Thursday, July 30, 2020

It’s a fast day today, for those who observe it. Tradition says that today, a few thousand years ago, a few hundred years apart, both the First and Second Temples were destroyed. This fits with the basic story for fast days: they fought us; we lost; let’s not eat. Some, but not all, of the more religious people in the office are off today. We’re not doing afternoon prayers. We probably don’t have enough people, and the services today would be longer and more complex than usual. The people who aren’t fasting are being quiet about their eating, respecting those who are. Some carry their lunches from the kitchen to their desks via different routes, so the people who are fasting see them with their food less than they otherwise might. I see one person cover his lunch with a piece of paper when someone who is fasting enters his cube. Many restaurants that I pass, though not all of them, are closed. Some other businesses are, too. This year, most people are praying alone. Services with more than ten people are not allowed indoors. It’s too hot to gather for long outside. I see online that the Chief Rabbi has told people with symptoms of the virus not to fast. They aren’t held to some other rules either. As usual, those who choose to observe, observe. Those who do not, do not. Everyone figures out a personal path and follows it. For the most part, we get along.