Esther's fast

Thursday was for observant Jews a min-fast day; that is, from slightly before dawn until slightly after sunset. Like all Jewish fasts, it was absolute for those able to fast. Unlike Yom Kippur, this was a rabbinically-enacted fast.

The fast reminds us of the fast in Shushan. Our predicament then was to prevent Haman from carrying out his plan to exterminate us.

But Haman and his sons were hanged; we "won."

So why should we fast now?

Same for the 9th of Av . . . Jerusalem is - for the moment at least - in Jewish hands.

Why fast now?

The rabbis give sundry reasons for continuing the Fast of Esther, but in my book, the reason for the fast remains the same as it was in the days of Haman - some people with power want to exterminate us.

The power can be of any type. Political such as in Iran and other Moslem controlled countries, religious as in many Moslem controlled countries and as in lunatic sects such as the Westboro Baptist Church (read all about these "good Paulists" at http://www.godhatesfags.com/), and money as in many Moslem-controlled countries (do I see a pattern here?).

We need to keep the fast to remind ourselves, and G-d, that it's hard to be a "light unto the nations" if we are but a footnote to history like the dodo and the dinosaur. Like the Jews of Esther's time, we need to be ready - and willing - to fight for our lives and belief. (I'm afraid I think we need more JDL than ADL, but I recognize this is a minority view.)

Likewise, we need to keep the 9th of Av fast. Not for lost Jerusalem - at least not for the moment - but for the root cause of the loss; hatred of our fellow.

There's a line in the morning service that I "borrow" as part of my email sig - I try to live by it (I confess, sometimes it is difficult):

הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של "ואהבת לרעך כמוך," והריני אוהב את כל אחד מבני ישראל, כנפשי ומאודי

Yohanon Glenn
Yohanon.Glenn at gmail dot com