The Tragedies of Tevet | Rabbi Yossi Goldin | December 30th 2025

Um first of all wishing everybody a an easy and a meaningful fast. Um our year or this year the whole shear is uh sponsored by uh by Hedi and Ben Lipshit. Thank you to Heddy and Ben for for your for your sponsorship. Um so and and as always as always we continue to uh to dive in that our learning should be audim who continue to fight for us should be afu for all those who are injured and impacted by this war and hashem should give guidance to all of our leaders to make the right decisions. Um so I was going back and forth at whether or not to talk about but then I felt like it today is so how could we not talk about um but because this is a class that focuses on file we're going to we're going to approach by by looking at the at the team um that are part of the that we say. So for those who aren't familiar the addition that we add to uh or that we add on all public fast days is first of all at for those who are fasting we will add the ofenu which is a special that we insert into our already inserted it this morning in we will insert it as individuals who are fasting or those who are fasting we'll insert it uh at min and then in addition there is a shorter version of shorter I mean in ref as opposed to the that we say um during l or as we approach there's a shorter version of that we say to commemorate um each of the of what we call the public fast days each of the fast days that we have throughout the year and the framework of those fast days is very similar to what we find um during during what we're familiar with from the noim where we invoke the the 13 attributes of mercy um and we say um excuse me well sees mak and much of it is very similar to what we had seen those who were with us the beginning of the year we actually spent a class or two going through the structure of the of this leot and the structure is very similar um and in addition we have certain pim which are um poems essays that are that are written um that are specific to each of the fast days what I wanted to do today was use two of the pu team as a jumping point to discuss a little bit about it itself So, we're going to start by if you look at source number one, we're going to start by looking at the second in this. Um, again, I brought you here the English and the Hebrew. Uh, because the Hebrew is it's very poetic. Uh, and and even myself, I sometimes have trouble understanding exactly what what what the what what what exactly the uh the author means here that we have an author that is actually not not known. So, I didn't bring you the name of the author. Um I'm going to read it in Hebrew because it is very poetic and very meaningful. But we'll also look at the English in order to understand exactly what what what the what Python the person who wrote this pute was trying to was trying to express. So again this is the p the second p that we say on and it begins as follows. And if you want to go back and forth between the English and the Hebrew, the upper stone, the headstone has become turn has has turned into heaps and has been plowed over. And those who are going to inherit who possess the inheritance have turned into chief wanderers. They've become wanderers. They're wanderers all over the place inside me. My head hurts, injured and depressed. We have been left without a father. We are like, we are like orphans. Soft and dainty, surrounded by roses. Shosanim is a reference to roses. Now, so as I guess the reference was that the roses means something beautiful, something meaningful. But now she moans given over to the opponent. She has been given over to the enemy. The faithful city, what's the faithful city referring to? Jerusaleim. Okay. Has been given over has was like a widow. The zera mima having an innumerable zera innumerable children. below who have been sold for no money, have been given away for free as if as as if as if they're nobody. Daint and softy rising to royalty whose suffering has extended for many years and days, the house of Yakov. What's the house of Yakov? The beta mikdash or could reference to the to the to the children of Yakov. Okay, something important has all of a sudden been disgraced, has been blundered, has been mocked and has been mocked boldly, excuse me, the joyful city belongs to those planting vineyards. Her thirst was satisfied with poison in the hand of the evil people. the one as desirable as an ola offering and as the spiced incense which is referring to certain corbanote that were brought in the beta mikdash. Let's look at this last line and then and then and then we'll discuss she's been rejected and abandoned the abandoning of the Torah of my abandoning parent and could not find rest both days and night. And then we end with a special asking Hashem to restore us back to what was. Now if we knew nothing about Assar, let's assume for a second we didn't we didn't know the history of what is and we just read these paragraphs. What would we think is commemorating? >> Destruction destruction of the beta mikdash destruction intense destruction. The the python is describing how right le visa has been totally destroy has been totally desecrated. We've become like a father like like you told me we have no father. we become like orphans. The the intensity of this pi put is is quite strong. And in fact, he seems to be describing what we would have thought would be the destruction of the beta mikdash. Yes, >> I've always heard that if you don't really yearn for the mikdash on then it won't be rebuilt. Where is that come from? And seems to reflect what's in this. >> Okay. So the question you're asking is is that is that connection is there