Questions tagged [fast-days]
Days where Jews refrain from eating and drinking.
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Can you take vitamins on a fast day?
Can you take vitamins on a fast day?
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Why is a Haftorah recited on fast days?
I think the title is essentially my question. Fast days are the only time when a haftorah is said during mincha. What makes fast days unique to have a haftorah recited then?
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Chewing gum on a fast?
In a fast, as you probably know, it is forbidden to eat. So anything that would be halachicaly considered eating wouldn't be allowed. While reading some answers on this site, I found that chewing gum ...
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Difference between "taanit" and "tzom"?
Is there a difference between taanit and tzom and what is it? At first I thought it was the difference between public and private fasts, but there are public and private taanit so that is not the case....
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Anenu if planning to break the fast
I have two related questions about the fast day addition to the Amida "Anenu b'yom tzom taaniteinu":
If an individual is fasting when he says mincha, but he plans to break the fast after mincha, ...
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Why do all our fast days revolve around the Beis Hamikdash?
We have a few "official" fast days:
Tzom Gedalia – The last Jewish administrator killed and the final Jewish community sent into exile
10th of Teves – Siege in the time of the 1st Beis Hamikdash
...
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Taanis Chalom on shabbos when a fast day is pushed off
If a fast day which normally falls out on shabbos is pushed off, such as the 17th of Tammuz, and a person fasts on that shabbos for another permissible reason, such as a taanis chalom (fast for having ...
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Fast of the Tenth of the month of Teves
What is the significance of the Fast of the Tenth of Teves?
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Why do the Destruction-related Fasts not have names?
There are three Fasts on our calendar that commemorate stages in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple:
17 Tammuz
9 Av
10 Tevet
(I realize that we could consider Tzom Gedaliah a partial ...
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Headache remedy on a fast day?
Even with proper pre-fast hydration and caffeine reduction, I almost always get a headache starting around hour 20-22 of a fast and growing from there. Taking a nap is sometimes possible and ...
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Is one allowed to smoke on minor fast days?
There are various opinions on whether it is ever permissible to smoke, with rabbinic opinion shifting more toward "no" in recent years, but among those who permit smoking generally, is it permissible ...
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Under what circumstances may one eat or drink on a fast day?
When and for what health reasons should we break our fasts? (assume the person is not elderly or pregnant.)
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Why did Rebbe want to get rid of Tishah b’Av Nidcheh?
Megillah 5a-b:
אמר רבי אלעזר אמר רבי חנינא רבי נטע נטיעה בפורים ורחץ בקרונה של צפורי בשבעה עשר בתמוז ובקש לעקור תשעה באב ולא הודו לו אמר לפניו רבי אבא בר זבדא רבי לא כך היה מעשה אלא תשעה באב שחל ...
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Asara B'Teveis on a Friday
This year Asara B'Teveis came out on a Friday. Suppose you would Daven Mincha before Plag and Kaballas Shabbos right after Plag and come home when it is still light outside, would you be allowed to ...
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Chatam Sofer on Tenth of Tevet falling on the Shabbat
Abudarham argued that should we not use a calculated calendar and should Tenth of Tevet fall on the Shabbat, we would be required to fast instead of postponing it. He learns this from the common ...
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If you're really thirsty (e.g. breaking a fast), do you make a bracha first on the water or solids?
I know generally speaking, when prioritizing brachos, if you have food and drink, the food goes first; also, shehakols tend to rank low.
But what if you're really, really thirsty (e.g. breaking a ...
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Placement of Aneinu on the day of a fast
On days when the community fasts the prayer of "aneinu" is added to the repetition of the leader in the morning and is said after the blessing of "Re'eh Nah".
In Mincha the community adds this prayer ...
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What is the source for taanit dibur?
I recall meeting someone on Yom Kippur once who would not respond when I spoke to him. Instead he handed me a piece of paper which said that he was engaged in a taanit dibur, a 'fast' where that which ...
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When did the custom start to fast Tannis Esther on 13th Addar?
This question is not a duplicate of Tannis Esther reason because it is not a question of the reason just about the time.
In Megilat Taanit it is mentioned that people should not fast on the day ...
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When did Yom Kippur Kattan originate?
The day before Rosh Hodesh is considered like a "mini" Yom Kippur. (I understand that there are some months, I think before Tishrei and Nissan that do not have YKK? Correct me if I'm mistaken.)
Some ...
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What are the opinions regarding eating small-bits-at-a-time ("leshiurin") on Tisha B'Av when necessary?
I know on Yom Kippur, if someone is medically required to eat, s/he should do so with only a bit of food every few minutes, to avoid the full severity of eating "a full serving in one sitting."
On ...
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Meaningful ways to spend Tisha b'Av?
I am struggling a bit on Tisha b'Av to find meaningful ways to spend the day. I am looking for advice on meaningful activities that fulfill the intent of the day (mourning for Jerusalem and the ...
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What to do in the case of dropping tefillin?
I heard that in the case of tefillin falling on the floor, this is a serious thing and one must give $25 in tzedaka. I did a little research and found that halacha offers an alternative option of ...
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Water Fasts and Halacha
Some spiritual disciplines have a concept of a "water fast" (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fasting), during which one consumes only water, tea w/o sugar, etc.
Clearly, consuming even water ...
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How the 72 hours straight fast was possibly allowed?
We know that the danger of fasting two consecutive days is the reason Yom Kippur (and all other fasts) is not celebrated two days outside Israel.
And still Ester commanded on the 3-day fast (Ester 4,...
