דף נושא: צום גדליה

It is a positive commandment, ordained by the Prophets, to fast on those days on which tragic events occurred to our forefathers. The purpose of the fast is to stir our hearts to reflect on the ways of repentance, and to serve as a reminder of our own evil deeds,and the deeds of our forefathers, which were as reprehensible as ours, and caused all these troubles for them as well as for us. By remembering these events we will improve our ways, as it has been said, "They will then confess their sins and the sins of their fathers" (Leviticus 26:4). Therefore, it is everyone's duty to take it to heart on those days to examine his past actions and to repent; for fasting is not the main thing, as it was said about the people of Nineveh, "And God saw their deeds" (Jonah 3:10), and our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have said, "It does not say, 'He saw their sackcloth and their fast,' but 'God saw their deeds, that they had turned away from their evil ways.'" Fasting is only a preparation for repentance. Therefore those who while fasting, spend the time taking walks, and doing trivial things, take hold of the least important aspect of the fast, while ignoring the essence [of the fast.] These are the fast days: the third day of Tishrei, when Gedaliah, the son of Achikam, was killed. After the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Nebuchadnezzar left him in Eretz Yisrael, and appointed him governor over Yisrael. Because he [Gedaliah] was assassinated, all Jews were exiled and thousands of them were killed; thus, the last ember of Jewish hope died.

“The fast of the fifth,” this is the Ninth of Av, on which the Temple of our Lord was burnt. And why does he call it the fast of the fifth? Because it falls in the fifth of the months. “The fast of the seventh,” this is the third of Tishrei, on which Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, was killed. And who killed him? Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, killed him (see II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah, chapter 41). The Sages established a fast to commemorate Gedaliah’s death to teach you that the death of the righteous is equivalent to the burning of the Temple of our Lord. And why did the prophet call it the fast of the seventh? Because Tishrei is the seventh of the months.

In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king’s commanders, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah; and they ate together there at Mizpah. Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, because the king of Babylon had put him in charge of the land. Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with him—with Gedaliah in Mizpah—and the Chaldean soldiers who were stationed there.

On the third of Tishrei, Gedalia b. Aḥikam was killed. After the First Temple was destroyed and most of the Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia, the king of Babylonia appointed Gedalia b. Aḥikam to govern the Jews who remained in Judea. The Jewish people as a whole hoped that this surviving remnant, by reestablishing themselves in Eretz Yisrael, could rebuild the Temple and reestablish Jewish sovereignty, together with those who would eventually return from Babylonia after seventy years of exile. Indeed, for some time it seemed that the meager population that remained in the land was recovering from the Temple’s destruction and beginning to cultivate fields and vineyards. However, the king of Ammon, who wanted to eradicate the remnant of Israel, sent Yishmael b. Netania to murder Gedalia. Yishmael had an additional, personal reason to carry out the scheme: He was a member of Judea’s royal family, and he thought that he should govern Judea instead of Gedalia. Several military officers warned Gedalia about Yishmael and even recommended killing him before he could carry out his plan. But Gedalia did not believe them, accusing them of maligning Yishmael. In the seventh month, Yishmael ben Netania ben Elishama, who was of royal descent and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedalia ben Aḥikam at Mitzpa; and they ate together there at Mitzpa. Then Yishmael ben Netania and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedalia ben Aḥikam ben Shafan with the sword and killed him…along with all the Judeans who were with him…and the Chaldeans who were there. (Yirmiyahu 41:1-3)
This extinguished the last ember of Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael and realized the full measure of exile. This is why the prophets instituted a fast day.

My soul mourns and my face is darkened, [because] the House of my glory has been smashed by the lion; even my escaped ones that were left, my remnant, were crushed on the third day of Tishri. The raging flames and flood overwhelmed us in their pursuit; they trod down the Temple and divided the spoil; the elders of the remnant who escaped the day of vengeance, were now destroyed on the fast day of Gedaliah ben Achikam.

What must be understood is that actions should not be judged for saintliness at first glance, but should be carefully observed and reflected upon so that it may be determined how far their results extend. For at times an action in itself may seem worthy of performance, but because its results are evil, one will be obliged to leave it; and if he does not, he will be adjudged a sinner rather than a chasid. The episode of Gedaliah ben Achikam (Yirmiyahu 40:13) provides a clear illustration of this fact. Because of his abundant chassidus, which would not permit him to judge Yishmael adversely, or which would not permit him to receive slander, he said to Yochanan ben Kareach, "You are speaking falsely of Yishmael." What was the result? He died, the Jews were scattered, and their last hope was extinguished. And the Torah attributes to him the death of those men who were killed, as if he were the murderer, as indicated by the comment of our Sages of blessed memory upon the verse, (Yirmiyahu 41:9), "...the men who were killed through Gedaliah."

לא תעמוד על דם רעך, "Do not stand idly by when your colleague's blood is being spilled." This part of the verse is a natural corollary of the prohibition to bear tales. When one becomes aware of an assassination attempt for instance, one has to warn the potential victim in order to enable him to save himself. The Torah writes the words: "Do not stand by idly, etc," to warn us that relaying a warning to a person of an attempt to assassinate him which one has overheard does not fall under the prohibition not to bear tales. Failure to warn the potential victim which results in the murder being carried out makes the party who did not issue the warning guilty of violating this commandment. Jeremiah 40,14 reports that Gedalyah ben Achikom was warned of an assassination attempt against him by a fellow Jew Ishmael ben Netanyah. Gedalyah's refusal to believe that he was in danger resulted in his death at the hand of assassins.