* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
1. Today, from dawn until nightfall - is the fast of the 10th of Tevet. Why don’t we eat or drink? It’s because of what happened more than 2,500 years ago. How amazing and meaningful it is that we remember what occurred at that time: The Babylonian army surrounded Jerusalem and commenced its siege of the Holy City.
2. Residents of Jerusalem were certain that the Holy Temple would never be destroyed, that their sovereignty here was eternal. The prophet Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) tried to persuade the people to adhere to the code of behavior prescribed for those dwelling in the Land of Israel, but they did not heed his words. The fast is a reminder that our security in Israel and in the world depends on our behavior.
3. Our sages explain that, in truth, nothing tragic transpired on this day. We fast in order to recall the siege, the first sign of the calamity to come 18 months later, when Jerusalem’s walls were breached, followed by the Holy Temple’s destruction. But on the 10th of Tevet it was still possible to change course. How important it is to notice the first signs of danger, whether on a national or a personal level.
4. The Rambam explains that fast days are meant for personal and national soul-searching and to awaken us to mend our ways: “To awaken the hearts and open the paths of repentance… so that through remembering these things, we return to God and do better.”
5. This day is also known as “Yom HaKaddish HaKlali” (All-Inclusive Day of Kaddish), in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust on unknown dates. Many survivors discovered that there was no record of when their relatives died so they did not know when to say Kaddish for them, light a memorial candle, or learn Torah in their memory. This day, especially, we can all remember them.
May we hear good news, soon.