there is a strong connection between and the destruction of I think we'd like to get to that what you're referencing the idea that specifically if you don't yearn it then it won't come. I mean I think we believe that we should always be yearning for it. I mean that's something um there are there are certain sources that suggest that Hashem decides on I've seen that it was brought down I don't remember where it was. I have to I have to see if I have it written down somewhere, but I I I saw it discussed, but I didn't see the actual source for it that that says that Hashem decides on whether or not the midash will be rebuilt for this year. But let's let's let's even try to bring that to the question why. Meaning, as we're about to see on something happened, but it doesn't seem to be that drastic. There was no destruction of the beta mikdash. Not only that, they didn't even breach the walls in Jerusalem. What what exactly happened on? Let's look. Let's look at source number two. Source number two is a safer is is safer and and here the describes for us what actually did happen on in the ninth year of the kingdom on the 10th the 10th month which is because again if we're counting from so this is the 10th month on the 10th of the month who are The king of Bavl comes him with all of his army on they create virtually what a siege they come upon the city with a siege for three or for sorry for for for two three years basically it's basically it's it starts in the 9th year and it ends in 11th year which is really three years 9 10 11 okay three years they have a siege around and then okay and then on the 9th of the month it gets very strong the ra of there's a famine for three years and it's very very strong and eventually as a result of this siege what happens the walls of are broken through Then then describes how after 3 years on the 9th of Tamuz. Okay. Then the walls of Jerusalem are broken. But what happened on the 10th of Tet? A siege. A siege that started lasted for three years and ended with Shiva. What we what we fast on? We'll talk about that in one second. Why why do we fast on the 17th if it happened on the 9th? We'll get to that in one second. But what happened was is when the siege began, it continued for 3 years. It then during the 17th of Tamuz is when they actually sorry the 9th of Tamuz is when they actually broke through the walls and we have our own fast day for that as well. So the question that I want to try to understand is why exactly are we fasting on? Not only why are we fasting in but why does the python and the p that we say in seem to imply that there was something so drastic that even it sounds to us like the destruction of the beta mdash when all that really happened was the beginning of the siege yes why the only >> yes excellent we'll get to that we'll get to that as well we're about to see that as well the question what the question was why is this the only fast that is not pushed off and we'll see that as well. Okay, this is the only fast that when it falls, I think last year it fell on a Friday. When it falls on a Friday, it's the only fast that we fast on Friday. And not only that, but there are few sources that suggest that were it to fall on Shabas, we would fast on Shabas. There's only one fast day that we fast on Shabas and falls on Shabas. What fast day is that? Yum Kipper. So besides Yum Kipper, which is it's unique, also has a status of Shabbat Shabbaton. Okay, here you have a rabbitic fast day, which we do fast on Friday. And if it were to fall out on Chabas according to some sources, we would act tech practically it can't fall out on Chabas. But were it were it to fall out on Chabas according to some sources, we'd fast on that day. Also, we're gonna we're going to get to that as well. Before we get to that, look at source number three. Source number three is a topha that basically outlines and shows us what exactly is. is the first of a series of fasts that are all that are all commemorating a number of different steps in virtually what was one process that hope it happened over the course of many years you'll see it look at source number three dash rebi haru the puk says hashem that the na'vi refers to the fast of the fourth, the fast of the seventh, the fast of the 10th. What what is that referring to? So says the topha what is that's referring to the fast of the fourth month starting from Nissan is the fourth month and because that is when the walls of the beta mikdash were sorry the walls of were breached. Why is it called the the fast of the fourth? Because it is the fourth of the month. Now we're just going to stop here and explain. We saw in the Nvi that it happened actually on the 9th of Tamuz. So why do we fast on the 17th of Tamuzal say that if this during the times of the second beta mikdash the breaching of the walls actually happened on the 17th and because the because that is the most recent destruction. The most recent destruction was the second beta mikdash. So, and rather than fasting on the seventh on the 9th, excuse me, and on the 17th, we commemorate the breaching of both walls on the 17th of Okay, let's keep going in this in this toa. What is that's referring to the fast day of the fifth month, which is the day that the mikdash was burnt. Why is it calledishi? Because it happens in the fifth month. What is the of sorry of the seventh month? Sorry. So that that's referring to the death of Gdalia. That's what's known as Gdalia. The fast that we have that occurs right after the day after rash shah. That's the day that was assassinated by by a fellow Jewashimd. The fact that we fast on that day similar to the fact that we fast on sorry shows that when a is