Minor Fasts

Our Jewish calendar has a six fast days, two major that go from sunset to sunset and are widely observed, and four minor, five if first-born male, that go from sunrise to sunset, less widely observed.  One commemorating the breaking of the fortification wall in Jerusalem as a prelude to destruction of the Holy Temple took place this week.  I did not fast but limited my intake to coffee, accumulating five cups and getting a bit wired by the end.  Ordinarily I do not go to shul either, long service which up until this year conflicted with work.  Acknowledge the history in some way, don't go to excess or even frum tradition.  What made this one different is that a friend had yahrtzeit so being of male phenotype, I agreed to help out in the late afternoon.  We did not assemble the needed 10 but I was told the attendance at the morning service was ample.  Mincha service just slighted added from the usual without the minyan but would have had Torah, Haftarah, Amidah repetition with it.  Not a whole lot else that I could have been doing instead, though my home had its air conditioning running and the synagogue did not.

Was I more spiritual?  No.  Happy to do my best for a friend?  For sure.