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Why is Tzom Gedaliah different from the other fasts, and why does the Gemara (גמרא) emphasize who killed Gedaliah? Unlike the other fasts that commemorate divine punishment, Gedaliah possessed the unique spiritual power to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash, making his murder by human choice equivalent to destroying it. This teaches that during Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, each individual can access similar transformative power through direct connection with Hashem (ה׳).
This shiur explores the deep connection between Tzom Gedaliah and Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, beginning with an analysis of the primary Gemara (גמרא) in Rosh Hashanah 8b that discusses the four fasts mentioned in Zechariah. The Gemara identifies Tzom Hashvi'i as the third of Tishrei when Gedaliah ben Achikam was killed, stating that Yishmael ben Netaniah killed him, and concludes that 'the death of tzaddikim is equivalent to the burning of the Beis Hamikdash.' Rabbi Zweig addresses several difficulties with this Gemara. First, why does the Gemara specify who killed Gedaliah when it doesn't ask who destroyed the Beis Hamikdash or laid siege to Jerusalem? Second, if the death of tzaddikim equals the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, why don't we fast for every tzaddik who dies? The Rishonim (Maharsha and Pnei Yehoshua) offer different approaches, but both encounter significant problems in their explanations.
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Rosh Hashanah 8b
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