The fast days of the Churban

Masechta Taanis, Perek 4, Mishnah 6

The navi Zecharia names four fasts

…and says they will become days of simcha

The four fasts

Tzom Gedalia · Asarah B'Teves · 17 Tammuz · Tisha B'Av

Asarah B'Teves: the siege of Yerushalayim begins

Not one event — a series of events

Five things on each day

17 Tammuz · 1. The Luchos were broken

Moshe Rabbeinu comes down and sees the egel hazahav

2. The korban tamid stopped

One in the morning, one in the afternoon — and then none

3. The walls of Yerushalayim were breached

4. Apostomos burned the Torah

Perhaps the Sefer Torah of Ezra HaSofer

5. An idol was set up in the Heichal

Tisha B'Av · 1. Our fathers may not enter the Land

The meraglim — “you cried for nothing…”

2–3. The Beis HaMikdash destroyed — the first and the second

4. Beitar was captured

The stronghold of the Bar Kochva revolt

5. The city was plowed over

A Roman way to say: this city is ours now

From Rosh Chodesh Av, we reduce simcha

Not zero simcha — less

Something to think about

In the second Beis HaMikdash, did they keep these fasts?