Tzom Gedaliahצוֹם גְּדַלְיָה

The Fast of Gedalia (Hebrew: צוֹם גְּדַלְיָּה), also spelled Gedaliah, is a Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple. Like other minor fasts, Tzom Gedaliah begins at dawn (first light) and ends at nightfall (full dark). Tzom Gedaliah commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah ben Achikam, the righteous Jewish governor whom the Babylonians appointed over the remnant of Judah after the destruction of the First Temple and the fall of King Zedekiah. When Gedaliah was murdered at Mizpah by Yishmael ben Netaniah (acting on behalf of Baalis, king of Ammon), the surviving Jews fled to Egypt, extinguishing the last embers of Jewish self-rule in the Land of Israel. For this reason the Sages numbered it among the four fasts tied to the Temple's destruction, teaching that "the death of the righteous is likened to the burning of the House of our God." Falling within the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the day carries a strongly penitential, introspective character, joining personal teshuvah to the national mourning over lost sovereignty.

Tzom Gedaliah is observed on the 3rd of Tishrei, the day immediately after the two days of Rosh Hashanah (in September or early October). As a minor fast it runs only from dawn (alot hashachar, first light) until nightfall (tzeit hakochavim, full dark), rather than a 25-hour fast like Yom Kippur, and work is permitted. When the 3rd of Tishrei falls on Shabbat, the fast cannot be held on Shabbat and is postponed to Sunday, the 4th of Tishrei. The date and rules are the same in Israel and the Diaspora. One rite difference to note: Karaite Jews observe the fast on 24 Tishrei rather than the 3rd.

The Torah reading at both Shacharit (morning) and Mincha (afternoon) is the "Vayechal" passage from Parashat Ki Tisa (Exodus 32:11-14 and 34:1-10), in which Moses pleads for Israel, God forgives the sin of the Golden Calf, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are proclaimed. This is the standard Torah reading shared by all the minor fasts. The Haftarah is Isaiah 55:6-56:8 ("Dirshu Hashem b'himatzo"), one of the "Two of Repentance" readings of the Ten Days of Repentance; Ashkenazim read it at Mincha, in keeping with their custom of reading a Haftarah at Mincha on minor fast days (Sephardic timing may differ). Unlike Tisha B'Av (Eicha trope) or Purim (Esther trope), there is no special mournful melody for Tzom Gedaliah; the Torah and Haftarah are chanted with the ordinary, year-round cantillation.

Selichot (penitential prayers) are added during or before the morning service, and Aneinu ("Answer us") is inserted into the Amidah on the fast, recited by the prayer leader at Shacharit and Mincha and by individuals at Mincha, with exact placement varying among Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Yemenite custom. Avinu Malkeinu is recited, fitting both the fast and the Ten Days of Repentance. Because the day falls within the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, it emphasizes repentance, introspection, and charity. As with other communal fasts, those who are ill, pregnant, or nursing are generally exempt, while healthy adults from bar/bat mitzvah age fast (consult a rabbi for individual guidance).