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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) use unusual language about the four fasts, calling them days of "tzarah" and listing them from Tishrei rather than Nisan? The shiur reveals that these were originally designated as cosmic moments of simcha in Hashem (ה׳)'s plan - Shiva Asar B'Tammuz as the day for receiving the second Luchos, Tisha B'Av for entering Eretz Yisrael. The tragedy isn't divine punishment but our perversion of joy into catastrophe, requiring teshuvah that accepts responsibility for consequences rather than mere recognition of sin.
This shiur presents a revolutionary understanding of the four communal fast days (Asara B'Teves, Shiva Asar B'Tammuz, Tisha B'Av, and Tzom Gedalia) based on a careful analysis of the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s language in Hilchos Taanis. The Rav challenges the conventional understanding that these are simply days of mourning over our sins. The analysis begins with a fundamental question about the Chasam Sofer's position that these fasts are for teshuvah rather than mourning (avel), contrasting with the Ran who says they are for mourning. The Rav examines the Rambam's unusual language, particularly the phrase "yesh yom" (there are days) and why the Rambam lists the fasts beginning with Tishrei rather than following the biblical order starting from Nisan.
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Hilchos Taanis
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