When the delegates of the Continental Congress declared their independence from the British establishing the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin allegedly said “We must hang together or surely we shall hang separately.”
This anecdote brings to mind an important lesson we can learn from today’s fast day “Asarah B’Teves” (the Tenth of Teves) which commemorates the siege of Jerusalem in the year 425 BCE by the armies of the Babylonian empire. This siege eventually led to the destruction of the First Holy Temple and the first major Jewish exile from Israel two years later on “Tisha B’Av” (the Ninth of Av).
Whereas Tisha B’Av is observed as a major 25-hour fast day of mourning and Asarah B’Teves is observed as a seemingly minor fast day from dawn until nightfall, an obscure rule makes today’s fast quite major. When Tisha B’Av (or other fast days aside for Yom Kippur) occurs on Shabbat the fast is postponed to Sunday, but if Asarah B’Teves would occur on Shabbat it would not be postponed, like Yom Kippur! The current setup of the Jewish calendar ensures this can never happen, but in its original format (which was discontinued about 1,600 years ago) it was certainly a possibility.
The Asarah B’Teves fast is so intense because it commemorates the beginning of the end. The destruction and exile that followed the siege could have been avoided had the Jews of the time reacted to this episode properly, as is revealed through a fascinating linguistic curiosity in G-d’s prophecy to Ezekiel about these events.
Ezekiel 24:2: "Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, this very day; the king of Babylon has besieged Jerusalem on this very day.” The Hebrew word for “besieged” in this verse is “samach” which is highly irregular since “samach” is typically used in the context of “support” which is the opposite of a siege.
Upon deeper reflection, it’s clear that the Babylonian siege had the potential of creating a profoundly positive circumstance. Under siege, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were prevented from leaving and unable to go about their personal business as usual. The attackers forced them to come together, regardless of their personal feelings for each other. As alluded to in the double meaning of “samach,” the horrifying “siege” provided them with an unexpected “support,” forcing them to unite as a single collective in true love, and thus avert the Holy Temple’s destruction and their exile.
Alas, the Jerusalemites of the time did not seize the golden opportunity and their hatred for each other and other problems led to the subsequent disasters. But the message of “samach” still resonates strongly for us today.
The most important factor in overcoming all adversity as a nation is our ability to unite together through the strong bonds of Torah and Mitzvot. By increasing in Torah study, Mitzvah observance and including all our fellow Jews in the experience, we pave the way to victory on all fronts and prepare ourselves and the world for complete and final redemption through Moshiach, who will usher in an era of true world peace and tranquility for all.