Fast of Gedaliah

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, had completely subdued the Kingdom of Judah and destroyed its capital, Jerusalem, and its most sacred shrine, the Holy Temple. He permitted the poorer classes to remain in Judah, and appointed Gedaliah as their governor.

“A Day of Divine Goodwill” A fast day is described as “a day of Divine goodwill.”Yeshayahu 58:5; see the explanation in Tanya, Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 2. One reflection of G‑d’s favor is the Torah reading of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the ...

The Jewish calendar contains several fast days, most of them commemorating various landmark events that revolve around the destruction of the Holy Temples. Learn how these days are observed.

Tishrei 3rd is a fast day mourning the assassination of the Jewish royal Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the Land of Israel for a short period following the destruction of the First Temple. Gedaliah's killing spelled the end of the small remnant of a ...

Mourning the killing of Gedaliah (see "Today in Jewish History"), we abstain from food and drink from dawn to nightfall; selichot prayers are included in the morning prayer.

The 10-day period beginning on Rosh Hashahnah and ending on Yom Kippur is known as the "Ten Days of Repentance"; this is the period, say the sages, of which the prophet speaks when he proclaims (Isaiah 55:6) "Seek G-d when He is to be found; call on Him ...

The 10-day period beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur is known as the "Ten Days of Repentance"; this is the period, say the sages, of which the prophet speaks when he proclaims (Isaiah 55:6) "Seek G-d when He is to be found; call on Him ...