As a scholarly discipline, history is concerned with facts; but an authentically Jewish view of history can’t ignore the bigger picture, the traces of Divine involvement in history’s ebb and flow.
“I’m working from home because it’s a fast day,” I wrote, assuming that like many non-Jewish visitors, he was aware of the basics of Israeli national life. “Do you want to Zoom?”
When we got on the call, the reporter thanked me for taking out time on the busiest day of the week, to which I replied that it was actually a slower day.
“But I thought you said it was a fast day?” he asked in puzzlement.
Amused at the misunderstanding, I endeavored to explain. “No, we’re fasting today because the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, before they went on to destroy the Temple.”
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