17 Тамуза: Будівництво у «нижньому світі»

The Fast of 17 Tammuz

The 17th of Tammuz is one of four fasts connected to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. On this day, the walls of Jerusalem were breached, leading to the fall of the city and the destruction of the Second Temple. It is a day of mourning, reflection, and prayer for restoration. However, in the year 5718 (1958), the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe decided to fill this day with new meaning.

Laying the Cornerstone for the Expansion of 770

It was precisely on 17 Tammuz 5718 (1958) that the Rebbe initiated the laying of the cornerstone for the expansion of the building at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn — the world headquarters of Chabad. The choice of date was not accidental: the Rebbe taught that destruction must be answered with building. If enemies destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, then the response of the Jewish people is to erect new walls of holiness in every corner of the world.

A Lesson for Every Generation

This act of the Rebbe became a powerful message: fasting and mourning are not passive grief but a call to action. Instead of merely lamenting destruction, one must actively build — build synagogues, schools, communities, families. Every act of building in the "lower world" (the material world) brings closer the rebuilding of the Third Temple and the coming of Mashiach. The expansion of 770 became a symbol of this approach and inspired thousands of Chassidim around the world to build new centers of Torah and Chassidism.