killed it is as painful as the destruction of of the mikdash. Why is it called the the fast of the seventh? Because it's in the seventh month. What about the fast of the 10th? That is when the king of m decided or surrounded or began the siege around as the says because as Hashem tells us we're going to see right now tells to mark this day and that is the day that we commemorate as so what this medish is highlighting for us is that we have five fasts that are called rabbitic fasts. One of them is is is tan to Esther that has to do with something totally different but the other four fasts are really commemorating the same events/events because it's really commemorating the destruction of both mikdash but it's all part of that process. We have which commemorates the breach around sorry the the siege around Jerusalem. Then you have which happens years later three years later but commemorates the continuation of that attack the breaching of the walls both of the first and the second mikdash. You have a tishab, excuse me, I'm getting confused with all these months. Uh, which happens 3 weeks after the breach or a few weeks after the breach of the first of the first of the walls of yushim, the destruction of the bet, which we know is the most severe. That's why the the nature of the fast is the most severe. It's the longest. It's 24 hours. It's the most serious and and it's the one we take most seriously. And then you have the what's known as s Gdalia the fast of gdalia which is actually also part of this story which represents because when gdala when gdalia was murdered when gdali was assassinated that represent that represented the end of any kind of Jewish rule in Jerusalem meaning even after the destruction of the betabash there still was certain Jew a small group of Jews that lived in Jerusalem and they were overseen by gdalyat and he was approved by by by by by the by the by the kingdom and when he was assassinated because it was an argument as to how to relate to the government and what to do that represented the end of the Jewish presence within within Jerusalem. So it's important to just know that even though these are four fast days that are spread out throughout the year they're all part of one continuum. So question number one I wanted to just again just to highlight is is what was so serious about especially if we think about the fact that we fast when the walls were breached. We fast when the beta mikdash was destroyed. We fast when so when when you when gdala was killed to represent the end of the Jewish presence in Jerusaleim. Why do we need another fast day? I mean you could argue well there's nothing else going on in this time of the year. We just finished. Okay. But let's assume that we're we don't just fast for no reason. Okay. As much as some people think that maybe we Jews like to fast, we don't like to fast. When we're supposed to fast, we fast and we do it as appropriately as we can. But the question is what exactly happened here that it's so important that we fast to the point also that the python describes this day as almost as severe as what we would have thought he was describing the beta mikdash. Okay, let's get Yes. >> Uh we heard once on one of the podcasts on Rabbi JJ Shakar who said that this was like a kiss from who was the actual was supposed to be in the winter and he postponed it to Tishab because he wanted Mel to go out in the warmer weather and not suffer from the cold and discussing different kisses but soon he mentioned it and it was amazing. It makes me think now that it was supposed to be then the beginning is really >> okay. So what you're mentioning which I've never heard could be I'm not saying is that you heard you heard from by JJ Shakar one of his shirim that the destruction was meant to happen now and it was almost a kiss from Baku who were like the silver lining that it happened that it happened over the summer. Okay. And and and there and therefore maybe we're commemorating now. Okay. But it didn't happen now. So that's the question. All right. It could have happened now. Maybe according to that understanding it should have. >> Good. So we'll get so so we're going to get to that. The only thing that doesn't work for is those who were in the southern hemisphere which now is the is the summer and and and and and when we when when when we actually commemorated so that's actually the winter but okay let's assume let's assume we're following Israel as the main as the main times. Okay, let's go. Let's go on. Source number four. If you look and say for commands to write what's happening down, we also see something very very interesting. The P says as follows. This is this is describing talking in first person. Hashem speaks to me the ninth month in the uh sorry not the ninth year the 10th month on the 10th of the 10th of the which means again we're referring to the same date we talked about before says the says referring to write down the name of this day and the fact that and the fact that the king of created a siege around Jerusalem and what's repeated a couple of times is the phrase on this same day on this exact day. Now, what does that mean? Or let's say it this way. Why does the Nvi repeat two? And maybe if you look in the in the continuation of the Nvi, it even repeats it a third time. This phrase, we know it's happening. He's talking to him on this day. God is talking to today. Why does he and he's saying to him, "Write it down. Wants him to write it down right now." Why is there a need to repeat this? So, there's there's I think two lessons that can be that can be learned from this phrase. What is and what is mashkafik? The first is and the first is is a