Welcome to our daily Bitachon. Today is a special class for
Asarah B'Tevet. As we know, today is a fast day—a significant day commemorating
the siege laid against Yerushalayim and the eventual destruction of the first
Beit HaMikdash. I use the word 'commemoration' loosely, because today isn't
just about remembering the past; it's about taking action in the present.
It is interesting to note the other readings that coincide
with Asarah B'Tevet every year. In Parshat Vayigash, we always read
about Yosef and his brothers reuniting. Furthermore, in last week's Haftarah,
the prophet Yechezkel received a message from God to perform a miracle:
Take one piece of wood and write 'Yehudah' on it. Take
another and write 'Yosef.' When you hold them together, they will miraculously
fuse into one. When the people ask for the symbolism behind this, tell them
that in the future, the house of Yehudah (representing the Davidic line) and
the house of Yosef (representing the ten tribes who separated) will finally be
reunited when Mashiach comes.
Where did this division begin? While the Gemara attributes
the destruction of the first Temple to the three cardinal sins—idolatry,
immorality, and bloodshed—the fundamental 'rupture' started earlier. After
Shlomo HaMelech passed away, his son Rechavam took the throne. However, Yerovam
ben Nevat, from the tribe of Ephraim (descended from Yosef), broke away to
start a separate kingdom. This split was the true beginning of the downfall of
the Jewish people. As the Gemara in Shabbat 56b notes, the people would
not have turned to idolatry had it not been for this division; it was Yerovam
who introduced the two golden calves to solidify the split.
This breakdown happened in Shechem. Rashi points out that
Shechem is a place predestined for tragedy: it is where Yosef was sold by his
brothers and where the kingdom eventually fractured. This is why Asarah B'Tevet
always coincides with these Torah portions.
While Tisha B'Av marks the actual destruction and the later
sin of sinat chinam (baseless hatred) during the second Temple, Asarah
B'Tevet focuses on the beginnings. The siege began today. The first
cracks in our foundation appeared today. And those cracks were rooted in a lack
of brotherly love.
The Yaarot Devash notes a fascinating calculation: the
day God decreed that Kayin would be a wanderer for killing his brother, Hevel,
was Asarah B'Tevet. This day has been rooted in the theme of exile due to
broken brotherhood since the dawn of history—from Kayin and Hevel to Yosef and
his brothers.
Therefore, Asarah B'Tevet is a time for introspection. Ask
yourself: How can I work on my 'brotherly love'? Which family members am I
disengaged from? Which relationships can I repair? This fast is not just about
abstaining from food; it is about examining our deeds and fixing our
connections with one another.
Have a tzom kal (an easy fast)."
