Historical Background
After the destruction of the First Temple, only a small number of Jews remained in the Land of Israel. The Babylonian conquerors had allowed these Jews to remain in the land on the assumption that they would not attempt to rebel, and in fact, that they would pay taxes instead.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, appointed a Jewish man named Gedaliah, the son of Achikam, to serve as the local ruler of the remaining Jewish populace in the Holy Land. As a leader, Gedaliah gathered the remaining Jews under his wing and urged them to go out into the fields and vineyards and to attempt to begin leading normal lives again.
Gedaliah’s appointment angered the population on the other end of the political spectrum. There were many Jews who had not made peace with the Babylonian conquest, and they devised a plan, with the support of the king of Amon, to liquidate Gedaliah, the new ruler.
A delegation of Gedaliah’s associates, including one named Yochanan, the son of Kereach (pronounced “ke- RAY-ach”), came to Gedaliah to warn him about the impending assassination. Gedaliah naively failed to believe their warnings; he did not even entertain the possibility that Jews might inflict harm on other Jews, especially after the devastating destruction they had just experienced.
Sadly, on Rosh Hashanah itself, Gedaliah was assassinated by a group of Jews led by Ishmael, the son of Netaniah.
That awful murder marked the end of any Jewish autonomy in the Land of Israel, and the Jews had no sovereignty over the Land for the following seventy years. The remainder of the Jews were dispersed throughout the Land, with some even making their way to Egypt, and the Land of Israel was emptied of any Jewish presence.
The murder of Gedaliah is commemorated by a fast day for several reasons:
- This murder marked the conclusion of the reign of the Davidic dynasty.
- It took place immediately after, and against the backdrop of, the destruction of the Holy Temple.
- It was a particularly bitter tragedy because it was the murder of one Jew at the hands of another.
- The murder of Gedaliah essentially completed the chain of catastrophic events surrounding the destruction of the First Temple.
The Fast
The Fast of Gedaliah was ordained on the third day of Tishrei since it is forbidden to fast on Rosh Hashanah.
On this day, we fast to commemorate the assassination of Gedaliah and the many misfortunes that befell the Jewish people in the wake of his murder.
On a fast day, it is prohibited to eat or drink from dawn until nightfall. Even if a person eats, whether mistakenly or deliberately, over the course of the day, he is still required to complete the fast.
It is also prohibited to rinse one’s mouth or brush one’s teeth on a fast day.
If the third of Tishrei is a Shabbat, the fast is postponed until the following day, and all of the details of its observance are kept on the fourth of Tishrei.
Changes in the Prayer Service
In the Shacharit Service:
After the morning Shemoneh Esrei, we recite a special Selichot service for the Fast of Gedaliah. This series of Selichot prayers features supplications and prayers for G-d to pardon us for our sins and to redeem us from all of our suffering.
After Selichot, we recite the special longer version of Avinu Malkeinu that is customarily recited on fast days.
- One should not forget to add the special insertions for the Ten Days of Repentance in the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.
During the Torah Reading
We read the section of the Torah that is read on fast days, beginning with the words “Moses beseeched,” from the Torah portion of Ki Tisa in the Book of Exodus. These verses speak about repentance, G-d’s Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, and similar matters.
During the Torah reading, there are three points at which the congregation recites several words or a verse or two aloud, in unison, and then the reader repeats those words in the special tune used in the Torah reading of the Days of Awe.
- After the words “and to destroy them from upon the face of the earth,” the entire congregation recites together, “Return from Your powerful wrath and reconsider regarding the evil to Your nation.”
- After the words, “G-d passed before him and called out,” the congregation reads aloud all of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.
- After the words, “for it is a stiff-necked nation,” the congregation says in unison, “Forgive our transgressions and our sins, and make us Your heritage.”
At the Minchah Service:
The Minchah service begins with Ashrei, followed by the Half Kaddish, and then the Torah reading of the morning is read again. The honoree for the third aliyah recites a Haftarah from the Book of Isaiah, which begins with the verse, “Seek G-d when He is found; call out to Him when He is near.” After this, the Minchah service continues in its usual fashion.
During the Shemoneh Esrei, the passage of Aneinu, “Answer us,” is added during the sixteenth blessing, the blessing of “Who hears prayers.”
During the chazzan’s repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, Aneinu is recited during the blessing of “Who redeems Israel.” In addition, the chazzan recites the text of the Blessing of the Kohanim before the final blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei.
We then recite Tachanun, adding the long version of Avinu Malkeinu, and conclude the Minchah service with Psalm 27 and Aleinu.
