Weak-Day

During the time that our glorious Beth haMikdash (Holy Temple) stood in Jerusalem, all eligible members of the Jewish nation participated in the service there. Kohanim (priests) had the privilege of performing the sacrificial service itself, Levites would provide musical accompaniment, while regular Jews had the responsibility of praying that the offering would be accepted by G-d in good will. Of course, a limited number of people would perform these duties on any given day, and seeing as the total number of Kohanim, Levites, and Israelites far outnumbered the amount required for these duties, these responsibilities were divided into different “shifts” of individuals who would perform their respective duties for a specified period of time each year. And even those Israelites whose turn it was not to serve in the Beth haMikdash were not completely exempted. Those Jews were divided up into groups whose turn would come, while not actually in the Beth haMikdash, to fast in their hometowns on behalf of their brethren. Those serving in the Beth haMikdash were called the “anshey mishmar,” or “men of the watch,” while those fasting in their hometown were called the “anshey maamad,” or “men of the stand,” as they “stood by” and aided from a distance. The following is an excerpt from the Gemara in Taanith (p. 27B) which deals with some of these laws. The Gemara quotes a baraytha, an ancient oral teaching on this topic:

“Our sages taught: The men of the watch would pray that the sacrificial offering of their brethren be accepted willfully while the men of the stand would enter the synagogue and fast four fasts: (1) on Monday, (2) on Tuesday, (3) on Wednesday and on (4) Thursday.”

The Gemara attempts to analyze why only these four days were chosen for fasting even though offerings were brought every day (including the Sabbath):

“On Friday they would not fast because of the honor of the Sabbath, all the more so [they did not fast] on the Sabbath itself. However, why did they not fast on Sunday?

R’ Yochanan said: ‘Because of the Christians.’

R’ Shemuel bar Nachmani said: ‘Because it is the third day of creation.’

Resh Lakish said: ‘Because of the extra soul (neshamah yetherah),’ as Resh Lakish said: ‘An extra soul is given to a man on the eve of the Sabbath and at the departure of the Sabbath it is taken from him.’”

Rashi explains that, ‘because of the Christians,” means on account of Sunday being a Christian holiday the Jews did not fast, although Rashi is not explicit as to why this is a reason not to fast. The Maharsha suggests that Rashi means that we didn’t fast on their holiday so as not to incur their ire, however he rejects that approach since during the time the Beth haMikdash stood, the Jews were politically superior to the Christians and not afraid of them. The Maharsha therefore concludes that since on fast days those who fast do not do work, just as one celebrating a holiday does not work, it might appear that those Jews who refrained from work on account of their fast actually did so on account of Christian practice. In order that their fasts not resemble Christian practice, therefore, fasting was not regularly practiced on that day.

The “extra soul” according to Rashi is a “broadening of the mind for eating and drinking.” When that aspect of the man is removed, he is left weakened and unable to endure a fast.

What concerns me is the other explanation: “Because it is the third day of creation.” Rashi explains as follows:

“the third day of creation” – “for man was created on the sixth day [i.e. Friday, making Sunday the third day of his existence], and he is weak on every [occurrence of this] third day, as it is written: ‘It happened on the third day, as they were in pain…’ (B’Reshith 34:25)

Two astounding points emerge from this comment of Rashi:

1. The verse quoted by Rashi here refers to the pain of the men of Shechem on the third day after their circumcision. Rashi is comparing the third day after one’s circumcision to the third day after one’s coming into existence. This means that the event of circumcision is equivalent to one’s creation! (Similarly, tradition teaches that Adam was created circumcised.)

2. We normally understand the increase in pain on the third day after the circumcision to be directly related to the recovery from the surgical process of circumcision. However, according to this comment of Rashi, the increase in pain is not due to the circumcision itself. Rather, the pain of the recovery is increased on account of the weakening of the body since it is the third day after one’s creation.

Now, after all this is said, the burning question remains unanswered:

What is it about the third day of one’s creation that makes one weak?

(I don’t know. I’m curious if anyone has any suggestions. If I find any answers, I’ll post them here – G-d willing.)