I was looking through the Israel calendar and saw that today they celebrated Asarah B'Tevet. I don't know how I skipped over it before. So today was my first official holiday. I'm sort of excited, despite the solemn nature of the observation.
Asarah B'Tevet is a Jewish holiday celebrated on Tevet 10. Tevet 10 is the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet. On Tevet 10, 425 BCE the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar began attacking Jerusalem, eventually destroying the holy temple and exiling the Jewish people to Babylonia.
The 10th of Tevet has also become a day to remember the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust. It's a day of fasting, remembrance and prayer. So that's what I did.
Since fasting is from sunup to sundown I started my day early to squeeze in some breakfast before the sun rose at 7:45am. After I ate, I began my day of prayer and remembrance. First up was a Jewish Kaddish, or prayer of mourning. It's a surprisingly uplifting, thankful prayer for one of mourning. Nowhere is the word death mentioned, or sadness, regret or anything else I would think describe a period of mourning. Instead I think it's a beautiful way to remember that you are alive and be thankful for it. Here is the translation
Mourners Kaddish
Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will.
May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
Beautiful, is it not?
The fasting wasn't as difficult as I thought. And I could see why it is practiced. It really does focus you. Whenever I wanted to eat something I switched to thinking about all of the Jews who were effected by the Holocaust. They couldn't just eat whenever they wanted. In fact I was lucky to be not eating in comfort with family.
What really got me was the remembrance part. I wasn't looking forward to this part. I pictured myself moping about with images of every heartbreaking scene about the Holocaust I'd ever seen on TV or read about. As I thought about all the souls lost during the Holocaust something happened to me. Like the mourning prayer I had an unexpectedly uplifting, positive day. I noticed the small things more. I spent the day thankful for every moment with my kids. Instead of tossing my son in his crib for his nap I held him and looked into his beautiful face, grateful that I could do this. That I happen to live in a time and place that allows me the freedom to believe in what I want without fear of terrible things happening to me or my family.
Overall, It was a pretty good "holiday". It really gave me that other perspective I was looking for. I'm in for quite a year.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all. Beautiful.
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