This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Voices from Zion, Robbie and the Rabbi. Together, we'll explore the scriptures in their original Hebrew, wrestle with hard questions, and celebrate the beauty of what unites us and the respect that deepens when we acknowledge what doesn't.
So, welcome to the dialogue. Welcome to the wrestle. Welcome to Voices from Zion, Robbie and the Rabbi. I gotta tell you, I couldn't be more excited about the treat we have for you today as. We're going to look at this fast that happens in the 10th month.
That's let's in Zachariah 8 And and I just couldn't be more excited having this come off of fast myself. And I know that the 10th month is.
Soon, if not already, and so I'm excited. Where are we going?
Okay. Uh so maybe with m matters in context. If I can Begin On a note that we discussed in our last podcast, we were talking about the ninth month. Zachariah chapter seven Verse 1: It came to pass in the fourth year of King Darius that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Kislev. And what's the context here?
The context is. That Saharzar and Regemelech and his men had sent to Bethel to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to speak unto the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and to the prophets, saying, Shall I weep in the fifth month? Separating myself as I have done these so many years.
So The question does not explicitly state what the context is. of this weeping in the fifth month. But we can readily surmise the answer. through an appeal in particular To Two books of the Bible that discuss the circumstances of the destruction. Jeremiah And The end of the book of Kings.
That is the end of. Kings 2. First, the very beginning of Jeremiah, when We read in the third verse of Jeremiah. When The prophet is prophesying, it is. Until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
So that already gives us context with respect to the fifth month. And In both the second book of Kings, chapter 25. And in Jeremiah chapter We read about the circumstances of the final destruction. of the Holy Temple and the Holy City. There is a problem here.
If we were talking in particular about the fastest of fifth month, then it would definitely demand our attention. The problem is that in the second book of Kings, in chapter 25, verse 8, it's in the fifth month on the seventh day of the month, and in Jeremiah chapter 52, verse 12, it's in the fifth month in the tenth day of the month. A problem, an issue. We'll leave this on the slide. But that's clearly the context of weeping in the fifth month.
Because This is when Nevuzar Adan, the captain of the guard or chief of slaughterers, depending upon how one translates. Burnt the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house, burnt he with fire. And The residue of the people that were left in the city. And the defectors who defected to the king of Babylon and the residue of the multitude. Did Neuzar-Adan, either again captain of the guard or chief of slaughterers.
Exile.
So here the Babylonian begins. destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Holy Temple. That's morning in the fifth month. And in almost the same Words. We read the description in Jeremiah chapter 52.
Clearly, Again. The context of morning in the fifth month. But as we noted last time, there's something a little bit bizarre here. Namely, Why did they send this inquiry? About morning in the fifth month.
In the ninth month. The ninth month? It's over half a year before. The fifth month will come around.
So why Give the inquiry Precisely at this juncture. A book. When we consider They Answer that God gives Zachariah. Maybe the answer becomes clear. In chapter 8, verse 19, thus says the Lord of hosts.
The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth month, and the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month. Will be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and cheerful seasons. But love you, truth, and peace. In other words, it wasn't just the fifth month. There were Four months.
in which there were fasts. That were instituted. Obviously, the context dictates they were all instituted. because of the destruction of Jerusalem, the exile of Israel. And of paramount Importance in particular to destruction of the Holy Temple.
And because the second temple is built, These fast days are going to be observed as days of joy and gladness, of course. after the second temple was destroyed they reverted to their former status as fast days. I don't want to belabor to excess the question of just what the other months signify. We'll just note in brief: this is something that is explicit. In Jeremiah, in both Jeremiah chapter 39 and Jeremiah chapter 52, that in the fourth month, The wall of the city was breached.
By The Babylonian army. Culminating in the destruction just shortly thereafter.
So that was the fast thing. that was instituted in the fourth month. As for the fast, of the seventh month We read about the circumstance that led to this fast day also in Jeremiah and In The second book of Kings as well. That is in Jeremiah chapter 41 and the second book of Kings chapter 41. We read about the assassination.
Gidal ya. And The assassination of Gedaliah, who was The Governor Who was appointed by the king of Babylon. Over those who remained. Behind in the land of Israel. was the occasion that completely Ricked.
Any Vestigial presence. in the land for the period of the Babylonian exile.
So that's the past. that we observe in the seventh month. Of course, all these fast days have manifold motifs associated with them that we're not even going to attempt to address because it would take us too long. We have our business cut out for ourselves. We're focusing upon the fast of the 10th month.
What happened? in the tenth month. We read the answer to this question. Again, the key passages are in the last chapter. Of Jeremiah and in the last chapter of Kings, that is, in the second book of Kings, chapter 25.
which chronicles The last Chapter In the destruction of Jerusalem. The first verse, and it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, of the reign of King Sadakiah, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, he and all his army. Against Jerusalem encamped Against it. and built siege works against it round about. And uh in practically The selfsame words we read.
