I recently participated in a roundtable discussion here in Israel on “What lessons can we learn from the past year?” One of the questions that came up was “How do we make sure we never have another October 7th?”
When it came my turn to answer that question, I said that I am neither a military or intelligence expert, and there’s really nothing substantial I can contribute to that discussion. “What I can and would like to discuss,” I said, “is how do we make sure we never have another October 6th?”
I meant October 6th, and the several months of extreme political and social divisiveness that preceded October 6th. I said that, because many – myself included – believed that Israeli society was headed towards a potential civil war.
When people ask me why we made Aliyah following October 7th, my answer is “it was a choice of moving to an Israel at war with itself vs. an Israel at war with Hamas, and – at least during the first post-October 7th months – the Israel at war with Hamas was more united than it was on October 6th.”
This week, the Hebrew calendar presents us with a fascinating, meaningful and very timely nuance. Rosh Hashanah – the First and Second of Tishri – falls out on Thursday and Friday, which means the Third of Tishri falls out on Shabbat.
On the Hebrew calendar, the Third of Tishri is Tzom Gedaliah – The Fast of Gedaliah – a day when we mourn that one Jew – Gedaliah – was assassinated for political reasons by another Jew. This political assassination – over 2500 years ago – marked the official conclusion of the first round of Jewish sovereignty in Israel.
When the Third of Tishri falls out on Shabbat – as it does this year – the fast is pushed to the following day. This year, the “following day” is October 6th.
So we have it, that this year, on October 6th – the anniversary of the deeply divided pre-October 7th Israel – we fast and mourn a political assassination.
How do we make sure we never have another October 6th? Tzom Gedaliah – specifically the one that falls out on October 6th – is the perfect day to begin contemplating that fateful question.
Tizku L’Shanim Rabot, Shana Tova…and a meaningful Tzom Gedaliah/October 6th fast.
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila is the international director of the Sephardic Educational Center.
