[Par-lite] for Tisha b'Av

[Menachem Leibtag]

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        THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

            In Memory of Rabbi Abraham
Leibtag

      Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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                 THE FOUR FAST DAYS in Sefer
Zecharya

 

      Why do we fast on Tisha B'av?  The
primary answer, of course, is to remember the
destruction of the Bet Ha'Mikdash and
Yerushalayim. 

    Yet, according to the Navi Zecharya, not
only Tisha B'av, but all four of the fast
days (in which we remember Yerushalayim) will
one day take on an added dimension.

      In the following shiur, we study that
prophecy of Zecharya (chapters 7-8), as it
will help us appreciate an important aspect
of Tisha b'Av which is especially relevant
today, no less than it was over two thousand
years ago.

 

INTRODUCTION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

      The Jewish custom to fast on the 'four
fast days' [17 Tamuz, Tisha b'Av, Tzom
Gedalyah, and Asara b'Tevet]  - to remember
the destruction of the Temple, is so ancient
that it s original source if found in the
Bible, in the prophecy of Zecharya.

    Zecharya and his contemporary Chagai,
were the two prophets who returned to Israel
with the Babylonian Exile, and inspired the
building of the Second Temple. Their time
period, better known as "shivat tzion" - the
return to Zion, begins with the famous decree
of Cyrus (the first king of the Persian
Empire) - allowing the Jews to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, after
seventy years of exile (see Ezra 1:1-9). 

      Unfortunately, that first effort to
rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (immediately
upon their arrival) was thwarted by the
complaints of the local population (see Ezra
3:1-4:5).  It was only some twenty years
after their original return, when permission
to build was finally granted by Darius (the
Great), in the second year of his reign.

      In that very same year, both Chagai and
Zecharya deliver their opening prophecies,
encouraging the people that despite their
rather pitiful predicament there was hope
that this new Bet Ha'Mikdash [Temple] would
one day be greater than the first one. [See
Chagai chapters 1-2, Zecharya chapters 1-3.]

      During this time period of shivat
tzion, many thousands of Jews had indeed
returned to Zion (see Ezra chapter 2),
however many thousands more remained in Bavel
[later to be known as the 'Jews of the
Diaspora'].

 

THE BIG QUESTION

      We begin our study with chapter seven
of Sefer Zecharya, a prophecy delivered in
the fourth year of Darius (i.e. two years
after construction of the Mikdash began). 

    The chapter begins as a delegation of
Jews from Bavel comes to Jerusalem to inquire
in regard to a very important 'halachik
question' concerning fasting:

"Ha'evkeh b'chodesh ha'chamishi - Shall we
continue to weep in the fifth month (i.e.
Tisha b'Av), do we abstain ourselves as we
have been doing all these years?"

                                    [See
Zecharya 7:1-3.]

 

      Their query is quite understandable.
As apparent from their question, the custom
in Bavel had been to fast every year in the
fifth month, since time of destruction of the
First Temple. Now, in the fourth year of
Darius, as the construction of the new Temple
is almost complete (it was finally completed
in sixth year of Darius/ see Ezra 6:15), they
are wondering whether it remains necessary to
fast!  

      The delegation, sent from Bavel,
approaches Zecharya to find the answer.

 

A BETTER QUESTION, & A BETTER ANSWER

      For such a simple and logical question,
we should expect a straightforward 'yes or
no' answer. Instead, God fields this question
with a complex prophetic answer, spanning two
chapters of Sefer Zecharya.  Let's follow
God's response, noting how He answers the
people's question with His own question:

"[And God said to me:] Say to the
people...When you fasted and lamented on the
fifth and seventh months [i.e. Tisha b'Av and
Tzum Gedalya] during the last seventy years,
have I been fasting?!  And when you eat and
drink (not on a fast day), is it not you who
decides to eat or drink?!"  (7:4-6)

 

      Note how God's rhetorical question
implies that Am Yisrael should not be asking
God [or His prophets] concerning the laws of
the fast days.  After all, the fast days are
not God's commands, rather they are customs
instituted by the people themselves in order
to remember Yerushalayim.  Just as the people
decide when and what they eat, they too
should decide if and when they should fast. 

      However, in case the people are truly
interested in God's opinion in regard to the
rebuilding of the Second Temple, Zechayra
takes this opportunity to relay God's primary
message -that deals with issues that are much
more fundamental than fasting:

"Pay attention to the very same things which
the earlier prophets [had warned your
forefathers] when Jerusalem and its
surrounding areas were populated and tranquil
[i.e. during the good years of first Temple
period]...

