Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz
July 2 · Level 1 · #2089 of 2238
The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz is a Jewish day of mourning associated with historical calamities, including the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls before the Temple’s destruction. It begins the Three Weeks of mourning leading to Tisha B’Av, and its Gregorian date changes each year.
How it is celebrated: those observing the fast refrain from food and drink from dawn until nightfall. Synagogue services include special prayers and Torah readings.
The Mishnah associates five calamities with this day, including Moses breaking the tablets. When the date falls on Shabbat, the fast is postponed until Sunday.