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This Friday is the 10th of the month of Tevet, which is a fast day. The reason we fast is connected to the destruction of the Temple. On this date, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, started the siege around Jerusalem, which would eventually lead to the destruction of the city and of the Temple. We fast because this was the beginning of the tragedy.
What is a fast day? On a practical level, the fast (in Hebrew Taanit) means that we do not eat, and we do not drink anything during the entire day (from the dawn until the evening)
There are 4 fasts which start at dawn: The 3rd of Tishri, the 10th of Tevet, the 13th of Adar (Fast of Esther) and the 17th of Tamuz start at dawn. There are 2 others fasts, Tisha Beav and Yom Kippur, which starts from the eve before. Thus, there is a total of six fasts in the Jewish calendar.
But there is something deeper in the fast beyond the remembrance of a specific fact. It is a day where we leave our self a little, without being connected that much to our body and its needs, allowing us to connect more to our soul. The fast helps us to get closer to G-d. This is why on fast days, we increase our good deeds, especially in charity and Torah study.
Shabbat Shalom,
Arie from the Yeshiva
