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Why does Tzom Gedaliah fall during the Ten Days of Repentance? Unlike the other three fasts that commemorate divine punishments, Gedaliah's murder destroyed human potential for rebuilding the Temple. The timing teaches that just as Gedaliah possessed individual spiritual power to redeem all Israel, each person during these days can tap their personal connection to bring national redemption.
Rabbi Zweig begins by questioning why Tzom Gedaliah falls during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance), arguing this cannot be coincidental. He examines the Gemara (גמרא) in Rosh Hashanah that discusses the four fasts mentioned in Zechariah, focusing particularly on the third fast - Tzom Gedaliah on the third of Tishrei when Gedaliah ben Achikam was killed by Yishmael ben Netanya. The Gemara states that the death of tzadikim is equivalent to the burning of the Beis Hamikdash, but this raises difficulties: why do we fast for Gedaliah's death specifically when many other tzadikim have died throughout history? The rabbi analyzes two approaches from the Rishonim. The Maharsha suggests we fast because Yishmael ben Netanya's killing of Gedaliah led to the Jews leaving Eretz Yisrael against Yirmiyahu's prophecy, resulting in their deaths in Egypt. The Pnei Yehoshua argues that unlike other tzadikim who died natural deaths, Gedaliah was murdered by a fellow Jew during the time of the Temple's destruction. Rabbi Zweig finds both explanations problematic and offers his own understanding.
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Rosh Hashanah
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