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The next tragedy the Gemara discusses is the discontinuation of the Tamid offering (daily burnt offering). The Gemara tells us that we know this happened on this day because we have a tradition from our forefathers that this is so. Rashi explains that the reason why the sacrifice was no longer brought was because the government at the time forbade it.

The Tiferet Yisrael, a commentator on the Mishnah, gives another possible explanation. We see from the Gemara in Baba Kama (82b) that there were two brothers who were members of the Hashmonean family (of Chanukah fame). These brothers, Aristablus and Hyrkanus, fought each other for the throne of Judea. Aristoblus laid siege to Yerushalayim, where Hyrkanus was headquartered.  As lambs were needed for the daily sacrifice and there were none in Jerusalem, the inhabitants worked out a deal with the lamb-sellers outside of the city. Everyday, the Jerusalemites would lower a basket full of gold coins over the wall. In return, the lamb-sellers would supply a lamb, which was then hoisted up. One day, an elderly man outside of the wall advised the sellers to supply a pig instead of a lamb. As the pig was unknowingly being hoisted up, the pig stuck its claws into the wall, and all of Yisrael quaked. From this day until the end of the siege, the daily offering was not brought.

The R"av, also a commentator on the Mishnah, gives another explanation. He explains that the Tamid was discontinued during the period of time when Jerusalem was under siege prior to the destruction of the Temple. The Tiferet Yisrael elaborates on this and says that the R"av is referring to the three year siege of Jerusalem by Nevuchadnezzar, at the time of the destruction of the first Temple. (Torah.org)

[Since the 17th of Tammuz fell on Shabbat, the fast was postponed until today, Sunday July 24th.]

17th of Tammuz: Breaking of the Luchot

Rabbanit Kineret Sarah Cohen

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• The parah adumah is purchased from the treasury of the Beit Hamikdash, from a fund containing the yearly half-shekel donations of individual Jews.
• To qualify as a parah adumah, a cow must be at least three years old (old enough to bear young).
• Its color must be completely red; even two hairs of another color disqualify it.
• The animal is also disqualified if it was once harnessed to a yoke, even if it did not perform labor.
• The kohen slaughters the cow "outside the Camp." During the years int he wilderness it was slaughtered outside all three Camps, and in the time of the Beit Hamikdash on the Mount of Olives, since this mountain is considered "outside Yerushalayim."
• He gathers some of the heifer's blood in his left hand, dips his right index finger into it, and sprinkles it in the direction of the entrance of the Heichal (Temple), which he can see from the mountain.
• A fire is lit, and the kohen supervises the cow's burining.
• With a red woolen string he ties together a cedar stick and some hyssop.
• While the cow is burning, the bundle containing the cedar stick and hyssop is cast into its carcass.
• The heifer's ashes are divided into three parts: one is placed in a certain section of the courtyard of the Beit Hamikdash, where it is preserved in order to fulfill the mitzvah that the ashes of the parah adumah must be kept for all generations. A second part is divided among the groups of kohanim who become tamei. the third part is placed in a spot on the Mount of Olives for the purification of Benei Yisrael.
• Whoever was involved in the preparation of the ashes - for example, the person who burned the cow, who cast the bundle into the fire, who gathered wood, who touched or carried the ashes - becomes tamei.
• In a utensil the heifer's ashes are mixed with fresh spring water.
• the waters of the parah adumah are sprinkled by someone who is himself pure from tumat hamet (the impurity of death) onto the Jew who purifies himself. He sprinkles him on the third and seventh day of the individual's purification. Moreover, during the seventh day the person being purified must immerse himself in a mikvah to consummate his purification.

1. Eduyot / Testimonies: If a mitzvah testifies to a historical event or to some aspect of our emunah (faith), it is termed edut - testimony. Examples are the mitzvah to observe Shabbat, which attests to our belief that the Almighty created the world in sinx days; to observe the yamim tovim, because they commemorate Yetziat Mitzrayim (Exodus from Egypt); the mitzvot of tzitzit and tefillin, which demonstrate our belief in Hashem's Rulership.
2. Mishpatim / Civil Laws: Mishpatim are Divine laws that promulgate the safety and survival of human society. They include, for example, the prohibition against theft and murder.
3. Chukim / Divine Ordinances: In the category of chok (plural "chukim") fall those mitzvot whose purposes or meanings are not necessarily understood by human intelligence.  There are numerous examples of chukim, but the Midrash lists four about which the Torah explicitly states, "It is a chok." Since they contain apparently contradictory elements, they are liable to be ridiculed by the rational thinker. The Torah therefore advises the Jew to tell himself, "It is a chok; I have no right to question it."

The four are:

Three crowns were bestowed upon the Jewish people:

"V'Chol Yisra'el Asher Sevivoteihem Nasu L'Kolam",
all of Benei Yisrael that were around them ran from the voice (Korach 16:34).

Which voices were they running from?

The Mizrachi says it could not have been from the screaming of the people falling in the open earth or else all the people would run towards the voices to see this strange event, and not away from it. Instead he says it was from the booming noise of the earth opening up.

