Going from Babylon to Israel, he fasted hundreds of days to forget what he had learned in his youth. He was known for two passions: his precision in study and his love for Eretz Yisrael. Further, Rabbi Zeira’s greatness is that he symbolizes tradition, since no one displayed such commitment to truthful transmission. Having waited a long time before leaving for Israel, Rabbi Zeira mirrors the feelings of Jews who consider themselves eternally linked to Israel and yet also citizens of the diaspora. What is it in Jewish mentality that moves many of us to not immigrate to Israel: to choose dream over reality and prayer over realization? In his time, Rabbi Zeira fasted hundreds of days so as to forget; in ours, we must do something so as not to forget.