Fasting When the Temple Stood

Based upon a shiur of Rabbi Prof. David Henshke

          Maimonides’ opinion [Commentary on the Mishna (Rosh haShana 1:3)] is that during the Second Temple period, Jews fasted on the ninth of Av.

          Maimonides’ position is difficult to understand, both on the basis of Talmudic text and on the philosophical level.

          The Talmud [Rosh haShana, 18b] states:

What is the meaning of the passage [Zachariah 8:19]: "Thus says the Lord of hosts; the fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall become in the house of Judah joy and gladness," etc., that they are called fasts, and also days of joy and gladness? Are we not to understand that only in the time of peace they shall be for joy and gladness, but in the time when there was not peace they shall be fasts? Said Rabbi Papa: It means this: When there was peace, these days should be for joy and gladness; in the time of persecution they shall be fasts; in times when there are neither persecution nor peace people may fast or not, as they see fit.

          Apparently, the period during which the Second Temple stood should be classified as a “time of peace”, during which the fast days associated with the destruction of the Temple are to be “days of joy and gladness”.

          Sefat Emet, in his commentary on the Talmud writes:

It seems that Maimonides understands “time of peace” to mean a period of Jewish sovereignty. However, when the Jews were subservient to other nations, as during the time of Persia and the Greece, even though the Temple stood, the Jews may fast.

          Perhaps the more difficult question is the philosophical one: how was it possible to fast on the ninth of Av when the Temple actually stood?

          Prof. Henshke suggests that the fast during the Second Temple period was not because of what was lacking, rather because of what existed.

          The prophet Jeremiah, who witnessed the destruction of the First Temple, warned the people:

Trust not in lying words (of the false prophets), saying: “The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, are these.”

          That is, the people must not assume that God will not destroy the Temple. The people must understand that God’s promise of the Temple is dependent upon their actions.

          As Rashbam states in his commentary on Ḥumash:

Perhaps the people will say “Since God has sworn to our Fathers to give us the Land, we need not fulfill the mitzvot, for He will observe His oath in any event. Therefore the Torah answers: “If you fail to keep the mitzvot, you will not inherit the Land.” Nonetheless, God will not be abrogating His vow. For this is the divine attribute: He may wait a thousand generations to fulfill His oath to the Forefathers, waiting for that generation which will be worthy.                                 Deuteronomy 7:9

          Rabbi Yehuda haLevi phrased the point thus:

Divine promises may be fulfilled only in a partial way, in accordance with limited spiritual arousal. For divine matters affect humans in accordance with their preparations.                        Kuzari 2:24

          Tosafot [Yevamot 50a, “Teida”], summarize the point succinctly:

Prophets prophesize only that which is worthy of happening – if there are no sinners.

          Thus, when the Temple stood, the fast of the Ninth of Av served as a warning to not take the existence of the Temple for granted, but to realize that it is our deeds which will determine the longevity of the Temple.

          Quite obviously, today the message of the fast is a reminder that the rebuilding of the Temple is dependent upon our deeds.