This event described in Jeremiah chapter fifty two, verse four. Again, these two chapters are in many ways very similar to one another, almost identical to one another. We also read about the significance of the tenth month earlier on in Jeremiah, in Jeremiah chapter 39, in the ninth year of Tzedekiah, king of Judah, in the tenth month came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem and besieged it. And there is one additional reference. Which is kind of tantalizing.
to this event that we read in Ezekiel. Nope. We bear in mind the difference between the trajectory of Jeremiah and the trajectory of Ezekiel. Jeremiah is in Jerusalem during this period. He is Relating All of these events as a direct eyewitness account.
Ezekiel Was already exiled. in the exile of Jeho Yachin.
So Kanya And He's in Babylon. Hearing about all of these events. Indirectly. And In Ezekiel chapter 24. We read.
And the word of the Lord came unto me in the ninth year. In the tenth month, In the tenth day of the month, saying, Son of Man. Write you the name of the day, even this self-same day, this self-same day, the king of Babylon. has besieged Jerusalem. Because same date.
And Ezekiel is finding out about this. Not as an eyewitness, but as a prophetic witness, because God is telling him this is the day. And not only that. He has this particular divine command. Write you.
the name of this day, this selfsame day. And I feel compelled to append to this. An observation and our tradition. Of course, again, we're observing. These fast days.
To this day. And There's a lot of literature with respect to these fast days. The point of emphasis, admittedly, this is a subtlety, but you know, every dimension. Of living the rhythm of the Bible is significant to us. In Zechariah, We don't read about a date.
For each of these fast days. We read the month of the fast day. which carries the implication that There may be circumstances in which You don't observe the fast on a particular Date But you do. in the course of the month. And so, as a case in point, The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, and the fast of the seventh month.
are all fast days. That Can Coincide with the Sabbath, with Shabbat. What happens when they do?
Well, you know, we have A cardinal principle that is Perhaps Most famously enunciated. in Isaiah chapter 58. About Calling The Sabbath a delight. If you turn away your foot because of the Sabbath from pursuing your business on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy of the Lord honorable and shall honor it and so on and so forth, then. You will delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride upon the high places, and so on and so forth.
The significance of making the Sabbath into delight.
So, what do you do when? These fast days occur on the Sabbath.
So, with respect to the fourth, fifth, and seventh months, again, those fast days as we observe them can occur on the Sabbath. What do we do? We don't fast on the Sabbath. The fast day is deferred. to after the Sabbath.
And we fast on Sunday. And what about the fast of the 10th month? Why did I leave that out? It's also described in Zachariah. Simply as the tenth month.
Well It's described in Zechariah as just in the 10th month, but in Ezekiel chapter 24. It's described in terms of this selfsame day. Implying that there's something that is categorically important about the tenth day. of the 10th month. And we fast on it.
Come what may. You may ask, what happens if the fast of the 10th month? occurs on the Sabbath.
Well, in point of fact. Um The fixed calendar that we use and have been using for close to two millennia now. the 10th day of the 10th month. Never occurs on the Sabbath. There are certain rules with respect to when the year can begin and when it can't begin and The Test.
Of the 10th month never occurs on the Sabbath.
However, Unlike all of the other fast days associated with the destruction, which never occur on Friday. The tenth day of the tenth month. Can and frequently does occur. On Friday. On the eve of Sabbath.
And again, living the rhythm of the Bible is something that we do down to the. seemingly mundane details because they're not mundane to us.
Well, you know, if you fast on Friday. And the fast continues until nightfall. And To Sabbath. begins Not at nightfall, but at sunset. Or even before sunset, but certainly.
before nightfall. Then there's an overlap between the fast day. and the Sabbath.
So what do you do? Do you say, well, Sabbath has begun, so the fast day is abrogated because. We have to call this out of the light. And the answer is. Precisely based upon Those verses in Ezekiel chapter 24, we don't.
We fast. Even if we come back from the synagogue. And we're ready. to begin the festive Dinner of the Sabbath. We wait.
And we do not. Break our fast. Until nightfall.
So, what is that from somebody that's totally ignorant like myself? I have two questions like What time is Nightfall over or till, and where do you get? Did a fast last until nightfall?
So, of course, this is something that is very deeply ingrained in our tradition. Ultimately, the template for fasting is. The one past day That is explicitly ordained in the Torah. In the five books of Moses. Which is not one of these four.
And it's on a completely different status than these four. I refer, of course, to the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. And With respect to Yom Kippur. What We read. in Leviticus chapter 23.
Which is a chapter that's all about the cycle. Of the holy days. And begins It's description. of Yom Kippur or to be precise, Yom Haki Purim. In the Hebrew.
With respect to the tenth day of the seventh month In Verse twenty-seven. And We read First I'll note The self-same expression that we encountered in Ezekiel chapter 24 about this self-same day. on the selfsame day. You shall do no work. Um Verse Twenty-eight And Besides not doing any work.
There is This principle of afflicting yourself, which in our tradition means fasting, in verse 29, also. in this self Same day. And the additional dimension that we'll note with respect to the exact time frame of the fast day. Is what we read in verse 32. It shall be a complete Sabbath unto you.
You shall afflict. your souls lives On the ninth day in the evening, from evening to evening. You shall keep your Sabbath.