      Execute true justice, deal loyally and
compassionately with one another. Do not
defraud a widow, orphan, stranger, or poor
man, and do not plot evil against one
another."(7:7-10)

 

      God's answer is very powerful, for in
it, He reads 'between the lines' of their
original question. If the people are fasting
on Tisha B'av, it is not only to remember
what happened to Yerushalayim, but more
important, it is to remember why the Temple
was destroyed. 

    God takes this opportunity to remind Bnei
Yisrael that the first Temple was destroyed
because of their wayward behavior, for they
did not follow the guidance of their
prophets. To make sure the new Temple will be
successful, the people must make sure not to
repeat those same sins that caused the first
one to be destroyed.

    In a nutshell, God is not interested in
people fasting; rather that they follow His
laws properly, especially those of social
justice, and not repeat the sins of their
forefathers.

[See Yeshayahu 58:1-10 (not by chance the
Haftara for Yom Kippur shacharit) where
Yeshayahu delivers a very similar prophetic
message in regard to the purpose of fast
days!]   

 

      Implicit from prophecy of Zecharya is
the reason why the first Bet ha'Mikdash was
destroyed: God's anger was kindled primarily
due to both a lack of social justice and a
lack of fraternity within Am Yisrael (and not
necessarily due to religious impiety).

[See for example Yirmiyahu 7:8-11, 7:21-23,
8:4-9, 9:1-8,22-23 (that's in the Haftara for
Tisha B'av!) A similar theme repeats itself
throughout the Later Prophets.  

    The 'classic answer' that the first Bet
Ha'Mikdash was destroyed due to the sins of
idol worship, murder, and "arayot" etc. is
based on the Gemara in Yoma 9b and the puskim
in Melachim II chapter 21 in regard to God's
original decision ["gzar din"] to destroy the
First Temple due to the sins during the time
period of Menashe. However, the people
repented from those sins, especially during
the time of Yoshiyahu. [See II Divrei
Ha'yamim chapters 33-36.]

    Nonetheless, God remained intent to bring
upon the Temple's destruction - because the
people did not perform total repentance,
especially in relation to issues of social
justice - as Yirmiyahu explains so many times
(see 7:1-10, 22:1-5).  Note also the story of
Gedalya ben Achikam in Yirmiyahu chapters
40-43, in regard to "sinat achim" at that
time.] 

 

WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE QUESTION

      Zecharya's prophecy implies that the
primary reason for fasting on Tisha B'av
should be to remember why Jerusalem was
destroyed. In the prophet's eyes, it would be
meaningless to fast simply to remember what
happened. Instead, God is interested that we
remember why those tragic events took place. 

      Should a group come to ask for
prophetic guidance, Zecharya would rather
hear questions in the like of: 'What should
we do assure that God's redemption will be
complete? What does God expect from us?'  

      Zecharya would rather the people become
'participants' in the process of redemption,
rather than 'spectators'.

      With this backdrop, we can better
appreciate how Zecharya continues this
prophecy.  First, he reminds the people that
even though God had punished their
forefathers with Jerusalem's destruction for
not listening (see 7:11-14), now they must
recognize that a new opportunity has arisen:

"Thus says the Lord: I am very zealous for
Zion... I have returned to Yerushalayim, for
it will be called Ir Ha'emet - the city of
emet - truth, and the mountain of God - Har
Ha'kodesh - the mountain of holiness...  (see
8:1-3)

 

      Just as God had gone out of His way to
punish Jerusalem, now He is going out of His
way to help rebuild Jerusalem, but on the
condition that it become a city of truth. God
can only provide the people with the
opportunity, but it is up to people to make
Jerusalem a city of truth!  [Note how this
pasuk implies that God's return to Jerusalem
is dependant upon Am Yisrael's ability to
make Jerusalem a city of justice - a very
important 'proviso'.]

 

A HINT FOR THE DIASPORA

      Note, that up until this point, God has
not answered the delegation itself. Instead,
He has taken the opportunity to address the
entire nation (see 7:5) regarding the
ultimate goal of this redemption, i.e. that
Jerusalem become a city characterized by
social justice (see 8:1-3), and the hope that
it will soon return to political and economic
maturity as well (see 8:4-6).

      This is followed by what appears to be
a message as well for the Jews in the
Diaspora:

"Thus says the Lord: I will rescue My people
from lands of the east and from the lands of
west, and I will bring them home to dwell in
Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I
will be their God, [on the condition of] in
truth and righteousness - b'emet u'b'tzdaka"
(see 8:7-8)

 

      It could be that Zecharya is 'hinting'
here to the Diaspora that instead of worrying
about whether or not to fast on Tisha B'av,
they should be considering their own return
to Tzion, to help their brethren create a
Jerusalem of emet u'tzdaka, [but this
interpretation may be a bit too 'zionistic'].

      This hope for the ingathering of all
the Exile in Zecharya's prophecy continues
with the hope for a better economy and future
prosperity (see 8:9-13).