reference to what you what you mentioned before. If you look at source number five, these Cairo quotes from the following source number five the writes in the laws of that the fast of the 10th of is different than all other fasts. were it to fall on Shabbat, we wouldn't be able to push it off. Why? The fact that God stresses to write it down means that there is something unique and different about this day to the point that we have to make sure to fast on this day and therefore says the were it to fall out on chabas even though technically because of the way that our calendar comes out it won't fall out on chabas at least not now it won't fall out on chabas were it to fall on chabas we would have to fast kimo continued use the basim in quoting the drum and then the bas says the bio himself says I'm not so sure that I agree with that assessment I'm not so sure that I would agree it's a little bit far to say that if there were fallout on chabas we'd fast on jabis we have y kipper but even tishab which is a severe which is a very serious day we we push it off but then he says quoting sometimes it falls out on Friday and in general Why don't we fast on Friday? There's a halak. We don't fast on Friday because we want to make sure to enter Shabas not in a in a good mood. Exactly. That you're not supposed to eat too much on Shabas because you want on of Shabas because you want to make sure that you're going to be hungry for your meal Friday night. But fasting is a little bit too much. We want to make sure that we're entering Shabas in a in a good mood. However, if it falls out on Friday, okay, then if if it falls on on Friday, we do fast. Whereas other fasts don't fall out on Friday, but even if they did, we would push it off. Okay. So, what we see from this is that there's certainly this concept that if and we saw this last year that if it falls out on Friday, we do fast. And according to some postkim where it to fall out on chabas, we would fast. And the question is again what's so unique about obviously you know we we see we see the we see where they got it from we see that inukim calls it I understandly where the drum and where we get this min from but the question is why if we don't fast on a Friday why is it that we're fasting there's something that's almost more important about than there is about about now that's only one one important thing that we learn from the phrase but also hashkuffically we can learn something from the word this is a phrase that appears in a number of other places in the Torah where else do we know who who remembers where else do we see this phrase and also >> excellent correct we have when a does the brisma in the phrase we also see it when the Jews leave mit anyone know where where else we have Mosha was still >> when Moshe goes up to Shamim and when at the end of the Torah when Moshe dies and the fourth time we see it within within the Torah at least is around the time when Noah goes into the Torah says and and there's different interpretation as to as to why that is. Rashi quotes one interpretation for the phrase that that at each of those moments there were plans of other people to stop that event from happening that the people around Noah were basically saying if he ever goes into the TVA we'll stop him and we'll destroy it and then he went in and no and and and and no one destroyed the TVA Israel according to Kazal were plotting that if Moshe was going to go up to die am we're gonna say no we're not going to let him go we need him as a leader and Hashem said you'll see what happens he goes in and no one stops him from so there were that that's one understanding of the phrase is but on a simple understanding all of these phrases if you take all of those into account when Noah goes into the TVA when Aram does brisma when the Jews leave Mitim when Moshi goes up what are what's what's the common denominator between all of those moments in Jewish history >> moments of transition or moments of of moments of import dramatically when Noah goes into A the world is about to be destroyed and begin again. When Aram does brisma, he creates this concept of Israel. The concept of the holiness of the Jewish people, at least for males, begins is created through Brit. When the Jews leave Mitim, it's obvious, right? We're about to begin the nation. The creation of the nation am we're about to go receive the Torah and create the nation who we are. We don't become a nation. The moment we become a nation is when we leave Egypt as a nation. Whoever left Egypt is a part of the Jewish people. Whoever doesn't leave Egypt is not a part of the Jewish people. And the last when Moshe goes up to when Moshe goes up obviously to die that is that is certainly a moment of transition, a moment of import. So if the Nvi refers to as as a day of what's that signifying some kind of transition, something very important is happening on this day. something uniquely important is happening on this day which is probably why we fast on that day even when it falls no matter when it falls out and probably also connected to the significance that the python gives to this day. So what we what I want to try to do is understand what was so significant about this day. But there's more to discuss before before we get to the answer of a couple of other questions we need to we we need to ask. If you look at source number six we're now going to go back to the first p the first poem the first that we say in this because the truth is that this python highlights that this isn't the only event that happened around us around that we commemorate. There were actually two other events. one that according to Kazal happened on and another one that