Fast of the 10th of Tevet

ByDanielle Kranjec

1. What is the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet? When is it observed this year?

2. Why do so many of our fast days have to do with Jerusalem?

3. Are we in a time of persecution or is Israel (nation/people/all Jews) secure?

זכריה ח׳:י״ט

(יט) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר ה' צְבָא֗וֹת צ֣וֹם הָרְבִיעִ֡י וְצ֣וֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי֩ וְצ֨וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י וְצ֣וֹם הָעֲשִׂירִ֗י יִהְיֶ֤ה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂשׂ֣וֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּֽלְמֹעֲדִ֖ים טוֹבִ֑ים וְהָאֱמֶ֥ת וְהַשָּׁל֖וֹם אֱהָֽבוּ׃ (פ)

Zechariah 8:19

(19) Thus said the L-RD of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity.

רש"י על זכריה ח׳:י״ט

(א) צום הרביעי. צום של תמוז שהוא רביעי לחדשים: (ב) צום החמישי. של אב: (ג) וצום השביעי. שלשה בתשרי שבו נהרג גדליה: (ד) וצום העשירי. של טבת:

Rashi on Zechariah 8:19

The Fast of the Fourth: The Fast of Tammuz, which is the fourth month. The Fast of the Fifth: Of Av. The Fast of the Seventh: The Third of Tishrei, on which Gedalyah was murdered. And the Fast of the Tenth: the Fast of Tevet,

ראש השנה י״ח ב:א׳-ג׳

דאמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר ר"ש חסידא מאי דכתיב (זכריה ח, יט) כה אמר ה' צבאות צום הרביעי וצום החמישי וצום השביעי וצום העשירי יהיה לבית יהודה לששון ולשמחה קרי להו צום וקרי להו ששון ושמחה בזמן שיש שלום יהיו לששון ולשמחה אין שלום צום אמר רב פפא הכי קאמר בזמן שיש שלום יהיו לששון ולשמחה יש גזרת המלכות צום אין גזרת המלכות ואין שלום רצו מתענין רצו אין מתענין אי הכי ט"ב נמי אמר רב פפא שאני ט' באב הואיל והוכפלו בו צרות דאמר מר בט' באב חרב הבית בראשונה ובשניה ונלכדה ביתר ונחרשה העיר

Rosh Hashanah 18b:1-3

As Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Thus said the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall become times of joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons, to the house of Judah” (Zechariah 8:19). It calls them days of “fast” and it calls them “times of joy and gladness.” How so? When there is peace in the world, they will be times of joy and gladness, on which eulogies and fasting are forbidden; but when there is no peace, they are days of fasting. In a time when there is no peace, why are messengers not sent out also for the fourth and tenth months, so that people can know when to observe the fasts? Rav Pappa said that this is what it is saying: When there is peace in the world and the Temple is standing, these days will be times of joy and gladness; when there is persecution and troubles for the Jewish people, they are days of fasting; and when there is no persecution but still no peace, neither particular troubles nor consolation for Israel, the halakha is as follows: If people wish, they fast, and if they wish, they do not fast. Since there is no absolute obligation to fast, messengers are not sent out for these months. The Gemara asks: If so, the Ninth of Av should also be like the other fast days, that sometimes it is observed and sometimes not, depending upon the wishes of the community at the time. Why does the mishna state that messengers go out for the month of Av? Rav Pappa said: The Ninth of Av is different, since the calamities that occurred on that day were multiplied. As the Master said: On the Ninth of Av the Temple was destroyed, both the first one and the second one; on this day the city of Beitar was captured; and on this day the city of Jerusalem was plowed over by the enemies of the Jewish people, as a sign that it would never be rebuilt. Consequently, the fast of the Ninth of Av is obligatory, and not optional like the other fasts. Messengers are consequently sent out so that people will know when to fast.

רש"י על ראש השנה י״ח ב:ג׳:א׳

שיש שלום - שאין יד העובדי כוכבים תקיפה על ישראל:

Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 18b:1:2

When there is peace - when the nations of the world have no dominion over Israel.

תהילים קכ״ב

(א) שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שָׂ֭מַחְתִּי בְּאֹמְרִ֣ים לִ֑י בֵּ֖ית ה' נֵלֵֽךְ׃ (ב) עֹ֭מְדוֹת הָי֣וּ רַגְלֵ֑ינוּ בִּ֝שְׁעָרַ֗יִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (ג) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה כְּ֝עִ֗יר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־לָּ֥הּ יַחְדָּֽו׃ (ד) שֶׁשָּׁ֨ם עָל֪וּ שְׁבָטִ֡ים שִׁבְטֵי־יָ֭הּ עֵד֣וּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְ֝הֹד֗וֹת לְשֵׁ֣ם ה'׃ (ה) כִּ֤י שָׁ֨מָּה ׀ יָשְׁב֣וּ כִסְא֣וֹת לְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֝סְא֗וֹת לְבֵ֣ית דָּוִֽיד׃ (ו) שַׁ֭אֲלוּ שְׁל֣וֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם יִ֝שְׁלָ֗יוּ אֹהֲבָֽיִךְ׃ (ז) יְהִֽי־שָׁל֥וֹם בְּחֵילֵ֑ךְ שַׁ֝לְוָ֗ה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָֽיִךְ׃ (ח) לְ֭מַעַן אַחַ֣י וְרֵעָ֑י אֲדַבְּרָה־נָּ֖א שָׁל֣וֹם בָּֽךְ׃ (ט) לְ֭מַעַן בֵּית־ה' אֱלֹקֵ֑ינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁ֖ה ט֣וֹב לָֽךְ׃

Psalms 122

(1) A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced when they said to me, “We are going to the House of Hashem.” (2) Our feet stood inside your gates, O Jerusalem, (3) Jerusalem built up, a city knit together, (4) to which tribes would make pilgrimage, the tribes of Hashem, —as was enjoined upon Israel— to praise the name of Hashem. (5) There the thrones of judgment stood, thrones of the house of David. (6) Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem; “May those who love you be at peace. (7) May there be well-being within your ramparts, peace in your citadels.” (8) For the sake of my kin and friends, I pray for your well-being; (9) for the sake of the house of Hashem our G-d, I seek your good.

משנה אבות א׳:ה׳

(ה) יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אוֹמֵר, יְהִי בֵיתְךָ פָתוּחַ לִרְוָחָה, וְיִהְיוּ עֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי בֵיתֶךָ...

Pirkei Avot 1:5

(5) Yose ben Yochanan, man of Jerusalem, says, "May your home be open wide, may the poor be members of your household...