The tenth of Teves is a fast day, commemorating the blockade of the Holy City. A blockade is a situation that seriously compromises the welfare of a city. Certainly, the wall of a city insures the safety and comfort of a city. It prevents the entry of undesirable elements of either human and animal nature and noise, odor, air and water pollution. Yet a totally sealed wall without proper controlled access of exit and entry, will cause substantial damage and suffering to a city. This is what the Babylonian enemy caused by his blockade.
Those in the blockaded city would be in serious danger after a short while. They would be prevented from marketing their goods to the outside and unable to replenish any materials from the outside. They could exist only so long as the limited supplies already in their possession would last. The tragedy came about eight months later on the ninth of Av. The wall was breached. The enemy streamed in. The Holy City was destroyed and its population dispersed.
As we commemorate an event of history, we need to apply a parallel lesson to our personal lives. Our home and synagogue in which we go after our spiritual goals are the equivalent of a city. We relate to our family and to our fellow congregants with pure devotion and loyalty. Our personal joy and honor are enhanced as we see them enjoying the joy and honor that we extend to them. We build a wall preventing the pollution of aggressiveness, competiveness, jealousy and resentment to pollute the environment. At the same time we need access to the opposite environment of the world of commerce in order to supply our material needs.
In the world of commerce, industry, profession, trade and marketing we find ourselves necessarily involved in fierce competitive action. We need to be aggressive as we offer our goods, service and work, attempting to charge a high price for them and causing the customers, clients and employers to lay out more than they wish to. When acquiring goods, service and work, we need to go with an all out effort to pay as little as possible as the suppliers receive much less than they desire.
Observance of the Tenth of Teves motivate us to build a wall which would protect us from any undesirable atmosphere in our homes and synagogues while allowing us controlled access to the commercial world.
The Fast of the Tenth will change to gladness and joy... Love truth and peace (Zechariah 8:19)
Ohev Shalom Voice
