Did Am Yisrael keep the fast of Tisha b’Av while the second Beit
Hamikdash was standing? On the one hand, the fast day had
already been established after the destruction of the first Temple.
On the other hand, it seems absurd to mourn for the Beit
Hamikdash when a Beit Hamikdash is standing. Indeed, Rambam’s
position (Commentary on the Mishnah Rosh Hashana 1:3) that the
Jews did fast during bayit sheni drew a great deal of criticism. The
Tashbetz attributes this Rambam to a scribal error and R. Menahem
Meiri (RH 18a) also takes it for granted that the Jews did not fast.
This dispute revolves around the interpretation of a Mishnah and
accompanying gemara in Rosh Hashana (18a/b). The Mishneh
relates that the sages in Yerushalayim sent out messengers to
inform the broader Jewish community what day was sanctified as
Rosh Chodesh for six of the months, including Av to let people
know when to fast. The Mishnah concludes that when the Temple
stood, they also sent out for Iyyar so that people would know
when to celebrate Pesach sheni. Some infer from the word "also"
that Iyyar should be added to the list of the six which would then
imply that they needed to send messengers out for Av while the
Beit Hamikdash stood. The Turei Even, who also finds Rambam’s
position inconceivable emends the text and removes the word
"also".
The Gemara on that Mishnah, in explaining a verse in Zecharya
(8:19), states that there are three halakhic periods for the fast
days commemorating churban habayit
1) A time of shalom- The fast days transform into holidays.
2) A time of gzerat malchut- The fasts are obligatory.
3) A time of neither shalom or gzerat malchut- The fasts are
optional.
What is the definition of shalom? Ramban interprets "shalom" to
mean that the Beit Hamikdash is standing. If so, Bayit Sheni was a
time for rejoicing and we must reject the Rambam’s position. Rashi,
on the other hand, thinks that "shalom" means independence from
foreign rule. If so, the limited Jewish autonomy due to the influence
of the Greeks and Romans during the second Temple period may
mean that Bayit Sheni belongs in category three. If so, Rambam’s
position works well as the Jews exercised their option to fast on
Tisha b’Av due to the seriousness of the day (See Sefat Emet RH
18b).
What would be the hashkafic implications of mourning an event
that no longer seems relevant? Rabbi Haskel Lookstein cited the
following explanation from Rabbi Yosef Dov Solovetchik. The
celebration of Jewish holidays involves not only remembering a
happy previous event but reliving the joy of the event and
attempting to see oneself as actually experiencing the event. In
the same way, remembering the tragedies means identifying
oneself with those who experienced the churban. Such
identification can take place even when the Temple is standing.
Furthermore, remembering the event encourages us to focus on
what once went wrong in Jewish history (the sins that caused the
churban) and to call forth all our spiritual resources to insure that
the mistakes are not repeated. Surely, such a message was
significant during Bayit Sheni.
May our efforts in apprehending the
significance of our past enable us to actually experience the future
redemption.
