16 votes
Accepted

Brush teeth on a Ta'anis

According to this article, most Poskim do allow one to brush one's teeth on the three minor fasts, especially if they are going to be in some level of discomfort. ..While the Kaf Hachaim (OC 567:13)...
  • 6,107
12 votes
Accepted

Why don't Israeli women fast?

Note 10 in Rav Eliezer Melamed's article on the "lighter fasts" states as follows: וכיום ההוראה הרווחת לנשים אשכנזיות שלא לצום. ועיין בפסקי תשובות תקנ, א, שהביא דעות מופלגות להיתר, שכל ...
11 votes
Accepted

What are the fasts of the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 10th months?

These fasts are counting from Nisan as the first month (the Jewish religious calendar). The fast of the 4th month is 17 Tammuz. The fast of the 5th month is 9 Av. Here, the fast of the 7th month is ...
  • 24.5k
11 votes

Why do we leyn before mincha but after shacharis?

This question was asked on kipa.co.il. The answer given by R. Ronen Lebovitz was: וזאת משום שבשחרית יש לסמוך את קריאת שמע לעמידה, ולכן קריאת התורה באה רק לאחר העמידה. טעם נוסף הוא שהתפילות תוקנו ...
  • 39.7k
9 votes
Accepted

Who is "the author of the Shulchan Aruch" in this teshuvah of Rashbash?

The Machon Yerushalayim edition of the teshuvos, which is available on Otzar Chochmah, has a footnote that asks your question and suggests "the author of the Shulchan Aruch" was added by mistake at ...
  • 9,019
8 votes
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Chatam Sofer on Tenth of Tevet falling on the Shabbat

I just wrote about this topic for a devar Torah, which can be read here. In my Mafteach for Derashos Chasam Sofer they show that the Chasam Sofer addresses this Abudraham almost a dozen times in that ...
  • 18.9k
7 votes
Accepted

Did the Jewish soldiers fast before war?

As it turns out, I think my father-in-law found the answer in שולחן ערוך אֹרח חיים, תקע״א (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Taf Kuf Ayin Aleph) עִיר שֶׁהִקִּיפוּהָ עַכּוּ''ם, וְכֵן יָחִיד הַנִּרְדָּף ...
7 votes
Accepted

Source for Rema re: Fasting in Sefer Tanya

The Rema is referring to the sefer Tanya Rabbasi, who writes (siman 34): שבראש חדש אף על פי שאסור להתענות...‏ In general, when sifrei halachah quote "sefer tanya", they are referring to the ...
  • 5,558
7 votes
Accepted

Why is fasting not permitted in the first 12 day of Sivan?

R Eli Mansour explains here During the times of the Beth Hamikdash, those who were unable to bring their sacrifices on the day of Shavuot itself – which in Israel is celebrated only on the ...
  • 44.5k
7 votes

What happens if an individual accidentally says Aneinu before Re'eh instead of during Shema Koleinu?

The Kaf HaChaim writes here that you fulfilled your obligation if you accidentally says it as a stand-alone Beracha before Re'eh. Therefore: 1 - You do not say it again in Shema Koleinu. 2 - It was ...
7 votes

Looking for Ibn Ezra Riddle

I found the riddle written here, here and here (and mentioned in a couple of other places where it seems to have been written by memory and may not necessarily be the correct order of the riddle), but ...
  • 23.2k
6 votes

Hallel on Yom Nicanor

I will try to answer the first question on whether Hallel was recited on Yom Nicanor, using classical and rabbinic evidence. There are no sources that record the recitation of Hallel in the ...
  • 11.2k
6 votes

Does a wedding on Yom Yerushalayim exempt the couple from fasting?

A Chosson fasts on Yom Yerushalaim
6 votes

Should a child wash his hands before eating on Yom Kippur?

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 613:1) stresses that only bathing/washing for pleasure is prohibited on Yom Kippur. Elsewhere (Kesef Mishneh, Laws of Prayer 7:8) he quotes the Ran (R. Nissim) who states that ...
  • 11.8k
6 votes

Is eating with a peg allowed on a fast day

The Falk-Shlesinger Institute for Medical Research according to Torah associated with Shaarei Tzedek hospital has a long article on artificial feeding on Yom Kippur. It asks three questions, one of ...
6 votes

Why did Rebbe want to get rid of Tishah b’Av Nidcheh?

