On 10th of Tevet, 5782: The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet

Rabbi Jason Sobel: on 10th of Tevet, 5782 aka December 14 2021 (Tuesday)

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Fast of the Tenth of TevetIt is a positive commandment, based on the teaching of the prophets, for the Jewish people to fast on certain days, commemorating specific calamities that befell our people. Today the Jews keep five “fast days” mentioned by the prophets. The first is the fast of Esther (Esther 4:16). We find the basis for the other four in Zechariah 8:19, which says, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’”

The Talmud interprets these four fasts as:

1) the seventh of Tamuz,

2) Tish’ah Be’av,

3) the Fast of Gedaliah, and

4) the tenth of Tevet.

The purpose of these fasts is to stir our hearts and motivate us to do repentance. They should serve as a reminder of our transgressions and those of our forebears who caused these calamities. Remembering these matters should move us to repent and change our behavior. As Leviticus 26:40 states, “they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers” (KJV). Therefore, on these “fast days,” God’s people are called to scrutinize their behavior and turn from any wrongdoing.

This Tuesday, December 14th, 2021, is the fast of the tenth of Tevet. It begins at dawn and concludes at sunset on the same day. According to halakha (Jewish law), no food or water is permitted on this day. Since this is a “minor” fast day, there are many leniencies for medical conditions or other difficulties fasting. While it is not incumbent upon Christians to fast, there is an invitation to join Israel in praying for a spiritual awakening among the Jewish people and for the coming of Messiah, Yeshua.

This fast has a sobering historical basis. On the 10th of Tevet, Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) laid siege to Jerusalem. In 2 Kings 25, we read:

Now it came to pass in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his entire army advanced against Jerusalem, set up camp by it, and built a siege wall all around it. So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe in the city that there was no bread for the common people. Then the city was broken into. (2 Kings 25:1-4a)

Thus, the Tenth of Tevet is significant because the siege of Jerusalem began the whole chain of calamities, finally ending with the Temple’s destruction.

As Messianic Jews and Gentile Followers of Jesus, it is good to fast to identify with the suffering of the Jewish people, examine our own lives for the sins that destroyed both Temples, and mourn over the destruction of God’s House. By doing so, we forge a meaningful bond with the people of Israel. This fast invites us to emulate Messiah, who wept over the pending destruction of the Second Temple, but rejoice in the hope of the restoration of God’s sanctuary in the Messianic Kingdom!

Shalom in Mashiyach’s Name,

I check Christian Version have an excellent footnotes & share u all. Read on Matthew 6 TPT

Giving with Pure Motives

6 “Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father. ²So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it and make a show of it just to be seen by people,^[a] like the hypocrites^[b] in the streets and in the marketplace.^[c] They’ve already received their reward! ³But when you demonstrate generosity, do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself.^[d] ⁴Give secretly and your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.”^[e]

Prayer

⁵“Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God,^[f] praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. ⁷When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like the Gentiles do, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. ⁸There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.⁹Pray like this:

‘Our Beloved Father,^[g] dwelling in the heavenly realms,
    may the glory of your name
    be the center on which our lives turn.^[h]
¹⁰Manifest your kingdom realm,^[i]
    and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth,
    just as it is in heaven.
¹¹We acknowledge you as our Provider
    of all we need each day.^[j]
¹²Forgive us the wrongs we have done^[k] as we ourselves
    release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
¹³Rescue us every time we face tribulation^[l]
    and set us free from evil.^[m]
    For you are the King who rules
    with power and glory forever. Amen.’^[n]

¹⁴“And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

Fasting

¹⁶“When you fast, don’t look gloomy and pretend to be spiritual. They want everyone to know they’re fasting, so they appear in public looking miserable and disheveled.^[o] Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. ^17–18When you fast, don’t let it be obvious, but instead, wash your face^[p] and groom yourself and realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret and will continue to reward you.”

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹“Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses its value.^[q] ²⁰Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures^[r] for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. ²¹For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.^[s]

²²“The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light^[t] to enter into your being. If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in! ²³But if your eyes are focused on money,^[u] the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place.^[v] How profound will be the darkness within you^[w] if the light of truth cannot enter!

²⁴“How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!”^[x]

Don’t Worry

²⁵“This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t your body more than clothing?

²⁶“Consider the birds—do you think they worry about their existence? They don’t plant or reap or store up food, yet your heavenly Father provides them each with food. Aren’t you much more valuable to your Father than they? ²⁷So, which one of you by worrying could add anything to your life?^[y]

²⁸“And why would you worry about your clothing? Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field. They don’t work or toil, ²⁹and yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty like one of these! ³⁰So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—you of little faith?

