…Fast on Asara B’Teves?
Whoa! Good question! Not only do we fast, but Chazal say that it’s the only “Churban fast” we would do on Shabbos. With our calendar though, it never happens.
Why is Asara B’Teves such a big deal? Asara B’Teves is the day the trouble started. On Asara B’Teves, (during the first Beis Hamikdash,) Nevuchadnetzar’s troops – led by Nevuzaraden – surrounded the wall. On Shiva Asar B’Tammuz they broke through (3 years later), and on Tisha B’Av they destroyed the Beis Hamikdash.
But a Yid should never be sad. To miss the Beis Hamikdash feels different than just being sad. The point of fast days that relate to the Churban are to inspire us to yearn for the Beis Hamikdash even stronger than before. They are days of reconnecting to Hashem.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that Asara B’Teves is the tenth day of the tenth month. Ten represents a “full” number. Hashem created the world with ten Sefiros. There are ten Dibros, etc. In other words, maybe we shouldn’t be so sad. What happened was part of Hashem’s plan, and it’s a very holy day! If we use the day to yearn (even if we’re not fasting!) instead of being bored or sad, we can accomplish so much. Think: what can I do today to bring Moshiach a little closer?
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 20.