זכריה, פרק ז׳, פסוק ב׳

During the construction of the Second Temple, the exiles living in Babylon faced a profound dilemma. In light of the sanctuary's reconstruction, they wondered whether they should continue observing the fasts and mourning customs that had been established to commemorate its destruction. To resolve this uncertainty, an official delegation was dispatched to seek prophetic guidance and a clear answer from God.

The exact nature of this mission and its destination is a matter of discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that the delegation was sent by the Babylonian exile community directly to the House of God in Jerusalem. However, another perspective suggests that the messengers from Babylon first approached their relatives living in the city of Bethel, asking them to travel to Jerusalem to pray on their behalf [רש״י]. A completely different view proposes that Bethel was not a location at all, but rather the name of a prominent Israelite official in Babylon who personally initiated the mission [אבן עזרא, רד״ק].

The leaders of this delegation, Sharezer and Regem-melech, were well-known public figures within the Babylonian community. They did not travel alone but were accompanied by an entourage made up of Regem-melech's men [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. Their immediate goal was to engage in deep prayer and pleading [מצודת ציון]. They specifically asked God to place His prophetic spirit upon the priests and prophets in Jerusalem, enabling them to provide a divine answer to their pressing question [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

At the heart of their inquiry was whether they should continue to weep and fast during the month of Av to mourn the destruction of the Temple, given that a new sanctuary now stood in its place [רש״י, רד״ק]. This uncertainty stemmed from the exiles' mixed emotions regarding the Second Temple. They recognized that the new building was less magnificent than the first and lacked the full intensity of the Divine Presence. Furthermore, the nation remained under foreign rule, and the majority of the people were still scattered in exile. These lingering hardships led them to doubt whether the new structure truly marked the end of their mourning and the cancellation of their fasts [מלבי״ם].