Tevet Sadness

These days in the month of Tevet, are very solemn and historically tragic. Perhaps this is the reason Asara B’Tevet was chosen as יום הקדיש הכללי, the day to say Kaddish for those who fell in the Holocaust. This refers to the holy Jews that we do not know their exact date of death. Moving backwards, the ninth of Tevet was once included as a day of fasting because the Great Ezra and Nechemia, both passed away on this date. The eighth of Tevet was also a day of fasting because it marked the date when King Ptolemy ordered the Torah to be translated into Greek by seventy two sages. Although miraculously all of the translations were identical, Ptolemy’s intention was to mock and find flaws with the Torah. An additional reason why this event is looked at sadly, was because the Torah is not the same when it is translated. Even the best translation does not do justice to the true meaning of Torah, that only comes from studying from the Hebrew text. Certainly these days were meant for introspection and Teshuva. Understanding what transpired, should lead us to our own spiritual growth.