blamed the Jewish villagers for the crime and sent soldiers into the area. One of the soldiers entered a Jewish home, seized a Torah scroll, and threw it into the fire.

This act of desecration became a national tragedy and one of the reasons for the fast.

The Fifth Tragedy: An Idol Was Placed in the Temple

One of the most wicked kings in Jewish history was King Manasseh.

He created an idol and, on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, placed it inside the Holy Temple. He even bowed to the idol with his back toward the Sanctuary and his face toward the image.

Manasseh continued committing terrible acts, ultimately contributing to the destruction of the Temple.

Weekly Reflection

King Solomon, the wisest of all men, taught: "Whoever repays evil for good, evil will never depart from his house" (Proverbs 17:13).

There are many keys to success in life, but there is one central key that opens all doors.

That key is called gratitude.

Solomon teaches that when someone receives kindness from another person and repays that kindness with harm instead of goodness, the consequence is severe. Misfortune follows misfortune, and trouble follows trouble.

Why?

Because one of the foundations of life is recognizing and appreciating the good that others do for us.

The Incredible Power of Gratitude

It is well known that both Elijah the Prophet and Elisha performed miracles of resurrection.

When did this happen?

In Kings I chapter 17, we read that Elijah stayed with a widow who had an only son. At that time, there was a famine in the land, and the widow had only a small amount of food left for herself and her child.

Elijah asked her to feed him, and in return he blessed her that her jar of flour would never run out and her jug of oil would never become empty. And indeed, that is exactly what happened.

Shortly afterward, however, the widow's son became gravely ill and died.

The widow turned to Elijah, and he carried the child to an upper room and prayed: "O Lord my God, let this child's soul return to him."

Immediately, Scripture says: "The Lord heard Elijah's voice, and the soul of the child returned to him, and he lived."

Elisha later performed a similar miracle.

In Kings II chapter 4, we read about the son of the Shunammite woman who died. The verse states: "Elisha came into the house, and behold, the child was dead, lying on his bed."

Elisha prayed on the child's behalf, and soon afterward: "The child opened his eyes."

A Remarkable Question

The Midrash (Shemot Rabbah, chapter 4) asks a fascinating question.

Imagine that you were given the power to bring a dead person back to life. Whom would you choose?

Most people would probably choose a family member.

Elijah and Elisha were temporarily given the "key" to resurrection. Why didn't they go to the graves of their own parents and relatives and revive them?

The Midrash gives an astonishing answer: "Because they wanted to show gratitude to their hosts."

The widow had welcomed Elijah into her home and cared for him during a time of famine. The Shunammite woman had provided hospitality and support for Elisha.

When tragedy struck those families, the prophets used their miraculous gift to repay that kindness.

How Far Does Gratitude Reach?

This teaches us just how far gratitude extends.

The ability to recognize and repay goodness is so important that Elijah and Elisha chose to use the extraordinary power of resurrection to express appreciation to those who had cared for them.

What an extraordinary lesson in hakarat hatov — recognizing and appreciating the good that others do for us.

Perhaps this is one of the messages of the Seventeenth of Tammuz as well.

The tragedies we mourn remind us of what can happen when spiritual foundations are weakened. The path toward rebuilding begins not only with fasting and reflection, but also with strengthening the foundations of character that sustain both individuals and nations.

Among those foundations, gratitude stands as one of the greatest. A person who learns to appreciate kindness, acknowledge blessings, and repay good with good opens the door to countless other virtues.

It is truly one of the master keys of life.