³¹“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For that is what the unbelievers^[z] chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require?^[aa]

³³“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom^[ab] and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.^[ac] ³⁴Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time.^[ad]Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

Footnotes

6:2 Or “blow your own horn.”
6:2 The Greek word hupokrites is not only used for people with double standards, it actually means “overcritical,” “nitpicking,” “splitting hairs over religious issues.”
6:2 As translated from Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew. The Greek is “synagogues.”
6:3 Or “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” This is a figure of speech for giving with pure motives, not to be seen and applauded by others.
6:4 As translated from the Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew. Most Greek manuscripts do not include the word openly.
6:6 Or “Go into your inner room [storehouse], close the door, and pray.” This “inner room” can also be a metaphor for praying from the heart, from our innermost being, our storehouse.
6:9 Jesus invites us into the same relationship with the Father, as His Abba.
6:9 An alternate reading of the Aramaic text. The Aramaic word for “name” is shema (the Hebrew word, shem), a word with multiple meanings. It can also be translated “light,” “sound,” or “atmosphere.” Placing a light, like a lantern, in an enclosed space magnifies that light. This is the meaning here of God’s name being made sacred and magnified as we focus our lives on him. The Greek is “treated as holy.”
6:10 Or “Come and begin your kingdom reign.”
6:11 Or “Give us bread [or life] today for the coming day.” Bread becomes a metaphor of our needs (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). Jesus is teaching us to acknowledge Father God as our Provider of all we need each day. Both the Greek and Hebrew Matthew can be translated “Give us this day our bread for tomorrow” (or “our continual bread”).
6:12 Or “Send away the results of our debts (shortcomings),” used as a metaphor for our sins. The Aramaic can be translated “Give us serenity as we also allow others serenity.”
6:13 Or “Do not let us be put into the ordeal of testing.” God never tempts man. See James 1:13–14.
6:13 Or “the Evil One.”
6:13 As translated from the Aramaic, Hebrew Matthew, and most Greek manuscripts. The Aramaic word for “forever” means “until the end of all the universes.”
6:16 Or “disfigure their faces.” Some of them would put saffron on their faces to make them appear a sickly yellow color in order to be seen as though they had been fasting.
6:17–18 Or “put oil on your head.”
6:19 Or “where rust and moth destroy.”
6:20 Heavenly treasures are eternal realities, such as loving others and doing good, revealing truth, and bringing Christ’s light to the lost. None of these “treasures” can be stolen or ever lose their value.
6:21 Or “For your thoughts [heart] will always be focused on your treasure.”
6:22 Or “Your eye is like a lamp for your body.” The teachings of Jesus are the “revelation-light” referred to here. Some scholars see “healthy eyes” as a Semitic figure of speech for generosity, due to the context of giving and money in the verses before and after.
6:23 An “evil” eye can also be associated with being stingy and greedy.
6:23 Or “If your eye is healthy [focused], your whole body is full of light; but if it is sick (evil), your body is full of darkness.” The “eye” becomes a metaphor for spiritual perception. The “body” is our spirit. The “light” is Jesus’ teachings. The “darkness” is formed by the lies and opinions that blind us. These obvious metaphors have been made explicit in this translation.
6:23 Hebrew Matthew is “All your ways are dark.”
6:24 Or “God and mammon.” Mammon is an Aramaic term for money. See 1 Tim. 6:6–10. There is found after v. 24 a part of the agrapha that reads, “If you do not fast from the world, you will never discover the kingdom of God” (Oxyrhyncus Papyrus 655, pOxy 1:4–11).
6:27 The Aramaic and Hebrew Matthew is “add a cubit to your height.” The Greek is “add one hour to your lifespan.”
6:32 Or “Gentiles.”
6:32 There is a part of the agrapha inserted here, which is confirmed by a number of church fathers who had access to more ancient manuscripts, that reads “So if you ask for the great things, God will add to you the little things.” This is most likely from a variation of the Hebrew Matthew. (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 1.24.158; Origen, Commentary on the Pss. 4.4; De Oratione 2.2; 14.1; Eusebius, Commentary on the Pss. 16.2. See also Craig A. Evans, Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels [IVP Press, 2006], 236–238.)
6:33 The Hebrew Matthew is “Above all, pray for the kingdom realm of God.”
6:33 As translated from the Aramaic.
6:34 Or “One day’s trouble is enough for one day.”