Reply To: Humor in Torah

I see that the comment that I mentioned earlier wasn’t approved yet. This is the idea:

A fast day has two parts: The external part which is sad and mourning, and the deeper aspect that it is a יום רצון להשם. In golus the deeper aspect of a fast day is concealed, so we must fast. When Moshiach comes, all sadness will disappear, and the great joy of the fast days will be revealed, which is why they will be the most joyous festivals – הם עתידים להיות ימים טובים וימי ששון ושמחה!
(see: זכרי’ ח, יט. רמב”ם טור ושולחן ערוך סוף הלכות תעני(ו)ת)

Even in golus, when the fast falls out on Shabbos, we get to experience a taste of Yemos Hamoshiach: The sadness and mourning gets pushed off to Sunday, but the joyous festival aspect of the fast remains on Shabbos (why would Shabbos push off a happy thing?).

This is especially true regarding the fast of 17 Tammuz – 17 gematria טוב – alluding to the inner good that is hidden in a fast.

When we eat and drink and enjoy סעודת שבת this week – we are in essence enjoying a Moshiach-like celebration!
And then on מוצאי שבת, when we eat Melaveh Malka – סעודתא דדוד מלכא משיחא – what can be greater? On a fast day itself, we are eating a seuda that is connected to Melech Hamoshiach!

Interestingly, Parshas Bolok brings out the same idea (ראה של”ה ר”פ וישב): Bilaam, the novi who tries to use his powers to destroy Am Yisroel, ends up being the very one to bless Am Yisroel and to prophesy the coming of Moshiach (רש”י, רמב”ן, רמב”ם הל’ מלכים רפי”א, ועוד)!
This symbolizes how from the negativity itself (e.g. fast days) comes the greatest גאולה.

May we merit that since the fast is pushed off anyway, may it be pushed off entirely (הואיל ונדחה ידחה – מגילה ה, רע”ב) with the coming of Moshiach now!

(ע”פ שיחת כ”ק אדמו”ר מליובאוויטש ש”פ בלק תנש”א. ועוד)