Questions tagged [fast-days]
Days where Jews refrain from eating and drinking.
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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 ...
user5092
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Tzom Gedalya vs. Taanis Esther
Why is Tzom Gedalya known as Tzom Gedalya and Taanis Esther as Taanis Esther. Why not Taanis Gedalya or Tzom Esther?
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Source that drinking on Purim is like fasting for two weeks
I have seen references (1, 2) to a saying from the holy Rebbe of Zitoshev that
"If a person drinks wine on Purim the way he is commanded it is the same as if he fasted twice from Shabbos to Shabbos!...
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Siyum Mishnayos on Erev Pesach
Today I learned of the minhag to make a siyum bechorim only on gemara. I understand the logic, but is there a source for it? This came up because I'm scheduled to make a siyum on the Mishna (first ...
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Source for Taanis Esther as a tikkun for the Eitz Hadaas?
In this article the author asserts in the name of Rav Chaim Vital that
The three-day fast that Mordechai and Esther ordered for the Jewish people, says Rav Chaim Vital, was a tikkun for the ...
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Waking up early to eat before a fast
I was just wondering about the halachos of waking up to eat before a fast day.
If one had intention, is it best to wake up, wash negal vasser, get dressed, go to bathroom say Al Netilas Yadaim, Asher ...
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Fasting when seeing an Aron Kodesh fall with a Sefer Torah inside
Discussed already were the "customs" surrounding fasting when a Sefer Torah falls the floor:
The earliest source is the Shu"t Mishpetei Shmuel 12 quoted by the
Magen Avraham 44:5. He bases it on ...
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Yom Kippur, fasting, prayer, crying, and snot
It's Yom Kippur. Mr. Ploni is at home, praying the Amidah prayer with great emotion. He's crying, and his nose is dripping. Although it's a fast day, he wants to lick the snot off his upper lip.
If ...
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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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Seudas Bris on a pushed-off fast
When Tisha B'Av is pushed off from Shabbos to Sunday the "bal habris" may eat a seudah (meal).
A few questions. (I have no other background information to give and I'm asking because simply a lack of ...
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Fasting on yarhzeit of parent -- must be "m'kabel" the fast from the day before?
When someone is fasting a "taanis yachid" (individual fast) he must be "m'kabel" (accept upon himself) the fast from the day before in the Tefillah of Mincha. Is the same true for the fast that one ...
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Not eating before Tisha B'Av -- Better to eat after Shkiah but before nightfall or wait until Tisha B'Av
Someone for whatever reason was not able to eat Erev Tisha B'Av. It came shkia (sunset) and finally he was able to find time or the ability to eat. Is it better for him to eat then during Bein ...
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Fasting on the 15th of Av
There are many days out of the year where one is not allowed to fast (for various reasons. This is my reason for asking by Tu B'Av simply because I don't know and it is a "special" day that we don't ...
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Why do we not say selichot on Tisha B'Av?
Every fast day on the Jewish calendar has its set of selichot that are said. The one exception to this is Tisha B'Av. This seems counter-intuitive to me because Tisha B'Av is the day when we mourn the ...
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Listerine strips on Yom Kippur and Pesach
I heard recently in the name of Rav Hershel Schachter that you can consume Listerine strips (such as these) on both Yom Kippur and Pesach without worry.
I wonder if anyone can confirm this, and ...
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May one make a siyum on a day he is fasting?
If a person accepted a personal fast, is he allowed to make a siyum on that day even though he is fasting and won't eat? Also, is there something special about a personal fast day (other than not ...
user2110
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Are males with older sisters "firstborn" for the purposes of the Fast of the Firstborn?
Assuming you follow the tradition that only first-born males are obligated to fast the day before Passover, do the males who have an older sister count as first-born or not?
Wikipedia doesn't seem to ...
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Did King David really fast on alternate days?
Could you please let me know whether
King David fasted on alternate days? Have you got this tradition in Judaism? Any historical reference?
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Fasting for a child bechor before Passover
I've heard that some men fast on erev Pesach for their firstborn son until that son old enough to fast for himself. Is that halakha? Where does this come from?
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Hallel on Yom Nicanor
Yom Nicanor celebrated the victory of Yehuda Maccabi (a few years after the events commemorated on Chanuka) over Nicanor, the Syrian-Greek governor who threatened to destroy the Temple if he wasn't ...
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Can you attend a sporting event on a minor fast day?
This year the tenth of Teves falls on a Sunday, which happens to also be an NFL game day. Is it permissible or discouraged to attend such a sporting event during the fast?
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The connection between Tishrei and Tevet
Can anyone steer me towards resources which explore a connection or relationship between Tishrei and Tevet (I assume, on a mystical level). Both months have a fast day on the 10th day and the full ...
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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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Nebulizer on Yom Kippur
Is someone who suffers from asthma and needs to use a nebulizer to make it easier for them to breath (not pekuach nefesh) allowed to use it on Yom Kippur? (In a way of course that it'll be turned on ...
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Has anyone declared a time of oppression regarding the four Temple fasts?
The Sha'ar haTziyun (OC 550 sk 9) speculates if in his day (~1900 CE) there was enough oppression of the Jews to warrant declaring the fasts of 10 Tevet, 17 Tammuz and 3 Tishrei into full fledged ...
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Why whole-day or daytime fast?
Why is it that the 9th of Av is a full-day fast but the other post-Mosaic fasts are daytime-only fasts? What determined the length?
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Why do we read vayechal twice on a fast?
I have been doing some research on the question of vayechal at mincha and have hit a roadblock. So far, here are the questions I have considered and feel ok with as "answered":
why lain at mincha on ...
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Customs surrounding fasting when a sefer torah falls to the floor?