So evening means When when nightfall comes. And so, from a time standpoint, does that mean after sunset? Yes, night and as nightfall is when it gets dark. Sunset is just when just the sun comes down.
So in point of fact, with respect to Yom Kippur, The fast begins before sundown. on the ninth. and continues until after nightfall on the 10th. And that becomes a template for all fast days that conclude. After it gets dark, after nightfall.
Except usually, that's about say 45 minutes between the point in time the sun approximately. There are different views with respect to the exact timeframe, but approximately 45 minutes. And that informs the end of these four fast days as well. It also informs the beginning of one of them. That is, of these four fast days, there are um two different Categories.
There is the fast of the fifth. Which Many people may recognize by the name the ninth of Av. Because the fifth month is of course is called of And that fast day is identical in length to Yom Kippur. It begins before sundown. And it continues until after nightfall the following day.
As for the other three fasts. The fast of the fourth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth. These fasts by ancient tradition, basis that's explicitly stated in the Bible. don't begin at sundown, but rather at the break of dawn.
So they're uh shorter fast. Not a Roughly 25-hour fast. rather well it depends on the season obviously the Fourth month takes place in the summer, so it is considerably longer than the fast of the tenth month, of course, for those who live in the northern hemisphere, which is taking place very near the winter solstice. But the the fast is observed from before dawn until after nightfall. And again, The point of observation that pertains to this self-same day is: even if nightfall brings you into the kingdom of the Sabbath.
You're still faster.
So that's an observation, of course, with respect to. The uniqueness of the fast of the tenth. There is an additional dimension that maybe demands Noting here And perhaps this is the reason that there's this special emphasis on the self-same day. In Ezekiel chapter 24, pertaining to the tenth day of the tenth month. And that is In Ezekiel chapter 33.
We read about Another Red letter date. in the tenth month. In chapter 33, Verse twenty-one. We read it came to pass in the 12th year of our captivity, our exile. in the tenth month.
In the fifth Yeah. of the month. That The refugee from Jerusalem came unto me saying, The city is smitten.
So Ironically. You have these two red-letter dates. in the tenth month. What? The tenth And As we already noted, the 10th commemorates just the very first step that ultimately led towards the destruction.
the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. And the fifth After the destruction of Jerusalem, When word comes to Ezekiel in Babylon that the city is smitten, Kind of like The last nail in the coffin. Jerusalem in the first Commonwealth. When The news has come to Babylon. Exactly.
Why it took Five months? for the news to get to Babylon. From Jerusalem is Left completely enigmatic here. It's an interesting question to discuss, but we'll put it on the side for now. But in any case, I'm noting this because.
When you consider the significance of in the selfsame day with respect to the 10th of the month. Perhaps it's coming to stress. You might have thought. that what should occasion The faster the f Tenth month. would be this final nail in the coffin.
the news that comes that the city is smitten. You might not have thought that the fast day would be the tenth day of the tenth month. And on some plane, God's saying to Ezekiel, write down this selfsame day. may be interpreted as No, it's not going to be the fifth day of the month, it's going to be the 10th. Specifically the tenth.
And that is my segue into considering what the significance of the tenth day of the tenth month is. Because I think you'll agree with me. If I were to choose which day Is the more cataclysmic one? It's when you get the final word, it's all over. As for The beginning of the siege?
The beginning of the siege itself. It's practically a non-event. Not only a non-event. Let's consider the previous time that Jerusalem was put under siege. It wasn't even that long before.
Nibukhat Netzar and Nibuzaradan came with the Babylonian hordes and put the city under siege. It's a place after all. In the reign of King Hezekiah, When it was the Assyrian Empire. coming and putting Jerusalem under siege. And the comparison is illuminating.
And if anything, it exacerbates the question. Because What happened? By consequence, Yeah. That siege by the Assyrian Empire. of Jerusalem That we read On the one hand.
Second book of Kings in chapter 18, verse 13.
Now, in the 14th year of King Hezekiah. Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Came Up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. And what then Follows chronologically in the chronicle of the attack is. They Assyrian army is on its march south.
having entered the land of Israel like All conquerors enter the land of Israel. From the north Because The fertile crescent gives you easy access. To the northernmost end of the land of Israel through Lebanon. That is all other directions, you have to traverse a wilderness in order to be able to get to the land of Israel.
So the Assyrian Empire Enters the land of Israel from the north, and it begins its southern trek by destroying the kingdom of northern Israel. and exiling the Ten Lost Tribes. But they're on a run. They're not finished yet. And It is In this vein, That we read so jarringly.
The advance of the Assyrian Empire toward Jerusalem. In Isaiah chapter 10. culminating in Verse thirty two This very day. Shall he, referring to Sennacherib, shall he stand at nod? Nob The king, the city of priests overlooking Jerusalem, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Derisively. This city is nothing. I've got it underneath my thumb. Except that What in fact happens after that siege by the Assyrian Empire? Yeah, that was Chapter 10, verse 32.
The next two verses. The last two verses in chapter 10. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop. The boughs with a saw, and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
And what is this describing? What this is describing ultimately is, of course, the fate. of that army of the Assyrian Empire. And And we read of the pretentious boasts. of Sennacherib and his emissary Rab Shakeer.
