Today's the 10th of Tevet

It's a fast day. That means I don't go to work. OK, that's the pragmatic, but Asarah B'Tevet is more than no English lessons in the afternoon. It's the only fast which doesn't have its date changed if it falls on a Friday. But that's technical, not spiritual. Yom Kippur can replace Shabbat, which no other fast can do.

'And it was in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth (day) of the month, that Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylon came, he and all his hosts, upon Yerushalayim, and he encamped upon it and built forts around it. And the city came under siege till the eleventh year of King Tzidkiyahu. On the ninth of the month famine was intense in the city, the people had no bread, and the city was breached.' (Second Melachim 25).

I wonder how people feel in Sderot about this. Last night on one of Israeli TV's political talk shows, "experts" were discussing how to "protect" Sderot. Their proposals made these (and read the comments, which really get into the swing of things) look so "normal" and non-fantasy-like.

There's a feeling of depression going on here in Israel. So much absurdity. Reality, history and facts are ignored. Politicians blithely propose giving our Land, pre and post Six Days War, to the Arabs as if they were playing with "gogo'im," the old Israeli toy, apricot pits, used for playing "jacks," for girls, and target practice for boys.

The Tenth of Tevet is also considered the Yartzeit, anniversary of a death, for Holocaust victims, whose actual date of death isn't known.

Please don't forget that I believe that we can still save our country. We can turn around all this horror, terror and absurdity. It's not going to be easy, but the first thing we must do is to recognize when our walls were breached.

I have no doubt that it was during Menachem Begin's rule as Prime Minister, when he decided that he was going to "make peace." His "peace offering" to Sadat was to give him the entire Sinai and destroy all Jewish communities there.

It doesn't matter that we haven't had an "all out" war with Egypt. The "peace" icy at best. It's not a true peace, simply because peace can't be bought for Land, like sang by the Beatles in Money Can't Buy Me Love.

I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright
I'll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright
'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love, no no no, no

Say you don't need no diamond ring and I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

Tzom Kal, Have an easy fast.