Aseret b’Tevet

Last Sunday was Aseret b’Tevet – the tenth day of the Jewish month Tevet.
It’s a day of religious significance mainly to observant Jews, who fast during daylight hours to commemorate the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the first step in the destruction of King Solomon’s Temple.
Even non-Jews know about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. That’s a full fast: no food or drink from before sundown until after sundown the following day. Twenty-five hours of hunger and penance.
But Aseret b’Tevet is not as big a deal. You might even call it a half-fast.