Asara Wirevet At A Glance
• When: Sunday, Jan. 4 (the 10th day of
the month of Tevet).
• What it commemorates: The siege of
Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586
B.C.E. that ultimately led to the
destruction of the First Temple and the
loss of Jewish sovereignty.
• How to observe: No food or drink
may be consumed. Because it is permis-
sible to eat right up to the fast, plan on
rising early for breakfast. Others prefer
to eat late the night before.
• Rituals: At morning services in the
synagogue, the cantor inserts the Aneinu
("Answer us") prayer in the repetition of
the Amidah or Shemonah Esrei (silent
prayer recited three times daily).
The morning service includes the
standard Torah reading for a public fast
day (Exodus 32:11-14 and 34:1-10).
Three persons are called up. At points in
the reading, the congregation recites
aloud certain verses that are repeated by
the Torah reader. In the afternoon serv-
ice, the cantor again inserts Aneinu in
the Amidah, but each worshipper also
inserts Aneinu in his or her silent recita-
tion of the Amidah. The service again
includes the Torah reading, but the third
person called up also reads the Haftorah
(Isaiah 55:6-56:8).
• Rules and regulations: Pregnant or
nursing women are exempt from the
fast. Persons on medication should con-
sult with their physician and rabbi
before fasting. Work and all ordinary
activities are permitted.
There is no ceremony either to begin
or end the fast.
• A Little History: Nebuchadnezzar was
an aggressive military campaigner, eager
to restore Babylon to its former glory.
He began his career by waging war
against the Egyptians, and in 605
B.C.E. defeated Necho at Carchemish
on the Euphrates.
He drove the Egyptians from Asia and
annexed Syria and the Land of Israel to
the Babylonian empire.
Yehoyakim, king of Judah, was one of
the local rulers forced to pay tribute.
The following year, Nebuchadnezzar
succeeded his father on the Babylonian
throne, and three years later, he tried to
conquer Egypt. His failure led to the
revolt of local kingdoms, including
Judah. In 598, he seized Jerusalem,
deposed and exiled King Yehoyachim
and installed Yehoyachim's uncle,
Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah), in his stead.
Tzidkiyahu was a weak ruler whose
advisers were bent on revenge against
Babylon. For the first three years of his
reign, Tzidkiyahu adhered to the words
of the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah),
who counseled against war with the
Babylonian superpower. Yirmiyahu
argued that the people should devote
their attention to building a just society
and let God deal with those who would
seek to subjugate the Jewish people.
Eventually, however, Tzidkiyahu
turned away from the wisdom of the
prophet and instead listened to his hot-
headed generals.
Nebuchadnezzar had little patience for
rebels. He took a force to Syria, which
made its way south to Judah. The Jews
were prepared for war, and the siege of
Jerusalem lasted about 2'/2 years.
Hophra, king of Egypt, sent a force
northward that lifted the siege of
Jerusalem. But the Egyptians did not
stay long, and when they withdrew, the
Babylonians renewed their attack. They
captured the fortified cities of Judah one
by one. Refugees from the provincial
cities flooded Jerusalem, and the city
soon ran out of food. Each day, the situ-
ation grew more desperate.
Yirmiyahu urged the people to give
up the fight. In turn, the princes accused
him of demoralizing the soldiers. By this
time, Tzidkiyahu himself realized the
foolishness of his military adventure, but
feared the power of the princes and real-
ized the people themselves would turn
against him if he counseled surrender.
Jerusalem was breached on the 10th
day of the 10th month, and this is what
the fast day commemorates.
King Tzidkiyahu and the noble classes
fled, but they were captured near
Jericho. The Babylonians killed
Tzidkiyahu's sons in front of him, then
blinded him, put him in chains and sent
him to Babylon, where he died.
In the month of Av, the Babylonians
destroyed the Temple and sent much of
the Jewish people into captivity.
The suffering was tremendous, and
the rabbis instituted a fast day as repen-
tance and resolve to hearken to the word
of God. 7
The Man Who Would Be King
The Jewish pretender to the throne.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor
Q: I have always been intrigued by the
story of the Princes in the Tower, the
two sons of Edward IV, boys most
scholars believed were murdered by
their uncle, Richard III, as he took the
throne.
I know that many stepped forward,
claiming to be one of the princes. I'm
wondering if any of them were Jewish.
A: The most famous of all the imposters
was Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be
the younger of the two princes, the
Duke of York. He was the son of two
converted Jews.
Warbeck stepped forward as the Duke
after Richard III's death, under the reign
of Henry VII. He quickly attracted the
support of leaders throughout Europe,
and in 1492 was even welcomed as roy-
alty in the French court. Only one year
later, however, Henry VII's supporters
had uncovered the true identity of this
"prince," Perkin Warbeck.
It took more than a year after the rev-
elation for the truth about Warbeck to
spread around the country. Still, some
continued to offer him support, even
encouraging him to overthrow Henry
and claim what was "rightfully" his.
James IV of Scotland remained a
Warbeck supporter for years, offering
him refuge at the Scottish court.
At last, however, Henry arrested
Warbeck. Rather than executing him,
the king imprisoned Warbeck in the
infamous Tower of London, where he
moved about quite freely — until he
tried to escape. Then Warbeck was
placed in solitary confinement, though
still he couldn't resist a chance to try and
de-throne Henry.
In 1499, Warbeck was charged with
plotting to overthrow the king and sen-
tenced to death. He was executed in
November 1499 and was the final
imposter to the throne.
Though some found Warbeck of lim-
ited intelligence, he impressed many
with what were considered his royal
manners and bearing. He was said to
resemble Edward IV, his alleged father,
as well.
In reality, Warbeck was the son of
John Warbeck, who, together with his
wife, had been born Jewish and convert-
ed to Christianity. What Perkin
Warbeck learned of the royal court —
enough to have impressed real royalty
— likely came from his father, a mer-
chant who sold carpets to the court.
(For more information on Warbeck,
see Alison Weir's The Princes in the
Tower, a fascinating account of Richard
III, Edward IV and the murdered
princes.) ❑
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