10 Teves: Iron Will

IRON WILL The fast of the 10th of Teves marks the start of the siege of Jerusalem, which ultimately led to the destruction of the First Temple. Before the siege began, G-d commanded the prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) to warn of the impending destruction. And you shall take yourself an iron pot and place it as an iron wall between you and the [brick symbolizing the] city. Direct your face toward it, and it will be in the siege, and you shall besiege it. This is a sign to the House of Israel. (Yechezkel 4:3) Iron symbolizes something hard and unbending. G-d was warning the people that if they stubbornly continue to be so inflexible, they would bring their own destruction. In another sense, G-d was telling the Jews how they could prevent the Temple’s destruction, through a positive kind of iron. This represents the refusal to compromise on matters pertaining to one’s essence. The essence of the soul is a source of inner strength that never bends to external pressures. Moshiach comes through revealing our positive iron will. Sichah 10 Teves, 5752