In Isaiah chapter thirty-six and chapter thirty-seven. And God's response. God's response. to Isaiah And Through Isaiah. to King Hezekiah who has prayed to God.
to spare Jerusalem. And it culminates. In Isaiah chapter 37. Versus 33 And on Therefore, thus Says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria. He shall not.
Come unto the city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast a mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return. and he shall not come unto this city. Says the Lord For I will defend this city to save it for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. And then verse thirty-six.
The angel of the LORD went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred eighty five thousand. And when men arose early in the morning, not those men. Behold, they were all dead corpses. This miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. and Trussim was spared.
So, you know, inevitably When we Consider commemorating the beginning of the siege. of the Babylonian Empire. Yet there's this haunting question. The beginning of the siege. That could be an occasion for celebration, ultimately.
Look what happened the previous siege when the Assyrian Empire laid siege to Jerusalem. There was this extraordinary miracle. that Jerusalem was saved. And of course That's precisely the point. And it didn't happen this time.
The beginning of a siege Potentially. Can be an extraordinary opportunity. Very much along the lines of what we discussed. last time regarding the ninth month. They opportunity That is manifest in The fast day that was declared by the people in Jerusalem.
in the ninth month. They would have truly gotten to act together and return to God.
Well Is there any reason that God could not have Ended. The Babylonian siege, the same way the Adana did the Assyrian siege? Of course not. Doctor what could do whatever he pleases. It was an opportunity.
That was not. adequately appreciated. And so the beginning of the siege. becomes in the end Not an opportunity. No, a wasted opportunity.
A wasted opportunity. That indeed culminates not in some extraordinary miracle, but rather in the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the exile of Israel. And that's what we mourn. The tragedy of a wasted opportunity. Yeah, that's so powerful.
I kind of saw it coming a long time ago, but I have to tell you, it was that's so powerful. And I can't help put. You know, as I listen to you tell that and chronicle it so beautifully. I can't help but even think of Goliath. Taunting God Okay.
Blaspheming You know And and simply saying, you know. that your God is not bigger than me. And oh my goodness. You know Young David. Hey, hey, hey.
He had some words, but they came from God because Right. that the opportunity is God's opportunity. Um To protect us, and so beautiful. Um, and I'm just. And I know you probably have more, but I just have to go, wow.
I mean, wow. Because You know, those of us are, you know, in your own life, I'm sure you've experienced things that felt like a siege. You know, I had lymphoma. Yeah. Killer cell lyma.
And I remember the opportunity. It was certainly, I felt besieged. I said, They gave you this horrible prognosis that you may not. make it a few but a few months and Um Yet God, I mean, he, you know, here I am 30 years later. Um Well that that it's amazing.
But I I see the same thing as Like, that is so beautiful. I'll never now, the tenth. And I don't know if this is significant, but it is to me as I hear you speak it. is the tenth day of the tenth month. With the tenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, isn't it?
Diyud? And so, isn't that? Right. The little that means a lot. Like, this is a significant thing.
It's like. They might have missing something. Yeah, that certainly is a valid observation without any question. But um Of course, this was just the warm-up. I knew.
But it was so good, I just had to jump in and go, man. Man, I love it. No, but it it's it's all the same thing. That is, these are variations on a theme because. Truth is that while we fast on the tenth, In the prayers that we say, Today on the 10th.
We also refer Two Two other Redd red letter dates. that are commemorated at on this fast day. The eighth And the nines. That is what took place yesterday, what took place two days ago. And so, is today the tenth day?
Today is the tenth day. Really? Today is the fast day itself, absolutely. That f that close to Hanukkah. Right.
The weekend of Hanukkah. Yeah. But of course the fast predates Hanukkah considerably. Because the fast goes back to the destruction of the first temple, and Khanuka is midway through the second temple. Right.
But um continuing then In this scheme. We consider First Our Ordering of matters.
Something that is associated with the ninth day. of the 10th month. That postdates the circumstances of the destruction, but not by a whole lot. Namely A tradition that we enunciate in Our prayers on the tenth of Tevet. that Ezra the scribe Died.
On the ninth of Tibet.
Now, in point of fact, we generally have A tradition of commemorating people on the days of their deaths. That is, as I'm sure I need not point out to you, birthdays don't really play a great big role in the Bible. In the Hebrew Bible, the only birthday that is explicitly stated is the birthday of Pharaoh. who celebrated it by hanging his baker. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the only birthday that is mentioned in Christian Christian scriptures is the birthday of Herod, which he celebrates by beheading John the Baptist.
So, birthdays have a very checkered background in our tradition. We commemorate people on the days of their death. Yeah, but still. A fast day? That is one of the themes for which we're fasting.
Is the death of Ezra the scribe?
Now, bear in mind, Ezra lived roughly, more or less. two and a half millennia ago. I think it stands to reason that in all likelihood he would not be alive today, right? Hehehehehehehehehe So why would be we fasting? to commemorate his death.
And inevitably, the theme of opportunity. surges forth once again. How does the book of Ezra begin? Of course, famously, the book of Ezra begins much as the second book of Chronicles ends. with Cyrus's proclamation.
