The ministers on Sunday morning decided to respect the 17 Tammuz Fast Day and refrain from eating during the weekly cabinet meeting, all but one that is. It appears that no one bothered telling Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of the decision even though a memo was posted for cabinet ministers. One assumes the minister did not see the memo.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Cabinet Secretary Ovad Yechezkel gave the order to refrain from placing food and drink on the table, as is customary during government meetings. The two explained the move as a showing of respect for religious cabinet ministers, adding anyone who cannot abide by the decision were permitted to leave the room for a bite and then return.
Apparently the foreign minister was not informed of the decision and while IDF Chief of Intelligence Major-General Amos Yadlin was briefing ministers, Livni entered holding a plate full of food. She sat down in her seat and began enjoying her meal. Olmert interrupted the senior officer, turning to inform Livni of the order of the day due to the fast, explaining “we are not permitting food or drink to respect our religious colleagues.”
Livni was in the midst of chewing when the prime minister made his remarks, with some ministers explaining she was actually caught as she was swallowing, perhaps a proverbial bone in the throat. She turned to her aide, Alon Bar, asking that he remove the remainder of her food.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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15 Responses
Did she spit it out on Olmert?
Doesn’t Olmert know that Livni is a woman? She may be exempt from the taanis.
Why ( without reason) would a woman be exempt from fasting.
Noticing that many woman consider fasting strictly a mans domain I asked a well known poisuk what the status of woman is regarding fasting. His answer was that without mitigating circumstances ( pregnancy, nursing, many kids in the house) woman are part of klall yisroel and are 100% included in the takanas chazal.
This story could have stopped at reporting the fact that the Cabinet paid respect to the fast – a newsworthy event in and of itself. And Good news to boot. How wonderful to hear about respect for a fast that commemorates the churban by the government of the Medina.
It really shows them in a totally different light and one we really need to see.
Why the bit about who did not get the message and to their most probable embarassment was not ‘on the in’ of this decision, needed to be spread is beyond me.
Also, would this have been reported if there was no negative side to this?
kol hakavod
Bowzwer states
“How wonderful to hear about respect for a fast that commemorates the churban by the government of the Medina.”
what in the world are you talking about
all authoritative and masoretic sources enumerate reasons for the fast.. NONE list the one above
why attack
shame on you
Just note that when she was informed she asked her assistant to remove her food.
Maybe what BOWZER meant was
How wonderful to hear about respect for a fast, that commemorates the churban, by the government of the Medina.
add punctuation..
becomes clear
Olmert interrupted the senior officer, turning to inform Livni of the order of the day due to the fast, explaining “we are not permitting food or drink to respect our religious colleagues.”
Actually Ollie, the reason you were not permitting food & drink is because it was Takonas N’viim to fast.
wat do you people expect from her? shes just another of a long list of the tzionim who hate g-d and the jews!
however its nice to see the israeli govt doing something jewish
it’s interesting to note that the reason for shiva asar b’tammuz is because of the walls of yerushalayim being breached (in other words a pritzas hageder in yerushalayim) yet there are toievah marches in yerushalayim (another form of pritzas hageder) and olmert wants to give it back (a different form of pritzas hageder)
Look who is taking care of Eretz Hakodesh…
She is probably expecting or nursing!!
#6 Don’t be a golem: kshot aztmecho!
Uh, yeah, the churban is most definitely not one of the 5 things that hapeened on that day.
But what does that have to do with it most certainly being zecher l’churban.
Mr. Golem, correct me where I am wrong but I always understood it to be a dovor poshut that the 4 tzomos (they are always referred to as a unit, starting with Zecharia haNovi) were zecher l’churban. This is so poshut it is embarassing to have to point this out. But if you need a mefurush mokor see Taz OC 549. OK it is not mfurush mefurush but anyone with a head on can see the implication clearly v’ACM”L.
Here is a novel (means new, not novol as in novol birshus haTOrah) ideas: seeing things in LARGER CONTEXT. You know, the siege led to the breaking of the walls which led to the churban and golus which was finalized by Gedalya ben Achikum’s murder.
BTW, Tzom Gedalya and 10 Teves are also zecher l’churban.
And this attack was warranted – what right does YWN have to take what could have been a very heartwarming, achdus promoting story and davka find the yummy raisin of how to use it to spread sinas chinam. This attitude must be called and decried. (and believe you me, I am the last person to defend to medina. But hey – This was wonderful news. When Jews show SOME, ANY movement towards coming back to Hashem this is a cause for great rejoicing. Especially Jews so far off like the Knesset peoples. I am dancing int he streets)
I will have to agree with NeveAliza. This story is of very little purpose, although it does show the government in a more positive light.
We did not need to know about Livini, as it wasn’t even on purpose, and this constitutes Lashon Hara.
BITUL ZMAN. I’m outta here…