      Finally, after repeating His claim that
He is eager to help the redemption of His
people (8:14-15), God summarizes His advice
concerning how this redemption will be
achieved:

"These are the things that you must do: Speak
truth to one another, emet u'mishpat shalom
shiftu b'shareichem - render true and perfect
justice in your gates. And do not contrive
evil against one another, and do not love
perjury, for all these things I hate -
declares the Lord"   (8:16-17)

 

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION

      Now, after charging the people with His
true hopes and expectations from this
generation of shivat tzion, God finally
answers the original question in regard to
the future of Tisha B'av and the other fast
days for Jerusalem:

"Thus says the Lord: The fast of the fourth
month (17th Tamuz), the fast of the fifth
month (Tisha B'av), the fast of the seventh
month (Tzum Gedalya), and the fast of the
tenth month (10th of Tevet), shall become for
the House of Judah days of joy and gladness -
happy festivals - [on the condition that] you
must love and follow - emet v'shalom - truth
and peace. "  (8:18-19)

            [compare emet v'shalom with 7:9,
8:3 & 8:16]

 

      God declares that should Am Yisrael
fulfill their destiny and establish a nation
characterized by justice & truth, there will
no longer be any reason to fast. Instead,
these fast days will become holidays. [See
Further Iyun section for an explanation why
they actually become holidays.].

 

THE MESSIANIC DREAM

      Zecharya finishes his prophecy with an
even higher aspiration concerning the future
of the Second Temple:

"Thus says the Lord: A time will still come
when the inhabitants of many lands and great
nations will come and gather in Yerushalayim
to seek and find God's favor..."

 
(see 8:20-23) 

 

      Zecharya's concluding words echo the
hope of Yeshayahu's famous prophecy
concerning the ultimate goal for the nation
of Israel.  [See Isaiah 2:1-4 (& Micha
4:1-5), see also the parallel 'partial quote'
at entrance to the United Nations Bldg.]

      The reason for this conclusion is quite
simple. Should Am Yisrael truly set up this
ideal society of emet v'shalom, tzedek
u'mishpat, then the Bet Ha'Mikdash can
fulfill its ultimate purpose to become a
beacon by which all nations can find the
proper path to God. [See also Devarim 4:5-8
and I Melachim 8:41-43 & 10:1-9!]

 

ZECHARYA TODAY

      Although Zecharya's prophecy to the
founding fathers of "bayit sheni" (the Second
Temple) was in response to a question raised
some 2500 years ago, it is no less (and maybe
even more) meaningful today, as we are in the
midst of a redemption process whose direction
is not clear.  

    If there is prophetic message for Tisha
B'av today, which can be agreed upon by every
Jew, "chiloni" or "dati"; 'left wing', or
'right wing', Orthodox, Conservative, or
Reform; in Israel or in the Diaspora - it is
that of Zecharya chapters 7-8.  

    Furthermore, it is a prophecy that
recognizes the realities of a 'less than
perfect' redemption process, yet shows the
first step in the path to achieve its highest
goals.  

    Hopefully, this prophecy of Zecharya can
help unite Am Yisrael today, and set us in
the proper direction to make us worthy enough
so that next year we can celebrate Tisha b'Av
as a 'holiday'.

 

                                    "tzom
kal",

                                    menachem

 

[Note: this topic continues with questions
for the Haftara (below).]

==========================

FOR FURTHER IYUN

 

A. Regarding why the fast days will one day
become holidays, Rav Yaakov Meidan, (in a
shiur on 10 b'Tevet many years ago),
suggested that each fast day actually
contains a potential holiday:

* 17th of Tamuz 

      Had Bnei Yisrael not sinned at "chet
ha'egel", then on the 17th of Tamuz, Bnei
Yisrael would have received the luchot and
the rest of the Torah! In potential, this
could have been a holiday similar to Simchat
Torah.

*  9th Av

      Had Bnei Yisrael not sinned at "chet
ha'meraglim", then on the day after the
meraglim returned - the 9th of Av - Bnei
Yisrael would have begun their conquest of
Eretz Canaan. In potential, this could have
been a holiday similar to Yom Atzmaut! 

 *  Tzum Gedalya

      From the account in Yirmiyahu chapter
41, it seems that Gedalya was assassinated on
Rosh Ha'shana. We fast on 3 Tishrei because
we can't fast on Yom Tov. Rosh Ha'shana
already is a holiday, when we 'celebrate'
God's Creation of the world.

*  10 Tevet

This one is bit more complicated, and
requires an entire shiur to explain why.
Iy"h, next year before 10 Tevet.

 

B. In our shiur on Megillat Esther, we
mentioned how several passages in Megillat
Esther may have based on the prophecies of
Zecharya. With the above shiur as a
background, it should be easier to appreciate
those points in that shiur, especially in
regard to the minhagim that Mordechi
instituted to celebrate Purim. 