Um Reading the Second, And Third and fourth verse of The Book of Ezra. Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, all the kingdoms of the earth. Has the Lord the God of heaven given me, and He has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever is left in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with beasts, besides the free will offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Get up. And go on. And there was this Extraordinary opportunity. And Well, we already discussed what happened with this opportunity last time.
So I'm not going to be Libra at the point this time, but We saw all these prophecies. That we discussed last week. In Haggai chapter 2. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former house, and in this place I will give peace. Says the goddames.
And that didn't happen. And Zachariah chapter 1. Where we read God's promise. I am zealous for Jerusalem, for Zion with great zeal. I return to Jerusalem with compassion.
My house shall be built in it, said the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem. My cities shall. Again, spread abroad with good and Even more so in Zachariah chapter 2, the promise: sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come. And I will dwell in the midst of you. Says the Lord.
And it's a promise also to the nations that many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you will know. That the Lord of hosts has sent me unto you. And likewise, In Zechariah chapter 8, once again, that promise the third verse: I return unto Jerusalem and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called the city of truth in the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. All these amazing, extraordinary promises. And then We read about the actual founding of The house of the Lord.
In Ezra chapter three. And On the one hand. We read that All the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. The next verse in verse 12: Many of the priests and Levites and the heads of the fathers' houses, the old men who had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept in a loud voice. This is what we were waiting for, 70 years?
It didn't hold the candle of the first temple. And the promises. weren't fulfilled. And as I noted last time, I say this with great embarrassment. We have a tradition, but it's really almost explicit.
in the Bible why these promises were unfulfilled. After The proclamation of Cyrus. urging all of Israel to return home. We read the reckoning of all those who came. In the second chapter of Ezra.
And After we read the whole list of all of the fathers helped us. Returned We read the synopsis in verse 64. The whole congregation together was. Forty-two thousand three hundred sixty That's It? That's it.
The majority remained in Babylon. The majority. Didn't return. And so on some level The implications If you're not returning.
Well then God isn't returning either. The beginning of the Second Temple period was an extraordinary, extraordinary opportunity. Everything that was lost. Might have been restored. But we didn't rise to the occasion.
We didn't respond to the opportunity. And as a result, It became a wasted opportunity. And if we had to choose one date that really epitomized that lost opportunity more than any other. It's the day of the death of Go, I lost your um. I lost your audio.
No, I don't. Nope, still don't hear you. I don't know what happened. Oh, you're muted again according to the. You're right.
I don't know how you're going to talk.
Okay, I hope we're back in business. You were talking about the I would imagine That nobody could be sadder about that. Then Ezra. Right, right. Of course.
to in gathering the exiles. And it's precisely because of that. That if we had to choose one date that epitomized. The closing of the door shut on this wonderful opportunity. It would have to be the day that Ezra died.
So again, when we commemorate the death of Ezra. It's not because we expected him to be alive twenty five hundred years after he lived. But rather because It's the death of an opportunity. Wow. It was Ezra personified it more than anyone else, but it was an opportunity that.
God put in All of our collective laps. And we squandered it. And for that We fast. Again, the theme. The tragedy of wasted opportunity.
Now then there's Another red-letter date. And this additional red letter they maybe strikes even more closely. To home. With respect to Yeah. Partnership Between us.
Pastor Robbie. Oh. And That pertains to A tradition. It's not recorded. Of course, anywhere in the Bible, because it's post-biblical.
That it was on the eighth of the tenth month. The day before, two days ago. Right? That The Torah was Under They Edict of Tell me. Ptalmaic dynasty in Egypt.
Translated into Greek. And that sounds admittedly downright bizarre. Why should we regard that? as something that occasions mourning or fasting. After all.
Aren't we supposed to make the Torah accessible to everyone? And I'll just stress in this regard, and this is definitely biblical. That when we read in Deuteronomy chapter 27. There is an extraordinary imperative That God The liver is to Moses and Israel. As we read it.
In Deuteronomy chapter 27. This is Moses conveying this command to Israel. In verse 2, it shall be on the day when you pass over the Jordan unto the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up great stones and plaster them with plaster. and you shall write upon them all the words of this Torah. When you are passed over.
That you may come in unto the land which the Lord your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord the God of your fathers. Has spoken to you. And There is a particular imperative. associated with this enunciated in verse 8 You shall write upon the stones all the words of this Torah.
Well explained. In the Hebrew, ba'er t. Wow. Supposed to signify Well, in point of fact, we have a tradition that means that we are supposed to record the words of. The Torah.
In all the archetypal languages of the world. Seventy different languages corresponding to the seventy progeny of Noah. Who are listed? In Genesis chapter 10. And Inevitably, of course.
We wonder. What is this telling us about? The message of Torah. And the significance of translation. And if I may share with you.
A comment. By one of the great Bible scholars of the 19th century. I believe we've noted him in the past as well. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. who was the rabbi the rabbi in Frankfurt de Main in the late nineteenth century.
And wrote the Yeah. Yeah. and profound Commentary. on the five books of Moses. He comments on these words.
