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The fast of the 17th of Tammuz (Shivah Asar B'Tammuz) occurs in June/July and marks the beginning of the "Three Weeks of Sorrow," a 21 day period of national mourning which is completed on Tishah B'Av. The purpose of this fast is to instill a sense of teshuvah (repentance) by recalling specific tragedies that befell the Jewish people on this date.

The Five Tragedies

The Mishnah (Tractate Ta'anit 4:3) lists five specific tragedies that are all said to have occured on the 17th of Tammuz:

4. King Manasseh, one of the worst of the Jewish kings, had an idol placed in the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple on this date (2 Kings 21:7).
5. The Torah was burnt on this day by Apustemus, a Greek oppressor who served Antiochus Epiphanes.

More Recent Tragedies

In addition to the Mishnah's list of tragedies, there are five more recent tragedies that are said to have befallen the Jewish people on Tammuz 17:

1. In 1239, Pope Gregory IX ordered the confiscation of all manuscripts of the Talmud.
2. In 1391, more than 4,000 Spanish Jews were killed in Toledo and Jaen, Spain.
3. In 1559 the Jewish Quarter of Prague was burned and looted.
4. In 1944, the entire population of the Kovno ghetto was sent to the death camps.
5. In 1970, Libya ordered the confiscation of all Jewish property.

The fast of the 17th of Tammuz is observed from the break of dawn until night (a "half-day" fast).  Additional prayers (vayechal and anenu) are included in the morning and afternoon prayers.

The Mishnah further associates the 17th of Tammuz as the "Fast of the Fourth Month," mentioned by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 8:19). When the Mashiach Yeshua returns (may it be speedily in our time), Shivah Asar B'Tammuz will turn into a day full of "gladness and cheerful feasts."

Fasts Surrounding the Destruction of the Temple

There are four fast days (tzomot) on the Jewish calendar, based on Zechariah 8:19. Each of these fast days is related to some aspect of the loss of the Jewish Temple. The sages reckoned the months based on Nisan as the first month, and therefore identified the four fasts as follows:

The Three Weeks of Sorrow

Typically marriages are not held during this period, and many Jews deliberately refrain from ostensibly pleasurable activities, such as listening to music, dancing, taking vacations, and sometimes even shaving! In fact, most Orthodox Jews will refrain from any activity that might require the recitation of the Shehecheyanu blessing.

In short, the Three Weeks of Sorrow is a time for reflection and mourning over the destruction of the Temple and constitutes a time of corporate reflection intended to lead  Israel to teshuvah.


The First Nine Days of Av
When the month of Av begins, more serious reflection is given in preparation of the solemn day of the 9th of Av.  Beginning from Rosh Chodesh Av, all luxuries are carefully avoided and many common actions (such as washing clothes, taking baths for pleasure, etc.) are discouraged. This period of time marks the most solemn time of reflection on the Jewish calendar, with a marked emphasis on teshuvah and the cry for the salvation of am Yisrael.

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