1 - The Or Sameach תענית ה/ו writes that according to the Avodraham that fasting on Shabbos is only forbidden mi'd'oraisa if it's for the full 24 hours, there is an answer to your question, about the ...
6 votes

is it permitted to swallow spit on a fast day?

See Magen Avraham, OC 567:8: כ' האגודה פ"י דיומא מותר לבלוע הרוק ביה"כ ובב"ח סי' תרי"ב משמע קצת דלדידן דקי"ל דאפי' אוכלין שאין ראוים לאכילה אסור לכתחלה גם הרוק אסור לבלוע ול&...
  • 22.5k
6 votes
Accepted

Talmudic concept of a sensitive individual--"istus?"

I am not aware of an istus but there a closely related concept word: an istenis is indeed a delicate person. It appears in a number of different contexts in the Talmud, for instance someone who is ...
  • 44.5k
6 votes

Must one fast if her stomach hurts?

On 17 Tammuz, like on Tzom Gedalyia and 10 Tevet, the law is that One who is ill, even if his life is not in danger, should not fast (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:9) adds the Mishna Brura (550:4) ...
  • 44.5k
5 votes

Is listening to Music on the fast of Asarah BeTevet permitted?

In the Shulchan Aruch it does not say that music is prohibited on the 10th of Tevet, however the Mishnah Berurah (550:6) writes that a person who can (and is a ba’al nefesh) should preferably accept ...
5 votes
Accepted

Who observes Yom Kippur Katan, and how?

In Yerushalyaim it is common to find minyanim saying it. Furthermore, it is the official practice of the Mir yeshiva to say Yom Kippur Koton. Although the minhag is not widespread being that it is ...
5 votes
Accepted

Why is the torah reading for minor fast days different by just one verse from when that reading occurs in the regular cycle?

R. Eliyahu Katz has a responsum where he was asked precisely (well not precisely) this question! The basic idea is that on fast days we want to read the next verse because it is a consolation, and we ...
  • 48.4k
5 votes
Accepted

Should animals not be fed on Yom Kippur?

Does this mean that we, literally, should not feed animals (including Livestock and Pets, even Service Animals) on Yom Kippur or are animals not considered people (and are exempt from fasting) despite ...
  • 73.5k
5 votes

Can women pray when on their period?

In general, the state of being a menstruant does not place limitations on religious obligations. My understanding was in line with this statement: " When she is niddah a woman must continue to do all ...
  • 37.1k
5 votes

Placement of Aneinu on the day of a fast

Peninei Halachah brings a citation from the Rama 565:3 that we consider that an individual might be forced to break the fast before having fasted most of the day. Once he has fasted until mincha, then ...
  • 42.6k
5 votes
Accepted

Why isn't Ta'anit Esther on Friday?

The Meiri, in defending the custom of Provence to fast on Friday 12 Adar against the claims of the students of the Ramban who fasted on Thursday 11 Adar, notes the claims of the students of the Ramban ...
  • 96k
5 votes

Regretting intentionally breaking a fast

O.C 568:1 נדר להתענות יום זה ושכח ואכל משלים תעניתו והוא הדין אם היה תענית חלום או שהיה תענית צבור או שהיה יום ידוע לו להתענות כיום שמת בו אביו או רבו One who vowed to fast for a day, but forgot and ...
  • 3,829
5 votes
Accepted

Why not start BaHaB on Iyar / Marcheshvan 3?

The לוח דבר בעיתו explains (regarding Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5769) that the reason we don't announce בה"ב on Rosh Chodesh is that: אין מברכים את המתענים בה"ב בחדש ניסן או בשבת ר"ח, השבת הקרובה, כמו ...
5 votes

Day of Yosef’s Sale

As far as I can tell, you didn't see it in a traditional "Midrash", since I've researched it pretty seriously and haven't come up with anything. However, in a fairly recent "Midrash&...
5 votes
Accepted

Is it permissible to learn Hilchot Teshuva on Tisha Beav?

Not only is it permissible, but it is correct to do so according to the Meiri (Moed Katan 21a- Aveilus) . The Meiri explains that learning things that arouses one to do teshuva is a good thing. See ...
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