Explained clearly. In the Hebrew Ba'er Hitev. That Here, it could also mean making the writing adequately clear and distinct. It is in the same vein. That the expression appears likewise in the prophecy of Habakkuk, chapter two, verse two.
Right? He goes on to note That it is in our tradition as likewise recorded by the sages in the Talmud. that we understand that again this is An imperative That A translation. Of this copy of the Torah. Was attached so that people of other nations.
might read it. Any comments? accordingly far from the exclusiveness. which is so falsely ascribed to us, Israel was from the very beginning To have to understand its mission for the spiritual and moral salvation of the whole of mankind. Whose future happiness?
was equally to be brought about uh about By this entrance of the Divine Torah into their midst. Even The Canaanites. That This Rendering of the Torah. in terms that everyone would be able to So read. Is A summons and an invitation to them.
If they would come back to obey the simple seven. Laws. That God commands Noah and all of his descendants, which apply to all human beings. then nothing stood in the way of their remaining in the land. And attaining salvation themselves.
So, of course, all of this just amplifies the question: why would we then consider the day upon which? The Torah was translated into Greek. Anything negative. In fact. To further exacerbate the question.
I'll note That When Noah blesses. His two righteous sons. Shame And Jeffeth. In Genesis chapter 9, verses 26 and 27. Noah said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem.
And in verse twenty seven May God enlarge Japheth. And then the Phrase that then follows. Clause. He shall dwell. In the tense of shame.
Is tantalizing because of the unclear antecedent. Is it supposed to apply? That God should enlarge Japheth, but God should dwell in the tents of Shem? Or it's supposed to imply that God should enlarge Japheth. And Jaffith.
Should dwell on the tense of shame. And the truth of the matter is, we have both of these traditions, but what's germane for our purposes is we have an ancient tradition. That on the contrary, the Torah. is permitted to be translated into Greek because of This blessing. that Noah confers to Japheth.
Who is the progenitor of the Greeks? That the aesthetic of Greek should be in the tents of Shem. The Torah should be translated into Greek. And of course it's in this vein. that we can appreciate Even more so.
They Ultimate goal of Israel, as so well annunciated, we noted this last week as well. In Isaiah chapter 42. Being a light of the nations in Isaiah chapter 49. Explicitly addressed to Israel. In whom I will be glorified, and the emphasis I will.
Give you for a light of the nations that my salvation will be unto the end of the earth.
Well, how are you going to bring God's salvation to the end of the earth? If you're not going to have The word of God accessible to all nations. And Here's the clincher. You're right. Translating the Torah into Greek was a wonderful opportunity.
But not in the manner in which it took place. Tommy wasn't looking. For a dissemination of God's word. To bring God's salvation to the end of the earth. Tommy was looking for another book to put into his massive library.
Are you talking about who who was the Greek that asked for it to be done? Tell me, we're talking about the Timaic dynasty. In Egypt. Right. The Egyptian Greeks, if you will.
Okay, but it is. One of the Ptolemies who orders that the Torah be comma be translated into Greek. Because he wants to have God's word. In his library. I think I just wanted to understand Just but he wanted to have it as a as knowledge, not Exactly.
Exactly. It had nothing to do with serving God. It had nothing to do with. Spiritually being uplifted by it. It had to do with.
Well, you know, we have the... a foremost academic library in the world and part of An academic library needs to be the ancient culture of uh the people Israel. And this was the Septuagint, essentially. Yes, right. And I've heard other teachings that They appointed like seventy rabbit the Sanhedrin and to do it and All kinds of shenanigans.
That we end up with the first letter in the Septuagint not being the first letter of the Torah. I'm not aware of it. Pardon me?
Okay, well, I'm not sure. What do you mean by that? The first letter of the Septuagint is the. The first letter of the Torah is bad because it's bare sheets, right? But the first letter of The Septuagint, if I'm not mistaken, is an alpha.
Ah, I see. Very interesting. I mean, I have to admit that it's all Greek to me, so I can't really tell you, but I'll take your word for it. And again, I I'm I You know, I could go look at the Greek, I guess, and but nonetheless. What I've heard, Todd, on that, and you can correct me because I could easily be wrong, but I've heard it from two or three sources.
that those rabbis Didn't necessarily translate it. Letter by letter. Because they didn't want God to be profane.
Well, if anything, I'm going to say it a little bit differently. That is, they made certain changes. Um And Part of the agenda was Just the realization that The word of God was not going to be used here as a means for divine service. And we need to introduce certain modifications so people aren't going to cast dispersions on the authenticity of the work. For example, the sojourn in Egypt, which is clearly not for 400 years because the timeline doesn't work out, and so on and so forth.
And it was to make it more palatable.
So Academia. And that's probably a That is That The word of God isn't there for academic study. and when the translation, which could have been this extraordinary opportunity, Subjugated to that end. then that constitutes not an opportunity, but a wasted opportunity. Oh my goodness.
So, the other question that just, you know, I have a thousand questions. I'm sorry, my mind's going a thousand miles an hour, but. Did they ever Put up those stones. Are there stones today? I don't think we've ever found those stones today, but there's no, but we read in the book of Joshua that they definitely put up those stones.