.

========================

 

 

   For TISHA B'AV / HAFTARA - Questions for
self study

 

      The following questions focus on the
Haftara that we read on Tisha B'av morning
from Sefer Yirmiyahu 8:13-9:23.

 

'KNOWING' GOD

1.  You are probably familiar with the
concluding psukim of the Haftara for Tisha
b'Av from Yirmiyahu 9:22-23: 

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom 

Let not the strong man glory in his strength

Let not the rich man glory in his wealth -

But - only in this should one glory: Haskel
v'ya'doah oti - he should use his wisdom to
know me!

For I the Lord act with chessed, mishpat, and
tzedaka

[kindness, justice, and charity (or equity)],
for it is

these traits that I desire - says the Lord. 

    (see 9:22-23)

    

    Based on these psukim alone, what is the
connection between knowing God and these
three traits? Is God 'boasting' about His own
traits? What is the difference between haskel
and ya'doah?

    

2. Where is the first time that we find the
Hebrew root [shoresh] of "yud.daled.ayin" in
Chumash. [If (or when) you give up, try
Breishit 2:10, 3:5-6 (note "haskel" as well)
and especially 4:1.] 

How does each use of this verb relate to a
relationship, and the intensity of that
relationship? 

How would this background help explain why
Yirmiyahu suggests that there is a mitzvah to
know God (see 9:23)?

 

3. Review Breishit 18:17-24. Recall how this
story relates to the birth of Yitzchak and
the destruction of Sdom and Amora. 

Pay special attention to 18:19. What does the
phrase "ki yi'daativ l'maan..." imply? How
does this relate to the mention of tzedaka
and mishpat later on in this pasuk? 

    [How does it relate to the word "ayda'ah"
in 18:21?] 

    Does this pasuk discuss a 'relationship'
between God and Avraham Avinu (and his
offspring)? If so, what is the nature of that
relationship? 

    In your opinion, how does this pasuk
relate to Yirmiyahu 9:22-23? Does this pasuk
in Yirmiyahu relate in any way to the
prophecy of the destruction of a city? Does
the pasuk in Breishit have anything to do
with the destruction of a city? 

[Note Yirmiyahu 9:10/ 8:4-12, as well as
8:13-23.] 

 

4. Review Yeshayahu chapter 1 (last week's
Haftara). 

Note the use of the word "yadah" in 1:2-3. 

Does this chapter speak of destruction? 

Does this chapter compare Am Yisrael to Sdom
and Amora? [Note 1:9-10.] 

Does this chapter speak of tzedek & mishpat?
[Note 1:16-27!] 

 

5.  In what manner is Sdom 'antithetical' to
Yerushalayim? Relate to the story of Avraham
and Lot in Breishit chapter 13! Note as well
Avraham's attitude towards the King of Sdom
in chapter 14! 

See Yechezkel 16:46-50. According to these
psukim, what was the primary sin of Sdom? How
does this relate to the above questions? 

 

6.  Return now to the Haftara of Tisha B'av,
and read 9:1-8. How does this relate to the
above questions? How does this relate to
Yirmiyahu's concluding statement in 9:22-23? 

Note especially 9:5 and the use of the word
"daat"! 

Relate this to questions #1 and #2 above! 

Relate as well to Yirmiyahu 8:4-12.

 

7.  To see how this theme continues in
Yirmiyahu, see also 21:11, 22:1-5, 22:13-17 -
especially 22:15-16 and its definition of
what it means to 'know God'! 

See also 23:5-6, noting again the verb
"haskel". 

See also 23:14-15, noting again Sdom & Amora.


 

8. Finally, note a very similar theme in the
famous "mashal ha'kerem" of Yeshayahu in
5:1-10, note the citing of the lack of
"tzedek & mishpat" as the reason for
destruction. 

Based on our study of Sefer Breishit in
regard to the reason why God chose Avraham
Avinu to become His special nation, and based
on Devarim 4:5-8 (in Parshat ha'shavua), why
do you think that it is specifically this sin
that leads to God's decision to destroy the
Mikdash and send Am Yisrael into Exile? 

 

9.  In regard to 'knowing' God, see also
Micha 6:8 (and 2:1-2). 

Then see Hoshea 6:1-6. Note "daat Hashem" and
"chessed". 

[You can also try Amos 4:1-11, noting 4:1 and
4:11.] 

[Note also how God's anger with "korbanot" is
prominent in all of the above prophecies, and
how they all relate to "churban".] 

 

10. With this background, review our shiur on
Zecharya chapter 7 thru 8, noting how it
reflects a similar theme (but on the
'redemption' side). 

 

                        b'hatzlacha,

                        menachem 

 

 

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