Commentaire sur Zacharie 7:16

And Sharezer and Regem Melech and his men sent to Bethel They were righteous men, and they sent [word] to their kinsmen in Bethel to come to pray before the Lord in Jerusalem for them, and to ask the priests to let them know if they should [still] weep in the month of Av, since the Temple had been rebuilt.

abstaining To abstain from pleasure, as I have done these seventy years. The word נְזִירָה always means separation.

To say to the house of the LORD — meaning, "in the house of the LORD." And Targum Jonathan translates as "who were serving in the Holy Temple of the LORD."

And to the prophets — Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. And Targum Jonathan translates as "and to the scribes."

Shall I weep — because they still did not believe in the construction of the House because of the enemies who had forced the work for many years, and now, even though they heard that they had built it, they were of little faith and did not want to go up from Babylon, because they did not believe that the construction of the House was finished and stood because of the enemies. And they asked if they should fast on the Ninth of Av as they did during the seventy years.

and shall I keep abstinent That is to say, "should I abstain from food and drink and pleasure." And Targum Jonathan translates as "shall I refrain my soul from enjoyable things."

and in the seventh [month] That is the fast of Gedaliah.

Say — They said "on the fifth and the severth" even though there are four fast days. It mentions the fifth because upon it was the destruction, and the seventh because in it Gedaliah was killed, and it was a second destruction, because already the poorest of the land remained and were not destroyed, since the poorest of the land were kept by Nebuzadaran to be vine dressers and ditch diggers (II Kings 25:12), but Gedaliah was killed on the first day of the seventh month, and since it was a holiday they declared a fast the day after.

did you fast for Me, even for Me The ‘he’ is vowelized with a ‘hataf pattah’ because it is used as the interrogative: Did you fast in My honor that you should be required to fast now, too?

Did you fast Me, I? — did you fast Me, meaning did you fast for Me, that is to say, if you fasted on Mu account, on account of your sins the Temple was destroyed and you were exiled. On account of this you fast. If you perform justice and righteousness, you will not need to fast, for the House will be built and you will go up from exile and dwell in the land all days. If you do good in My eyes you will not ever be exiled from it. And what is the purpose that the "I" after "did you fast Me" serves? It is meant to say "Did I command you to fast?" And the Targum Yonatan translates as "On the fast did you fast your fasting before Me?"

And when you eat and when you drink And, if you do not fast, that, too, means nothing to Me. Are not the food and the drink for your own pleasure?

Was it not the words Who caused you the fast and the mourning? Was it not the words of reproof that the Lord proclaimed, etc.? They brought about your destruction, and therefore you fasted. And these are the words that He proclaimed: Execute true judgment.

shamir A worm stronger than flint. They would show it to the stone, which would split.

And it came about; as He called and they did not hearken the Lord said concerning them in those days: So shall they call and I will not hearken.

I will scatter them in exile. And so I did.

they made with their iniquity.

desolation And that brought about the fast (and the mourning), but now [I am jealous for Zion, etc.]