And so you'd think they wrote it in Canaanite, it was translated? That's our tradition.
Okay, cool. I love it. Because you know It's fascinating in the age that we live in for the first time, not probably ever. Um Anybody Anybody that wants to has access. to it written plainly.
If they want to look for it, it's there. Even in the palm of his hand. Right. Right. You know, undoubtedly from my perspective.
The more you do it, the more you fall in love with it, and the more you. Um We experience that relationship with God. And you see these missed opportunities that you're referring to. Again, I want you to continue. I'm just overcome again by just like, oh my gosh, listen to this.
This is so awesome. I mean, because it's like Babylonia being reversed is what's supposed to happen. Right? I mean, the whole idea of what happened at the Tower of Babel. Is languages are shenanigized.
And so, you know, now we have. This opportunity that you're talking about to to get people back on the same page. I've Again, connected to the Ezra thing. In other words, and it's all connected to if we would just repent, if we would just. Really go after God.
The nations The Jews, everybody, Ed Ryan? Yeah, 100%. And more than anything, what you're talking about again is. opportunity. You know, living in the information age.
It's such a blessing and such a challenge. First of all. Anyone who is an earnest seeker of truth. Can find truth on the internet. You could also find an awful lot of lies.
Yeah. And Yeah. What that again signifies is an opportunity and the challenge, once again, what are you going to do about it? And that's that's precisely the challenge. To see the opportunity As something to be seized.
rather than to be wasted. No. There's a another Dimension of this progression And This I must admit is Far less known, far less appreciated. But um With respect to exactly what took place. that we commemorate On the ninth.
of Tivet. The death of Ezra. But Truth is that there is Um alternative possibility with respect to What The ninth may signify Even to the extent That There is Some Presumptive status in the ninth. As a day that commemorates The death. Um Some conspicuously great individual.
So of course we appreciate why Ezra was a An individual who signified this extraordinary opportunity that was lost. The other possibility, and this is something to give credit where credit is due, this is a topic of research. Um a A great Jewish historian. of our generation Sid Lehman. I was a professor in New York City.
And um he Published An essay. Uh back in 1983. On the scroll of fasts pertaining to the ninth of Tevet, the ninth of the tenth month. And um his scope is just Encyclopedic. And um Bottom line.
He found Sources Rather obscured sources. That Associate the Ninth of Tibet. With The day of death. Of Someone Who Yeah. He breaks sources.
identified as Simon Culfus. And whom he conflates, presenting a very powerful argument for doing so. With Simon Kafer. Simon Kafa, I'm sure I need not point out to you. Peter.
The Apostle. Um known. As Kifa Oh, this, any speaker of Aramaic, and Jews are very well versed in Aramaic, so many Christians. Can very easily understand what the designation Kepha signifies because Kepha in Aramaic is a rock.
So, of course. Simon was the one who was designated As the rock upon which the church was going to be established.
Now in point of fact And I'm not Pushing any particular agenda here. There is. This Hebraic tradition that goes back to the pre-medieval period. That Simon Peter. Indeed, remained.
Faithful. to his Jewish heritage for his entire life. And maybe part of his role was.
So Establish The distinction and ultimately the divergence between Judaism and Christianity. which is in itself, of course, inevitably we will appreciate. a very, very fraught issue. That is. If we ask ourselves What was supposed to be?
Sai, I must share with you, and I think we may have noted this in the past. That in at least a couple of significant medieval sources. Uh in The Uzari, which is a A classic work of Jewish thought by Rabbi Judah Halevi. In The early part of the 12th century. He speaks of Christianity, full disclosure.
He also speaks of Islam in these terms. As means that God has ordained to disseminate the core truths of the Torah. in order to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. Rabbi Moses Maimonides. Mix practically a self statement statement.
in his Code of Jewish Law. Of course, in both instances, I'm referring to the original uncensored editions of these works. And Moreover, as an additional case in point, we'll note. That Rabbi Moses Nachmanides, another one of the great medieval scholars. Quotes This principle has enunciated by Rabbi Moses Mamanes.
So, three of the most eminent sages of the medieval period: Rabbi Judah Halevi, Rebbe Moses, Maimanides, Rebbe Moses, Nachmanides.
So a possibility An ideal Yeah. Christianity And Judaism could have worked as partners, in disseminating the core truths of the Torah. To indeed bring God's salvation to the end of the earth. That that was the ideal And it still is an ideal that we're Trying to actualize. Mm-hmm.
Certainly Pastor Robbie U UN LA or are building bridges to that very end. And Simultaneously we recognize While this may have been an extraordinary opportunity two thousand years ago, It definitely was not actualized 2,000 years ago. And if anything, on the contrary. What emerged instead? was An extremely dysfunctional two millennia.
An opportunity. The loss of which Has really on so many levels. been of cataclysmic import. To us. and the whole world.
And maybe it's precisely at this juncture that we need to consider. What the message of Fasting over wasted opportunity needs to be in the most direct Actualized level. for all of us today. That when God gives an opportunity. It's not just an opportunity.
It's also a responsibility to take advantage of it. And By our having failed to do so. The whole world suffers.
