Although the only fast day that appears in the Torah is Yom Kippur four other fast days were established by the neviim including “Tzom HaAsiri” — the fast of the tenth month known as Asarah B’Teves.

We actually commemorate three separate sad events on Asarah B’Teves:

1) Targum Shiv’im the first translation of Torah into Greek at the command of the Greek emperor Talmei on the 8^th of Teves.

2) The deaths of Ezra and Nechemiah leaders of the Jewish People at the beginning of the Second Beis HaMikdash on the 9^th of Teves.

3) The siege around Yerushalayim by Nebuchadnezzar on the 10^th of Teves before the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash.

What was the big tragedy in the translation of the Torah? Don’t we all translate the psukim when we learn them in school?

The translation ordered by Emperor Talmei was different from our translation since it amounted to a kidnapping of the Torah for Greek purposes. No longer was the Torah the exclusive possession of the Jews; now it was accessible to non-Jews as well and open to misinterpretation as indeed happened.

Interestingly at the end of the Second Beis HaMikdash a sefer called Megillas Taanis was compiled listing 35 dates on which minor fast days and holidays were declared in memory of various tragedies and salvations. After the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash they were all abolished except for Chanukah and Purim.