“All her pursuers overtook her in the narrow places” (Lamentations 1, 3).
On this day, the 17th of Tammuz, we commemorate the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem during the Roman siege of the city. The mourning customs observed during the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av mark the progression of the Romans toward the destruction and burning of the Holy Temple on the 9th of Av.
It is precisely during these days of mourning, remembering the destruction and the palpable baseless hatred that existed then in Jerusalem, that unity, partnership and love arise out of a desire to repair and see Jerusalem in its glory, as it is written: “The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself” – a city that connects all Jews.