happened on that we also commemorate on this day look at source number six and again we have it I brought it for you in the Hebrew we'll read it in Hebrew but we have the English translation right under it the p says as follows ai I will mention the distress that happened to me hiki with three blows on this month you hit me or heii he cut me down, he prevented me. He pulled me back. He hit me. Even now I feel worn out. He crushed me on the eighth from the right and from the left. Because of these three I established a or actually it used to be that it was actually reference to the fact that they used to fast on all three days. There used to be a that people would fast on the eth of and on the 9th of and on the 10th of nowadays because we couldn't handle that. So we don't do that. We fast on the 10th, but we commemorate all of these three events. What are the three events? The the Greek king forced me to write the Torah into or to translate the Torah into Greek. Those who plow, use my back to plow. They make the furrow long. So fair. So what what happened on the eth we said was the translation of the Torah into Greek. I fumed on the ninth with deep dug shame. He removed from me the cloak of glory and elacrity. The one who had said beautiful words was torn apart on that day. This was Ezra Hassofair. Ezra the scribe. So what happened on the eth was that we were forced to translate the Torah into Greek. What happened on the 9th was that Ezra Hasser who was also known as the last of the Niveim died on the 9th on the 9th of And then he goes on and then the Pan goes on to describe what happened on the 10th which we already have spent some time on. So what we see here is that now we're just expanding our understanding of does not just commemorate the the breach or not the breach, excuse me, the siege of the walls of Jerusalem. Assar also commemorates two other events and one of those events is the is the uh the translation or the forced translation of the Torah into Greek. The ninth is the is the death of Ezra Sophir. If you look at source number eight, we're skipping number seven for now. But source number eight, it describes the the drama of the translation of the Torah into Greek says the following. There were five zikimal that were that were forced to translate or to write for the Torah into Greek. And this day was as tragic for Israel as the day that they created and made and bowed down to the golden calf. Why? called because the Torah could not be properly translated into Greek. So the question I want to understand here is we had question number one we had asked was what's so bad about this day that we have our own fast and that the python seems to describe it as being so bad. Question number two was why is this the only day that we fast on this day no matter what day it falls out. Question number three I'd like to ask right now is is there a connection between these three events between the 8th of i.e. the translation of the Torah into Greek, the ninth of the death of Ezra Sophair, and the 10th, the breach or the the the the um siege around. And question number four is why does the sofim describe the translation of the Greek of the Torah into Greek as being as bad as nowadays? We have lots of translations of the Torah and it's true you can never properly translate the Torah. But why is that so dramatically horrible? Right? Nowadays, think about if you think about now, think about how translation of of of of Torah has led to to incredible amounts of Torah learning. So what was so bad and why does describe the translation as if it was such a dramatic and horrible event? Yes, I saw a question or a comment. >> I don't understand. cultura means it couldn't be properly cultur means it couldn't be translated fully according to its needs. So the way that I understand it is basically you can't it's kind of like if a person there are certain phrases and certain many parts of Hebrew that can't be fully expressed in another language. So what the Torah what it's saying is the Torah couldn't be properly translated but we do our best and you understand it the best that you can and why is that so dramatically tragic? That's my question. >> Fact translated in a way that not You know what I'm saying? There's two different things here. The fact that it was translated and then the fact that it was not translated was called for. >> No. So I think I I think what what what the measures are saying is that and this might be a key to the point which we'll get to which is that ultimately when you translate something that is that is written in one language and you translate into another language, it can never be told. It wasn't that it wasn't that spec this specific example wasn't done properly. It's basically saying you couldn't you can't properly translate the Torah into a different language and that's why it was tragic. And what I'm trying to what I'd like us to understand is just to really understand this in on a deeper level. Like I said nowadays, right, people the translation of Torah and the translation, right, art scroll as has created a revolution of Torah study. Now, it's true and we've talked about those those of you who have been we talk about davining in a different language. We always say that ideally you should be davining in Hebrew and if you need to do in English because you don't understand the Hebrew, okay, but you should always be striving to learn Hebrew so that you can do it in Hebrew because nothing can ever be the same as saying it inesh. But why is that so dramatic that it's almost as that that we're comparing it to to that's the that's that's question number four. Yes, >> there was a cut off. The Greeks