A Day of Sadness or Growth?
This Sunday, December 31st, is the fast day of Assarah b'Tevet ("The Tenth of Tevet"). On the tenth of Tevet of the year 3336 (425 B.C.E.), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later the city walls were breached, and three weeks later the Holy Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled to Babylon for seventy years. In short, this day marks the beginning of the end of the First Jewish Commonwealth. (In Pleasanton, CA the fast begins at 5:59am and concludes at 5:34pm)
And yet, in spite of the grave tragedy, the Midrash tells us: “At the moment the Holy Temple was being destroyed G‑d planted the seed of salvation.” This means that although, for some unexplainable reason, G‑d had decreed that his people be thrown into the sea of exile, G‑d gave His people the strength to overcome and ultimately be redeemed from their pain and suffering.
This notion is true not only on a national level but on a personal one as well. Each of us face our personal ‘exiles’ and, at times, our individual Holy Temples - our personal security and life’s aspirations - are shattered and destroyed. It is here that we take strength from the words of the Midrash. “At the moment the Holy Temple was being destroyed G‑d planted the seed of salvation.” G‑d never gives us a test that we cannot pass. In fact, before He presents us with a challenge or ‘exile’, G‑d has already given us the tools with which to transcend and overcome our trials and tribulations.
Thus, the fast day of Assarah b'Tevet ("The Tenth of Tevet") is not only a day of mourning. It is a time to plant the seeds for growth – communally and personally. Nothing is by chance. On this year’s calendar the Fast Assarah b'Tevet is observed on the last day of the secular year – Dec. 31, a day used by many to finalize their New year resolutions.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick