^{The Holocaust Museum of Oporto. Credit: CIP/CJP}

The 10th day of the Hebrew month of Tevet is observed by the Jewish people as one of the most meaningful and emotionally powerful moments in the religious calendar. The date is dedicated to fasting, mourning, and reflection, as it commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by the forces of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the year 425 BCE. This event set in motion a chain of developments that culminated in the destruction of the First Holy Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from their land.

Regarded as the starting point of the Jewish Diaspora and of countless persecutions throughout the centuries, the 10th of Tevet is remembered as a milestone of collective sorrow. On this day, the morning prayers include the Selichot, penitential supplications that call for repentance and introspection. In more recent times, the date has also become dedicated to the recitation of the Kaddish in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, particularly those whose exact date of death is unknown.

The Siege of Jerusalem

According to Jewish tradition, for many years G-d sent His prophets to warn the people of Israel about the spiritual and moral consequences of their actions. These warnings, however, were ignored, and the divine messengers were even persecuted and silenced.

On the 10th of Tevet in the year 3336 from Creation, the Babylonian armies laid siege to Jerusalem. Even then, destruction did not come immediately. For approximately 30 months, additional opportunities for repentance were granted. Nevertheless, the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned, and the tragic outcome ultimately unfolded: on the 9th of Tammuz the city walls were breached, and on the 9th of Av the Holy Temple was destroyed, forcing the Jewish people into exile.

Among the Jewish fast days, the 10th of Tevet holds a unique status: it is observed even when it falls on a Friday, despite the impact on preparations for Shabbat. The day symbolizes the beginning of a chain of losses that, according to tradition, was never fully reversed — even after the later construction of the Second Temple.

Other Events Associated with the Date

The fast of the 10th of Tevet also encompasses the remembrance of two additional tragic events that occurred on nearby dates. On the 8th of Tevet, in the third century BCE, the translation of the Torah into Greek — known as the Septuagint — was completed. Although the endeavor was accompanied by a miracle, with 72 sages independently producing identical translations, the rabbis regarded the event as spiritually perilous, as it opened the door to distortion of the Torah’s sacred meaning and to Hellenistic cultural assimilation.

On the 9th of Tevet, the death of Ezra the Scribe occurred — one of the central figures of Judaism following the Babylonian exile. A spiritual and political leader, Ezra strengthened Jewish religious life, organized the canon of the Scriptures, and instituted foundational practices that ensured the continuity of Judaism down to the present day.

A Day of Memory and Introspection

To prevent the month from being filled with consecutive days of fasting, the sages consolidated the commemoration of these events into the fast of the 10th of Tevet, a date identified by the prophet Ezekiel as a national day of mourning. As a result, the day became a collective symbol of historical and spiritual loss.

An ancient custom, revived by the Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, encourages the sharing of words of inspiration on fast days such as this — messages intended to awaken the soul, inspire repentance, and strengthen spiritual values. In this way, the 10th of Tevet endures not only as a memorial to past tragedies, but also as a call to reflection and inner renewal.