THE FAST OF 

TZOM GEDALIAH 

and  

THE 10 DAYS OF 

REPENTANCE  

The Fast of Tzom Gedaliah:

3 Tishrei - Sunday, September 24

Fast Begins at 5:21 am  

Fast Ends at 7:18 pm  

Assassination of Gedaliah (423 BCE) 
 

The 3rd of Tishrei is a fast day mourning the assassination of the Jewish royal,  Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the Land of Israel for a short period following the destruction of the First Temple. Gedaliah's killing spelled the end of the small remnant of a Jewish community that remained in the Holy Land after the destruction, which fled to Egypt. (According to many opinions, the assassination of Gedaliah actually occurred on Rosh Hashanah, but the commemoration of the event is postponed to the day after the festival).  

Mourning the killing of Gedaliah, we abstain from food and drink from dawn to nightfall; selichot prayers are included in the morning prayer.  
 

The Ten Days of Repentance
 

The 10-day period beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur is known as the "Ten Days of Repentance"; this is the period, say the sages, of which the prophet speaks when he proclaims (Isaiah 55:6) "Seek G-d when He is to be found; call on Him when He is near." 

These ten days, called The Ten Days of Teshuvah, are the most solemn days of the year -- days designated for soul-searching and return (teshuvah) to G-d. G-d is near--more attentive to our prayers, more accepting of our repentance, than on the other days of the year.