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The Lesson of Asara B'tevet

By: Rabbi Gershon Turetsky

            The Rambam[1] writes that the purpose of a fast day is to encourage repentance.  This, the Rambam says, is common to all of the fast days that were established by Chazal.  This statement by the Rambam is puzzling.  We would have assumed that the primary goal of our fast days is to mourn and to remember the calamities that occurred on those days, with repentance being a possible beneficial by-product.  Perhaps we should examine and analyze the reasons for the fast of Asara B'tevet in light of this revelation so that we can understand in what ways we can focus on repentance while observing this fast.

            The Avudraham[2] paskins that although all other minor fasts are pushed off when they fall on Shabbat, Asara b'Tevet is unique in that if it were possible for it to fall out on Shabbat the fast would not be pushed off.  The Avudraham learns this from the pasuk in Yechezkel which says regarding Asara b'Tevet "Etzem HaYom Haze"[3].  This language is also used when the Torah discusses Yom Kippur and is understood by Chaza"l that the fast must be held exactly on the day it falls out even if that day is Shabbat.  Why does this chumrah only exist on Asarah b'Tevet and not on the other minor fasts?  What is unique about Asara b'Tevet?

This question is compounded by the fact that the Rambam[4] writes that the fast of Asarah b'Tevet commemorates the siege and the hardships that accompanied it, of Yerushalayim by Nebuchadnezzar Melech Bavel, as discussed in Melachim II[5] and Yirmiyahu[6].  While the siege was undoubtedly a tragedy, at first glance it doesn't seem to have been so terrible.  The Avodah of the Mikdash did not stop, Korabanot were still brought, and everything functioned as usual.  Why should this fast day have such a chumrah that does not exist on the other fast days commemorating events which halted the normal temple service? 

            The reason for this stringency on Asarah B'Tevet is that the siege of Jerusalem was the beginning of all subsequent calamities.  When discussing the appropriate day for the establishment of Tisha B'av, the Gemara[7] quotes Rav Yochanan who says that had he been present during the generation that established Tisha B'av, he would have established it on the 10^th of Av as apposed to the 9^th of Av, because on the 10^th most of the Heichal was burned.  The Gemara then concludes that the reason why Tisha B'av was established on the 9^th of Av is because that day marked the beginning of the destruction.  The Bnei Yissacher[8] explains that this is the logic behind the establishment of the fast day of Asara b'Tevet as well.  Once Yerushalayim was besieged it marked the beginning of all subsequent calamities that would befall the Beit Hamikdash and the Jewish people.  The siege ultimately led to the invasion of the city on the 17th of Tammuz, and eventually, to the destruction of the Holy Temple on Tishah b'Av.   

What then should be the focus of our teshuva on this day? Asara B'Tevet marks the beginning of the end.  Although the walls had not been breached and the avodah in the Beit Hamikdash was continuing as usual, the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash was in sight.  Asara B'Tevet is associated with an unusual chumrah because it marks the beginning of the destruction as a result of our apathy towards G-d and his Temple.   

Tosafot[9] points out that etymologically the name "Yerushalayim" is derived from the two words "Yirah" and "Shalem", complete fear.  When we begin to stray from Hashem it is usually not done with a bang.  We start small, with something little, and continue most of our other religious activities.  Maybe we skip a day of davening, or start talking about inappropriate things or we give up our only weekly learning Seder.  Whatever it is, and however small and seemingly inconsequential, this marks the beginning of our downfall.  Once we create a hole in our full and absolute fear of Hashem we start the siege of our personal Yerushalayim.  As soon as our personal Yerushalayim is under siege we have a responsibility to do all we can to break the siege and free ourselves of its restrictions that begin to slowly destruct our spiritual life.  On Asara b'Tevet our Teshuva should focus on the little things that began the cracks in our belief in Hashem.

May we all be Zoche to see the rebuilding of Yerushalyim and the Beit Hamikdash speedily in our days.