The Fast of Gedalia is one of the four fasts instituted by the prophets because of the destruction of the First Temple. After Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the First Temple just about all of the Jews were exiled. However a small remnant of them remained in the Holy Land. The Babylonians appointed Gedalia as their governor. He was not greatly notable but was reckoned as a generally righteous man. He was murdered by a pin headed malevolent Jew. He could have prevented it but basically was a chump. Both the murderer and Gedalia had religious albeit erroneous rationales for their actions.
The surviving Jews were alarmed by the prospect of punitive actions by the Babylonians so they asked the prophet Jeremiah to inquire of God as to the proper actions to take. God responded that if they remained in the land He would take care of them but if they were disobedient and fled He would do horrible things to them. The people upon hearing this immediately accused Jeremiah of lying and fled to Egypt. Egypt was then conquered by the Babylonians who proceeded to torture and kill the Jews there. The final result was that the land of Israel was absolutely devoid of Jews for seventy years.
Eli Tsiyon אלי ציון as sung by Yoseph
https://youtube.com/shorts/7MSQR0FIeHs?si=ud_vmC47b7AeIiTI
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