In a few days time we will commemorate Asora B’Teves. For those in the northern hemisphere this is one of the easier fast days. It’s easy to get up and eat a hearty breakfast before going to shul for shacharis. But let us not convince ourselves that the day is all about who is and isn’t fasting. Going without food is never the point of a fast day.
Let’s go back to the year 520BCE to the time of the Novi Zecharia.
Zecharya and his contemporary Chagai, were the two prophets who returned to Eretz Yisroel with the Babylonian Exile, and inspired the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh. The initial excitement and enthusiasm was short live. The book of Ezra describes the chaos caused by the local who were not keen on the Jews returning to their land.
When the opponents of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to Hashem G-d of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the chiefs of the clans and said to them, “Let us build with you, since we too worship your G-d, having offered sacrifices to Him since the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here.” Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the chiefs of the clans of Israel answered them, “It is not for you and us to build a House to our G-d, but we alone will build it to Hashem G-d of Israel, in accord with the charge that the king, King Cyrus of Persia, laid upon us.” Thereupon the people of the land undermined the resolve of the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build.
Twenty years after their original return, when permission to build was finally granted did they start again. During this time period many thousands of Jews had indeed returned to Zion, however, many thousands more remained in Bavel.
At this point a delegation arrives from Bavel with a pressing Halachik question. Is fasting over the destruction of the first Beis Hamikdosh still in force now that the second Beis Hamikdosh is being built and restored? They received a shock when the Novi doesn’t give them a simple yes or no, but instead launches into a mussar schmooze. His reply was not even directed at them, but to all the people.
“Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months all these seventy years, did you fast for my benefit? Thus said Hashem: Perform true justice; deal loyally and compassionately with one another. Do not defraud the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; and do not plot evil against one another.”
The fast days are not Hashem'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. The novi is clear, there are different levels of behaviour. The Novi is not suggesting that the act of fasting lacks meaning or significance. Instead, he is teaching us that following the ways of Hashem has greater meaning and will ultimately bring the changes we daven for.
More fundamental than fasting is our ethical behaviour especially towards the most fragile members of society.
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."(Zecharia 7:7-10) There are no exceptions. Financial reward doesn’t permit defrauding a business partner. Social status doesn’t justify excluding families from a shidduch, Shul or school.
When we fast it is not only to remember what happened to Yerushalayim, but more important, it is to remember why the Beis Hamikdosh was destroyed.
The question from the Babylonian delegation should probably have been, what should we do assure that Hashem's redemption will be complete? What does Hashem expect from us? Recall the text of our Yom Tov Musaf Amida, U’mipnei Chataeinu- because of our sins, always the collective, never do we point fingers and blame one group for the problems we all face. Or, never shouldwe point fingers and blame one group for the problems we all face.
The people had to recognise the new opportunity being presented to them. They were building the Beis Hamikdosh and restoring the glory of Hashem. Golus equals chilul Hashem, geulah brings honour to Hashem. It doesn’t matter how much we invest in building our golus mosdos and how much money we secure from choshuve donors, Yidden belong in Eretz Yisroel not in golus.
"Thus says Hashem: I have returned to Yerushalayim, for it will be called Ir Ha’emes - the city of truth, and the mountain of G-d Har Ha’kodesh - the mountain of holiness”
If Yerushalayim becomes a city of truth it will be rebuilt. Hashem gives us every opportunity to live up to His expectations; ultimately it is up to us to live properly. In the passage from Zecharia he had been approached by the delegation from Bavel. This is the answer he gives them directly.
“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 G-d, b'emes u'b'tzdaka"
We are all share the responsibility to create a just and fair society. It is not something that we can expect from our leaders whilst we sit back and continue living our corrupt lives.
In the language of the Novi we must “Speak truth to one another, emes u’mishpat shalom shiftu b’shareichem - render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another...”
The future will be bright, the fast days will become days of “joy and gladness” but only if we love and follow “emes v'shalom - truth and peace.”
If we do so, then the Beis Hamikdosh will play a central role in becoming a beacon for all people to learn about Hashem. Ultimately, the knowledge of Hashem will fill the world. If that really matters to us, then let us pledge to create it by following the words of the novi and create societies that Hashem can be truly proud of.
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