wanted uh to basically own the Torah and they only picked the written Torah and there was a divorcing uh and a canonization of a Greek translation without the oral Torah which is uh not only not a complete um mistransation, but it it divorces uh the transmission of true Torah and and and calls it >> calls it the Torah. Interesting. Okay. So, you're suggesting that what happened here, the main the main tragedy was was was not necessarily the translation per se, but the result of the translation was that it separated the Torah Shabbat from the Torah, which I think is is wonderful. I never thought about that and it could be a very nice idea. Although although let's again at this time was the to written down. >> So meaning so so it wasn't like it wasn't like they were able to fully meaning you could still pass down the Torah in in it was the to was at that point still being transmitted orally. So then you could argue that they that this was the Torah that that was written and therefore was asked to be translated. I understand your point and again I don't I don't know historically enough about about about about what was done during this time and whether or not this was meant that was the goal here but it's an interesting it's an interesting point that I think is worth worth considering. I mean it could be their intent was to divorce the tob from the to if that's true that's obviously it's obviously tragic. I just don't know enough historically if that's exactly what what what what the goal was of what they were trying to accomplish but it's it's it's a it's a it's it's a good point. Yes. last one and then we'll go on >> between that and between let's say art scroll or other translations because since it was permitted afterwards to write the Torah >> see your suggest okay >> but we're talking about that's true but again but we're talking about here so yeah okay it's an interesting point yes last one and then we'll we was given as a as a precious the most precious thing that a do it was not me to be given in any way, shape, or form to the >> Okay, that's an interesting that's an interesting perspective as well. We don't want to get we definitely don't want to get controversial, but yes, the Torah was given as as a gift to the Jews. We do believe that the Torah applies in on some level, not the same mitzvah, but we do believe that that that Hashem does have a relation. Again, this is my understanding of things, but you're right. So, what you're suggesting is what you're suggesting is maybe that the the problem was that it made it more accessible or it implied that this Torah was meant to be universal and given to and given and given to the non-Jews as well. Um there is a concept. There is a whole question about about a non-Jew learning Torah and how that works. Exact. It's it's an interest it's an interesting question, an interesting point. Um um okay, let's let's let those are those are some very interesting ideas. Again, I hadn't thought about either of those and they're definitely possibilities. I'm going to suggest something a little bit different, but um but they're all they're all they're all I think potentially very nice ideas. Let's go back now and try to go back to question number one. Question number one was what was so bad about what was so tragic about that we have to have our own fast day and that the pit seems to describe this when he describes it in his in in in the pe describes it as if it was like the end of everything. So look at source number nine I want to bring you a suggestion by raisit which I think begins to give us a sense as to what exactly was so bad about this day. Source number nine, the he says, and this is this is a suggestion that's found in a few other places as well. Theamur says something very very similar as well. He says, "This day is even harder or on some level worse for Israel than the day of." And he says, "How do I know? Shabbat because does not push off Shabbat. We won't fast on Shabbat even when it falls on Shabbat. According to back in the day when it could have fallen on Shabas when it could fall on Shabbat. We see that according to some postg when it could have fallen on Shabbat, it would even push off Shabbat. We would fast on Shabbat. That clearly teaches us that something major happened. There was some major distress that occurred on as a result of this siege. Kashot. This was the beginning. The beginning we know as the beginning as as we would say the beginning of the end. And when and the beginning says is always the hardest. Once it became apparent to the Jewish people that was allowing the Babylonians to create this siege around Jerusalem. It was a sign to the Jewish people that Hashem was was allowing our enemies. It might take time. It might take a few years till they break through. And it might not happen right away, but it was a symbol to the Jewish people that Hashem was allowing our enemies to come and to destroy us. Step one. Why was such a powerful day? Because it was step one of cascading events. And that symbolism was the most painful day for us. And this is the suggestion that Rab Foreman suggested by David Foreman from Alfa who I've someone who I've learned by for many many years. He puts this a little bit in perspective and tries to understand what was so powerful. And we need to think about we need to we need to put ourselves in the mindset of those who were living during the time of the beta mikdash. The beta mikdash was around for 410 years. It was incredible. It was beautiful. It's true. The second bet was even more beautiful and more powerful. But the first bet mikdash was beautiful. There were nim. There was prophecy all over the place. The