Based on this question I would like to know what the earliest source for fasting when a sefer torah falls comes from? Is is true that if a person is in the room but turns away so as not to see it fall,...
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Why did the animals of Ninveh have to fast and wear sackcloth?
In Yona 3:7-8 we find that the people of Ninveh included the animals in their teshuva process. Why make the animals fast and don sackcloth? How was this part of the teshuva process?
user1668
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If someone has broken their fast on Yom Kippur is anything extra added to birchas hamazon? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Benching on yom kipper
I have heard that if one breaks his fast on Yom Kippur he should add into his birchas hamazon the section of "Yaaleh V'yavo". Is this true or do you add ...
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If you have problems fasting, what should you do on Tishá BeAv? [closed]
Say that, in every 24h fast, you feel extremely nauseated, and then vomit at some point in the final 3 hours. What should you do during a fast like Tishá BeAv?
(Once I asked a Rabbi, and he said that ...
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Do the customs in regards to *Yud Av* apply to *Yud-Aleph Av* on a year when the fast is pushed off?
I know that people have the custom (I don't know how universal it is), to keep a lot of the restrictions of the nine days until Chatzos on Yud Av, such as not eating meat or doing laundry.
This year ...
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Are there any nuschaos which drop one of the closing phrases when עננו is said in שמע קולנו?
We add in the special prayer עננו on fast days. It is added in two different locations. (1) as a separate brocho between גואל and רופא and (2) as an addition into the brocho of שמע קולנו.
In (1) the ...
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May one allow children to play in water on minor fasts?
May one allow children to play in water on minor fasts? Are the rules the same (depending whom you follow) as for an adult?
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When do the restrictions of 3 weeks start when 17 Tammuz is on Shabbos?
When do the restrictions of 3 weeks start when 17 Tammuz is on Shabbos (e.g. this year)?
Do they start motzei shabbos (already 18 Tammuz), since the 17 Tammuz is technically on shabbos or do they ...
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Fasting during Sheva Brachos when the fast is pushed off
Let's say someone gets married and during that person's Sheva Brachos week there is a Fast day that was supposed to be on Shabbos but was pushed off to Sunday. They are within Sheva Brachos on that ...
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Ban on Shabas fasts derived from lechem hapanim?
The Shabas table song "Ki eshm'ra Shabas" includes the following stanza:
רָשׁוּם/רָשַׁם בְּדַת הָאֵ׳ חוֹק אֶל סְגָנָיו בּוֹ לַעֲרוֹךְ לֶחֶם פָּנִים בְּפָנָיו עַל כֵּן לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בּוֹ עַל ...
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Fasting for non Religious Reasons?
I was recently asked to fast as a part of a multi-faith community fast as spiritual preparation for doing voter engagement work (I work for a multi-faith, multi-ethnic community organization.)
Here ...
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Fasting on Modern Days of Mourning
I was wondering if some people fast on Yom HaShoah or Yom HaZikaron. After all, these are somber days and hit close to home for many people.
Do some people fast on these days? Why or why not?
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Must a jew-by-choice who is a firstborn observe the fast of the firstborn
I'm interested in the question of whether a ger who is firstborn (of both parents, say, to keep things simple) must follow the rules for Ta'anit B'khorot. There are some remarks on the wikipedia page, ...
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Why isn't Ta'anit Bechorot pushed back to Thursday when Pesach falls out on Shabbas?
When the first Seder falls on Motzei Shabbas, Ta'anit Bechorot is pushed back to Thursday. Why does it stay on Friday when Pesach falls out on Shabbas?
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How did Mordechai get *all* the Jews of Shushan to agree to fast for three days?
My question is a bit long-winded so I'll summarize first:
TL;DR How did Mordechai rouse the will of all the Jews of Shushan to agree to fast for three days? And further, why did Esther limit her ...
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Did Esther eat at the first feast she made for the king and Haman?
Esther 5:1,5:4 says that Esther made the first feast on the third day of the fast.
Earlier (4:16), Esther tells Mordechai that she will also fast for three days.
Did she eat at the feast, or was ...
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Fasting for Medical Recovery
Yesterday, a request was publicized in the name of R' Chaim Kanievsky to accept a fast in the afternoon to fast today for the medical recovery of R' Y.S. Elyashiv, unless it interferes with one's ...
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Do more fasts fall out on monday and thursday, or does it just feel that way
On Monday and Thursday, we say a longer Tachanun. On a fast day (where the weekday prayers are still said), Selichot are said in addition to Tachanun.
It feels like there are many more fasts that ...
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Didn't have enough fasters at the beginning of the service, now do (or might): do you change over to the fast-day liturgy?
On a public fast you only do the liturgical changes (like Avinu Malkeinu) if you have at least six actual fasters present. If you don't have that quorum at the beginning and therefore start doing a ...
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Counting towards a Keriat HaTorah one who accidentally ate
We have Halacha that at least 6 people need to be fasting in order to read the Torah in a fast day. However, let's say there are 10 people and 5 are definitely fasting and one who accidentally ate (...
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You accidentally broke your fast. Now what?
What are you supposed to do if you inadvertently broke your fast*? Do you:
keep going;
extend it (if so, how long);
cancel it (if so, do you make it up a different day)?
*This question is for day-...
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Mouthwash on a public fast day?
Is it permitted to use mouthwash on a public fast day? Would a sensitive mouth, due to medical reasons be a good reason to be lenient?
(I can see it being less problematic than brushing one's teeth, ...
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Shower or Mikvah on a Fast Day
Are you allowed to take a shower on a fast day, and is it suggested?
Once we are talking about bathing, what about going to the Mikvah on a fast day?
Does it make a difference if one goes daily, and/...
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