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Rosh
Hashana
The
Fast Of Gedaliah (Tzum Gedaliah)
What
The
Fast of Gedaliah is observed to commemorate of the murder of Gedaliah
the son of Achikam, which is described in the last chapter of
the Second Book of Kings. This murder resulted in the final Babylonian
exile and destruction:
After
the first Holy Temple was destroyed and the Babylonians had driven
the majority of the Jewish people into exile, a small minority
of Jews were permitted to remain in the Land of Israel. Also,
Jews who had fled during the war returned and began to work the
land.
Nebuchadnetzar,
the King of Babylon, appointed Gedaliah to be the governor over
the remaining population.
The
King of Ammon, a neighboring country, was vying for control over
the Land of Israel against the Babylonians. He commissioned Yishmael
the son of Netanyah to remove Gedaliah.
Murder!
Yishmael, who was a descendant of King David, came to the town
of Mitzpeh and murdered Gedaliah and all those that were with
him.
In
fear of retribution for the murder of the appointed governor,
the remaining Jews fled the Land of Israel, thus completing the
exile.
When
The
Fast of Gedaliah is observed on the third day of Tishrei, the
day after Rosh Hashana. The fast begins at the break of dawn and
ends at nightfall .
*
Some people will get up before dawn and have an early morning
breakfast (but this is only permitted if a decision to do so is
verbally expressed the night before).
Do's
and Don'ts
1)
During the duration of the fast, eating and drinking are prohibited.
2) Unlike Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av (The Day of Atonement and
the Ninth of Av), bathing, annointing, marital relations and wearing
leather are permitted.
3)
Pregnant and nursing women, and others with health considerations
may be exempt from fasting (please consult your rabbi). Children
under the age of bar/bat mitzvah (13 for boys, 12 for girls) are
not required to fast.
4) Special prayers are added to the synagogue services:
a)
Selichot (Penitential Prayers) and Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father,
Our King) are recited.
b)
At the morning service, Exodus 32:11-14 and 34: 1-10 are read
from the Torah.
c) The Aneinu prayer asking for special forgiveness is added
to the morning and afternoon services by the cantor. An individual
who is fasting includes Aneinu when saying Mincha.
5)
If the third of Tishrei falls out on Shabbat, the fast is postponed
until Sunday, as it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat (with the
exception of Yom Kippur).
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