Jewish people although they weren't the best behaved as we know they did things that weren't great. They still felt invincible. It was the was one of the most incredible buildings that had ever been built. And even though Amrael were sinning, they thought in their minds nothing could ever happen. Yelim was the pride and glory. The apples of God of God's eye great prophets like and in your mahu were running were were living. It was a time of glory. And even though as we know according to the kazal the Jewish people weren't necessarily acting in the way they should, they almost felt invincible. How do we know this? If you look at source number 10, we see from the nvua of yeryahu yahu gets up and challenges ami Israel and says, "You're not doing what you're supposed to. destruction is going to happen and the way he describes what's happening and the um sorry I'm losing my English and and the and the way he challenges them and the and and the things he says clearly show the mindset that is look at source number 10 this is what Hashem tells I want you to stand in thee and say the following things. Everyone who's coming to these walls to bow to Hashem, listen to these words. So says Hashem, you must improve your ways, improve your actions. And if you improve your actions, I will keep you and I will dwell in this place. She don't be so confident in your fake words in your false world saying this is thee. This is the mikdash. Nothing will ever happen to it. Don't think oh well Hashem will never do anything to the mikdash. It's the mikdash. If you do good then good things will happen. If you do good and if you act in the way that you're supposed to, then if you do good, I will take care of your of your of your of your convert and of your widows and of your and of your um uh orphan. Thank you. And and and blood won't be spilled if you don't follow other kings. And I will live here like I like I have like I promised. Listen to this. You're you're you're living on false premises. You think everything is going to be okay. You have a misconception or in modern mo in modern terms what we call it concepts. You're living with a certain conceptsia. You live with a certain premise that everything is going to be okay. Hashem would never destroy. Hashem would never destroy the bet. That's true. We're not acting in the way that we're supposed to. But Hashem would never do that to us. You're living with a misconception that everything is going to be fine. And if you just go on just because of time, we're not going to we're not going to read the rest of it. But that's exactly he continually basically says, "Wake up. Wake up and realize that's not how it's going to work." And if this is the mentality that Amnishel had been living with for 400 years that they are impenetrable, nothing will ever happen, then all of a sudden they wake up one morning and they're fully surrounded by the Babylonian army. All of a sudden something changes. Their bubble is burst. They realize that they've been living with a certain conception. They thought that nothing could ever happen. They thought they were untouchable. They thought that they were impenetrable. And now all of a sudden this army is surrounding them and they realize, wait a second, things aren't exactly what we thought. It is that burst conception. It is that bubble that was burst. It is that understanding that we're commemorating that feeling of invincibility. That feeling that I that we can't be penetrated that would never let fall would never let the beta migdash be destroyed. It didn't happen till years later. They didn't break through the walls until 3 years later and then a few weeks later the beta mikdash. But when did all of a sudden Israel realize their their true vulnerability? That is the haz moment. That is the moment that they realize something in my relationship with has shifted. We're no longer as invincible as we thought we were. And even though the major stages only happened years later, this is the moment when it all started. This is the moment when AmI Israel realized that they are truly vulnerable and and and and when when everything began cascading events that began ultimately with the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem, the destruction of Beta Mikdash, the fall of the of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem with Gdalya Ben Aikam. That is why this day is so important. That is why and again this is based on Rabbi Foreman and other people have suggested this. That is why we fast on this day no matter when it falls out. This day is so important because this is the day when we realized that we're much more vulnerable than we than than we think we are. And again, I used by using the phrase concept, I was trying to highlight that we can understand this on some level. It's very different. But if you think about the the sense of invincibility that we felt prior to October 7th and how that was shattered besides the obvious destruction and the pain and the killing and everything else that has occurred, that sense of invincibility was crushed on October 7th. Then you could argue maybe since that some of due to our successes now it's been built up again. Okay. But one thing we have to be very careful about is a recognition that that the concept of a concept of falling into that habit is something that's very very dangerous and we have to always recognize that anything that happens to us as Yurio say it's based on our actions. It's not it's based on who we are and whether we we deserve it. Now we only have two minutes left and I still left you with uh with two more questions. We only answered the first two questions. Question number one we had