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How far can you go in Shabbos leniency in order to prepare food?
I am referring to situations in which it is very likely that there will not be any food unless Shabbos leniencies are exploited. For example, if literally all my food is all in the fridge, but I know ...
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Source for a quote from the Chofetz Chayim
A friend of mine told me a while back that he read somewhere that the Chofetz Chayim was quoted as saying that if he could, he would annul all rabbinic fasts, for in our lowly generation these fasts ...
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Relief from fasting while traveling?
I fly multiple times a week nearly every week for work. It has happened a few times that I had to travel on a minor fast day and I was at times surprised to see visibly religious people eating and ...
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Six fast days? What's the sixth?
On Mekor Judaica's website, I see a Sephardic siddur for sale, for the שש תעניות, the six fast days.
I was only aware of 5 fast days:
Ta'anit Esther
Tzom Gedaliah
10th of Tevet
17th of Tammuz
Tisha B'...
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Is the Fast of Tevet considered a 24 hour fast?
Is the Fast of Tevet considered a 24 hour fast, or does it begin in the morning until early evening?
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Fasts for pregnant women and new mothers
What fasts are pregnant women and women right after childbirth obligated to keep?
Thanks.
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17 of Tammuz occurrences
What happened on the 17 of Tammuz to inspire the fast observed on that day?
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Looking for Ibn Ezra Riddle
I'm looking for the Hebrew of an Ibn Ezra riddle related to fast days: "the short, the long, the black, the white, the man, the woman."
Does anyone have a source, or the Hebrew for this?
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What happens if an individual accidentally says Aneinu before Re'eh instead of during Shema Koleinu?
Let’s say that a congregant, who’s normally supposed to say Aneinu in Shema Koleinu instead of before Re'eh, accidentally says it as a stand-alone Beracha before Re'eh. He doesn’t realize until well ...
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Source for Rema re: Fasting in Sefer Tanya
Orach Chaim Simman 580 Seif 1 the SA writes
אֵלּוּ הַיָּמִים שֶׁאֵרְעוּ בָּהֶם צָרוֹת לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְרָאוּי לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בָּהֶם; וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּקְּצָתָם בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר ...
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Parshas Chukas Fast
Why do people fast on the Friday of Parshas Chukas?
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Preparing for a fast by eating/drinking on Shabbos
If the fast of Tisha B'av comes out on Sunday, is it a problem of preparing for after Shabbos on Shabbos to eat or drink more than one normally would on Shabbos?
If a fast were on Tuesday, and one ...
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Is it permissible to learn Hilchot Teshuva on Tisha Beav?
The Shulchan Aruch paskens (OC 554) that it is forbidden to learn most parts of Torah on Tisha Beav, except for a few small sections about aveilut.
The question is: the Shulchan Aruch doesn't ...
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Yehi Ratzons on Monday and Thursday only?
Are there any recent Halachic sources that discuss whether or not the Yehi Ratzons following the Torah reading would be recited a fast day that falls out on S/T/W/F?
I realize that at Why are the Yehi ...
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Does a b'chor need to fast if he didn't partake in food from the siyum?
If a b'chor attended (or made) a siyum on taanis bechoros but did not partake of any food does he need to fast?
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Why is there no clear Chabad custom regarding Tzom G'dalya s'lichos: early morning or during shacharis?
In the 2005/5765 Kehot edition of סליחות על־פי מנהג חב״ד/Slichos appears part of a letter by the last Lubavitcher rebbe with no date on it. It reads, in part:
לא שמעתי הוראה בסדר סליחות ליום זה (...
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Good idea to fast on the day of conversion?
Is there any reason someone would refrain from eating on the day of conversion up until it is complete?
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Why do we honor Gedalia, who was condemned for murder, with a fast day?
Gedaliah was informed that Yishmael ben Nesania was going to try to kill him. He ignored this, thinking it a lie (Yirmiyahu 40:16). Because of this mistake, the Torah (Yirmiyahu 41:9) attributes ...
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Day of Yosef’s Sale
I saw in a medrash - but can’t recall where - that the brothers sold Yosef on the tenth of Teveis.
Does any which medrash I could find this in?
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When does a private fast begin?
When does a private fast (תענית יחיד) begin? At sunset or at dawn? Is it considered a fast like Yom Kippur (24 hr.) or like a half-day fast?
Are there any sources that address this?
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Restaurants opening on fast days
Assuming a kosher restaurant or a café that attracts significant quantity of non-Jewish customers, what is their policy on fast days?
Do they keep open? If so, what do they do with Jews, who have ...
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Why is there no Kaddish after Torah reading at mincha on a fast day?
Every Torah reading is followed by half Kaddish, except for Shabbat and fast day mincha.
Mishnah Berurah #4 on O.C. 292:1 says that on Shabbat and fast days we don't say Kaddish after Torah reading ...
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Is Selichos recited in the house of a mourner during shiva on Asara B'Tevet?
Is Selichot said in the house of an avel during shiva on the 10th of Tevet? Does the mourner lead the Selichos?
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Can a public fast day be used for a Yahrtzeit fast?
Some people have a minhag to fast on a yahrtzeit (see Shulchan Aruch OC 567,7-9). If the day of the yahrtzeit occurs on a public fast day such as 17 Tamuz, can the fasting done then count for the ...
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On a "minor fast day" must one daven Maariv before eating once the fast is over?
Can a person eat once a fast is over and daven Maariv at a later time after eating? or is it a requirement to say Maariv prior to breaking one's fast?