Now that in itself, of course. Could be an occasion for mourning, but the fast days are definitely not. simply days of mourning. their days of repentance. intrope introspection and return.
So what you're telling me. What you're actually telling me is, I'm listening, and just like my mind's like. And fascinatingly, since I fasted yesterday, I have a grip on this because yesterday would be the ninth day, if I'm not mistaken. And what I'm just understanding is that is the day that many Christians would refer to St. Peter.
that that was the day that he was crucified upside down in our tradition. And I don't, you may have heard that. Yes. Oh my gosh. And that day being Some of them obviously Over the centuries, we have recognized this and seen it as a lost opportunity.
And oh my gosh, as you describe that, you think of the horrors of what Christians have done to Jews. Um It's beyond my wildest understanding. And even what's happened in the last few days is beyond my wildest understanding. Um But talk about a lost opportunity. in so many different ways.
And it begs that it begs. The question I think we all, every single individual that is listening to this podcast, needs to ask themselves is like, What is my responsibility in this God? And I don't. I don't necessarily know other than. I know I love.
The Torah. Now I love it. And I know that I love Jerusalem. And I know that Learning and understanding and getting to know these people. And their value of life and love, you know, from my journeys and interviews and ways that I've been connected with them.
And I know that God has graced me. Um Like from as a car dealer, I was like, How did this happen? I have no idea, but God did. And so I, I, you know, he put me in this, and I just am like, oh my gosh. Thank you, Lord.
And then, like, what is our responsibility? And. It's really worth thinking about, and the fact that. That This unbelievable scholar in New York has written this essay. And and and The other challenge to Christians who have a tendency to really Um Not value the life of Muslims.
Right? I don't know, maybe that's the word, but people get all upset and they, Yeah. it almost seems like we're going to return hate for hate or something Like, oh my gosh, that. if we all understood Right? That God didn't in no way, shape, or form, want that, you know, the war, the violence, the hate.
He wants us all to seek him if we could do it together. It's amazing. I'm with you and I think it's more than beautiful. Um I really do. I think it's more than beautiful that that's part of the bridges that we are to build somehow.
For whatever reason, God put me in this one. With You know, this podcast and other things he's allowed me to take part in, but oh my gosh. I hope I'm not talking too much because I don't want to. No, no, on the contrary, I sign on to every single word. That's precisely the point.
But um of course to Bring this full circle. to positive resolution.
Sometimes We are beneficiaries of really extraordinary divine largesse. And the opportunity that we squandered. God gives us again. And that's really the greatest gift of all. And again, that's why we should not Misconstrue fasting as merely mourning because merely mourning can also be sterile.
and lead nowhere. And Fasting as a vehicle of repentance. Reassessment. Re-evaluation, introspection, and most of all, return.
Okay. guides us to a different conclusion. we have to be ready for Seizing the opportunity. And of course, I I believe Is as a I'm fairly certain Pastor Robbie you the less well That God is bringing back an opportunity that maybe hasn't been on the table for the last 2,000 years now.
Well That's breathtaking. Sure don't want to miss this opportunity after another 2,000 years, do we? No, we don't. Uh uh No, it's beautiful. Just absolutely beautiful.
Wow. And of course, inevitably, coming full circle now, we appreciate where this is going to lead. With respect to the faster the tenth, that one single solitary verse in which it appears. Explicitly as a fast day in the Bible, which is Zachariah chapter 8. Verse 19, the list of the fast days, immediately followed by...
Thus says the Lord of hosts, it shall yet come to pass that there shall come peoples and the inhabitants of many cities, and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of the Lord to think the Lord of hosts. I'm going to. Yea, many peoples and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Opportunity. May we indeed be worthy of it.
Right, right, right. And going back full circle to the fact that this is the passage. in Zachariah that talks about us all coming to Jerusalem. And and And seeking God there. in his place.
Wow. I mean, it's just like. You know, for those of you who followed this entire podcast, I imagine you're like me. If you're not familiar with these things, I'm not even close to familiar with them. Like, oh my gosh, what a gift you were given today.
And it is today. That this happened to happen, like, really? Like, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God.
Beautiful. Wonderful. Thank you so much. Again, you've made my week. Maybe a year, I don't know.
God bless you, my friend. Thank you, Pastor Oli, for the opportunity to be able to share this. And you're being here. Where it all started because That destruction that is the first commemoration on the tenth of Tevet, on the 10th of the 10th month. Right here.
We're so acutely. Conscious this opportunity. God is Reading goes back. his land, his city Okay and once again giving us an opportunity. Maybe there's fine an opportunity that hasn't existed not just for two millennia but two and a half millennia.
Please. to be cognizant. To not squanderer. the opportunity that God gives us. And thus to be able to from this holy place.
to be able to receive God's blessings. Yes so well Amen. Amen. We are so honored that you would join us today on Voices from Zion, Robbie, and the Rabbi. For more information about Rabbi Haim, Go to his website, zionbible studies.org.
That's zionbible studies.org. or visit me, Robbie Dilmore. At the Christian Cargai website. That's Christian Cargai.com. Once again, Shalom from Jerusalem, the Holy City, God's City.
