The Fast of Ṭeveth

Jewish date:  10 Ṭeveth 5772 (Parashath Wayyeḥi).

Today’s holidays:  The Fast of Ṭeveth (Judaism), Feast Day of John Neumann (Roman Catholicism), Eve of Epiphany (Greek Orthodox Christianity), Feast Day of St. Ludwig II (Church of the SubGenius), Mungday (Discordianism).

Greetings.

I finished Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, and I have started her The Virtue of Selfishness, which very early on makes it crystal clear that Atlas Shrugged is not mere fiction but an expression of her philosophy.  Please bear with me while I get through The Virtue of Selfishness.  The resulting review will probably almost exclusively show how both books are a textbook example of the trope “Artistic License - Religion”, also known as “You Fail Religious Studies Forever” and a subtrope of “Did Not Do the Research”.  (And it should go without saying that artistic license is not acceptable at any time one is supposed to be propounding the truth.)

In the meantime, today is the Fast of Ṭeveth.  In the interests of popular religious education, I present you with a number of relevant articles:  “Three Days in Tevet: The 10th: Breaching the Walls of Jerusalem”, “The Tenth of Tevet”, and “The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet on OU.ORG”.

Peace, and have an easy fast.

’Aharon/Aaron