The Tosafot Yom Tov says that the voice was that of the earth speaking and announcing that the sinners were swallowed alive and still living inside the bowels of the earth. He brings proof from the pasuk that says (Korach 16:30),

"U'Patzitah HaAdamah Et Piha"
the earth opened its mouth.

The word Patzitah implies that it opened its mouth to speak because the word that is used in this parsha to describe the opening of the ground is "VaTiftach HaAretz Et Piha".

Maybe this would explain the mishnah in Pirkei Avot (5:8) that says that one of the ten things created Erev Shabbat Bein HaShmashot was "Pi HaAretz" the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach.

If it meant the crack in the earth then why would this be a special creation?

The earth splitting was not a one time event and happens from time to time. Moreover, a crack is not a creation. Maybe it means the mouth of the earth that spoke, similar to another creation in this mishnah, the mouth of the donkey of Bilam who spoke.

- Revach.org

The most brilliant human philosophies behave like butterflies slipping through reality’s net, like birds drawn upward in flight, ever-evading the practicalities of real life.

A thought of Torah, however, sits above your head like a reservoir of living waters. As ethereal as it may be, it needs only a small opening to burst its dam and pour down into your life.

Whatever Torah you learn, whatever you know, do something with it. Make it real
"
— From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt’l

Tehillim 119:21
גערת זדים ארורים השגים ממצותיך
ga'arta zedim arurim hashogim mimitzvoteicha
You have rebuked the accursed insolent ones who stray (err) from Your commandments.

The fifth obstruction is the antagonism of the nations. They believe that they adhere to the commandments of the Torah, when actually they err and distort, and so are perpectually cursed. That is what it says here, "You have rebuked the accursed insolent ones who err from Your commandments."

Some explain the verse as referring to the future rather than the past. You will curse "the accursed insolent ones who err from Your commandments." They willfully distort what they study of the Torah, and so err at keeping the mitzvot.

The "insolent ones... err." Their insolence causes them to err.

Some say: They "err away from Your commandments." There are "accursed insolent ones" who expound the Torah superficially, contrary to Halachah. That is, they bring halachically-invalid proofs for their false doctrines. For this reason were the Tablets of the Law written front and back, to convey that if one comes to be purified (to be the same inside and out), he is helped. But if one comes to be defiled - he wants to "stray from Your commandments" - he is abandoned ot his choice.

- Me'am Lo'ez

A king once told his son to take a huge stone up to the first floor of the palace. The stone was enormous; neither men, nor horses, nor machines could have moved it. The prince was very perplexed. After trying in vain, he became discouraged and gave up.

When the King came and asked for an explanation, the prince sheepishly admitted his failure.

"It was impossible!" he apologized.

"Do you really think that I would have asked you to do something impossible?" exclaimed the King. "You should have thought about it! Did I ask you to take the stone up in one piece? If you had taken a hammer and started hitting it, you could have lifted up the small pieces and accomplished your work little by little!"

This rock, this enormous stone, is our heart. Isn't it sometimes so hard and so cold? Our King has asked us to elevate it. We tried, the task seemed beyond our forces, how could we soften such a hard rock.

Let us take a hammer - a moment each day

Let us strike it - let us talk to G-d

The stone - our heart

Will break - little by little

Piece by piece we will be able to elevate it.

(Rebbe Nachman)

Chapter Three

Song of Plant Life

 אִילָנוֹת שֶׁבַּשָׂרֶה אוֺמְרִים - Trees of the Field Say:

King David also depicts here the redemption of Yisrael, which he likens to rainfall. At first the clouds obscure the light, and at times there is wind and storm. But after the rain has fallen, the skies clear and everyone benefits from the rain. The redemption comes in a similar fashion. At first there is the darkness of bondage, but then there is a great light. That is what King David says: "He raises the vapor-clouds from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain:; He also "brings forth wind from His treasuries." But in the end everything brightens.

G-d's might is evident when He does two opposite things at once. Fire and water are opposites, and yet "He makes lightning for the rain." The water does not extinguish the fire.

"He brings forth wind from His treasuries" to scatter the clouds, or else to drive them to the designated location, everything in accordance with His will. To scatter and to bring to a designated location, are also opposites.

Rains are a sign of Divine supervision. This it says "For I know that Hashem is great, and that our G-d is above al gods. Whatsoever Hashem wants, He has done, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all depths. He raises the vapor-clouds from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings forth wind from His treasuries."

An eclipse of the sun happens when the moon moves in front of the earth in such a way that it blocks the sun’s light from reaching certain spots on the earth. Here, too, we see that it is path of the moon that has caused the eclipse. The sun and earth are insignificant players in a solar eclipse. The lesson learned from this gemara is that everything that happens in this world is, in some way, connected to Benei Yisrael. Despite our relatively insignificant size, like that of the moon to the sun, the world was created for us and continues to be governed according to our actions. This is not something to take advantage of but rather, a great responsibility that we must bear on our shoulders at all times. (Astro Torah)

Chapter Two