Reflections on Asara B'Teves

Here is a link  for a brief synopsis of what this fast is all about.  Even though there might be a temptation to brush this off as "just a minor fast day"and an erev shabbos to boot, that would be a loss of a precious opportunity.  These fast days are instituted so we can reflect, repent and get inspired.  Being that this one commemorates the siege of Jerusalem, the disunity of our nation and the destruction that followed there are certainly plenty of lessons that are very much applicable today.  Jerusalem is very much under seige these days, just read the news,  the forces of evil  very much desire to wrestle it away from us again, together with Judea and Samaria, but this time around we can change things, we can try to get past our differences and grievances and unite so we could look forward to a brighter future minus the destruction  and with rebuilding instead.  I just had one of those moments.  As I was typing in unite, untie got typed in instead.  If we don't unite it unties us from the Source of all good  and from our selves and from our land and from the future that should have been.  Let's not repeat history, let's make it instead.  So for those fasting, have an easy and meaningful one and do something nice for a fellow Jew. ( There is a history lesson right here and a lesson on how we should relate to our history as well. A geography lesson too come to think of it.)