WILL WE FAST ON YOM KIPPUR WHEN MOSHIACH COMES?

Commemorative fasts will be nullified in the Messianic era and, indeed ultimately, they will be transformed into holidays and days of rejoicing and celebration… Yom Kippur however… is not connected with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, but rather with connecting to Hashem through T’shuva…

Dear Readers sh’yichyu,

We are quickly approaching the holy month of Tishrei. In the first ten days of Tishrei there are two fast days: Tzom Gedalya and Yom Kippur. In this article, we will discuss their status in the times of Moshiach.

These two fasts are fundamentally different. The fast of Yom Kippur is biblical, as it is written (BaMidbar 29:7): “And on the tenth day of this seventh month, there shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls. You shall not perform any work.” It is a day which at its core manifests the intrinsic bond of the Jewish people with Hashem.

The fast of Gedalya however, is a rabbinic enactment and is associated with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. It was the final step in the complete expulsion of the Jewish people from Eretz Yisroel. It is the denouement to the catastrophic events which began with the siege and breach of the walls of Yerushalayim followed by the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, and for which we fast on the 10th of Teves, 17th of Tammuz and 9 of Av.

Regarding the latter four, the Rambam (Hilchos Taanis 5:19) writes: “All these [commemorative] fasts will be nullified in the Messianic era and, indeed ultimately, they will be transformed into holidays and days of rejoicing and celebration, as [Zechariah 8:19] states: ‘Thus declares the Lord of Hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth [month], the fast of the fifth [month], the fast of the seventh [month], and the fast of the tenth [month] will be [times of] happiness and celebration and festivals for the House of Yehudah. And they shall love truth and peace.’’

[Parenthetically, the Rebbe teaches us how to see the positive aspects of these fast days even during the last moments of exile. For example: 9 Av is the birthday of Moshiach; the number 17 (17 Tammuz) is the numerical value of the Hebrew word “Tov-good.” See also sicha of Tzom Gedalya 5751.]

The fast of Yom Kippur however will be observed even in the times of Moshiach. This is because it is not connected with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, but rather with connecting to Hashem through T’shuva, which will be relevant even after Moshiach comes.

The Rebbe points out one possible exception to that rule:

“If Moshiach will appear during the Aseres Yemei T’shuva-Ten Days of Penitence, it is possible that we will be allowed to eat and drink on Yom Kippur, as it will fall out during the seven days of dedication for the third Beis HaMikdash.

“This was the case with the first Beis HaMikdash, whose dedication began on the eighth of Tishrei, and the people of that time ate and drank on Yom Kippur. How much more would this be the case with the third Beis HaMikdash, to which the Zohar relates the verse, “The glory of this latter House shall be greater than that of the first.” It is reasonable to assume that its greater glory will be apparent not only (as with the Second Beis HaMikdash in its structure and its duration, but also in its dedication – which at the very least would equal that of the first Beis HaMikdash.” (See Seifer HaSichos 5749 [1989], Vol. I, p. 12.)

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.