asked was why is this day so powerful and why does the python describe it as a day of destruction? because this was the day we fully recognized that we were about to enter a period where this was probably going to end with destruction unless we change something very very quickly. That idea of being of of vulnerability occurred that that recognition of vulnerability began on this day. We also talked about why is it bad to maz that this is the only fast day that we that when it falls out on Shabbat according to some we would fast and if it falls out on Friday we do fast like we did last year because this day was was the day when we have when when a turning point occurred in our understanding and our sense of vulnerability or the opposite our sense or a removal of our sense of invincibility and and and and everything shifted in our in our mindset on this day and everything else that happened afterwards was really due to the turning point of of this day. Now getting back to the two other events that occurred on the 10th the eth of tate and the 9th of t and we asked the question why how is this connected at all to what happens on the eth of what happened on the eth of tvate was the translation of the Torah into Greek and the nth of tv was the nvi uh the death of the n of the death of Ezra Sofur who was also considered to be the last of the nim what's the connection between all three perhaps we can suggest the connection between all three of these is the following idea. The concept of something which was or appeared to us to be untouchable or was untouchable all of a sudden became touchable. For example, yushaim was untouchable until that point we felt like no one was ever going to be able to conquer. No one could conquer Jerusalem. Comes and all of a sudden there's a siege around Jerusalem. Nothing goes into that. We begin we all of a sudden the Babylonians are starving us. Things are things are shifting. When the Torah was translated into Greek, what was the tragedy? We saw that we saw that that Sim compares it to the day to the day that to the day that to the to the What was so tragic about about the translation because it took something which was beyond the Torah, which is not like all other disciplines. The Torah is what we would call untouchable. It's beyond us. It has a certain kusha. It's not like all other disciplines. And all of a sudden we're being forced to treat it like all other disciplines to translate it into a different language. Okay? So it won't be it won't be translated properly. It'll be translated the best that you can and then we'll read it in Greek. The same thing by the way in English. When we translate it into English, people who re people again that I'm not criticizing anyone who studies in English. I'm speaking in English. I'm teaching Torah in English. I bring you sources in English. But we have to always remember that when we're learning Torah sources in English, we're not learning it in the most ideal sense. We're not learning. And therefore, if someone if if it if it's hard for someone to learn in Hebrew, of course, you should learn in English. But as I always talk about with Davining, our goal should be to learn Hebrew, to strive to read it in its in it in in its in its original language. And when the when when the Greeks forced the Jews to take the Torah and translate it into Greek, they basically said the Torah is just like all other books. It's like all other disciplines. So translate it into another language. It'll be fine. It's like taking any book, any science book or any math book and translating into a different language. It was treating the Torah which was untouchable, which was different, which was on a pedestal and all of a sudden turning treating it like all other disciplines similar to Yushai, which at that point was the the holiest city and all of a sudden became like any other city. And the death of Ezra Hassof, the death of the last N'vi, it meant that Amish were entering a period where until that point they were able to touch to to be in touch to connect to something beyond the divine prophecy. And now all of a sudden that's gone. And so all three of these events on some level represent this concept where something which was beyond, something which was untouchable, something which was incredible, something that was different all of a sudden became regular. The Torah became like every other discipline became like every other city. And our relationship with the beyond with the with the divine all of a sudden became like every other relationship where we don't hear from we don't interact with Baraku. We no longer have those prophets to help us interact with um with with withh in in a in a deeper way. So that's just a suggestion as to what exactly was the connection between all three of these. I hope that um um and I just I'll just mention one other thing which is that interestingly enough is the one day that is chosen by the state of Israel to be what's called yumakadishali. It's the day when we commemorate all those people who have have perished in the shaw all different tragedies and don't have anyone to say kadesh for them and there's often a special mishab that people that that many many of the shu will say that we commemorate all those people who have died. I I don't think I don't think it's by chance. I don't think it's just because it happens to be the one fast day where like you know it's quieter. There's some significance to this day. Hopefully we touched upon some of that today and I hope that the learning that we've done will enhance um our our our learning today and our tilo today and make for a more more meaningful day. Wishing everyone a wonderful week.