The lawgiver sees
the calf,
sweating gold in the camp.
The Law in his hands
weighs heavy
The letters of stone
take fright -
take flight -
Now stone-free
they fly
back to the top
of the mountain
to the Master.
And the stone-dead weight,
too heavy for the hand of man
crashes down
to the ground.
Just another brick from the wall.
The 17th of Tammuz is a day of fasting which commemorates five
tragedies in the history of the Jewish People.
- The incident of the golden calf and the breaking of the first tablets of The Law.
- The walls of the Jerusalem were breached in the time of the first Temple.
- The daily offering in the Temple was discontinued for lack of available sheep.
- Apostumus burned the Torah.
- An idol was set up in the Sanctuary.
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This article originally appeared in
SEASONS OF THE MOON for Tammuz 5756.
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