Fast Days צומות

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no festive days for Israel like 15 Av and like Yom Kippur… Yom Kippur, because it has forgiveness and pardon, the day on which the final tablets were given…

That day was established as Yom Kippur to make known that He forgave and retracted from the evil that He had spoken of doing to His nation, and therefore the fast of Kippur was established on the 10th of Tishrei; thus I heard.

(27) Mark, the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall practice self-denial, and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD; (28) you shall do no work throughout that day. For it is a Day of Atonement, on which expiation is made on your behalf before the LORD your God. (29) Indeed, any person who does not practice self-denial throughout that day shall be cut off from his kin; (30) and whoever does any work throughout that day, I will cause that person to perish from among his people. (31) Do no work whatever; it is a law for all time, throughout the ages in all your settlements. (32) It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your sabbath...

Our rabbis taught…It says “and I shall destroy that soul” (Vayikra 23:30) – affliction that is destruction of the soul. And what is this? This is eating and drinking….It was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Affliction is said here, and affliction is said there [“He afflicted you and made you hungry and gave you manna to eat” (Devarim 8:3)]. Just as there, affliction is hunger, so here, affliction is hunger.

Reish Lakish said, why is no prohibition stated with affliction?… Rav Acha bar Ya’akov said, derive “Shabbat Shabbaton” [Yom Kippur] from Shabbat Bereishit [Shabbat observed weekly based on the seventh day of Creation]. Just as there, [the Torah] did not punish unless it prohibited, so here it did not punish unless it prohibited

Yom Kippur is derived from Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav, for Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav, and it was also taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Scripture says “man or woman” – the verse equates a woman to a man for all the punishments in the Torah.

Rav Yehuda said: The large date that they said – is larger than the volume of an egg, and the rabbis have a tradition that with this, his mind is settled.

To fast on the 10th day of Tishrei … among the roots of the mitzva, that it is among God’s kindnesses over all His creatures to establish for them one day in the year to atone for sins with repentance … Therefore, we are commanded to fast on it, because food and drink and other pleasures of the sense of touch awaken our physical nature to be drawn after desire and sin … It is not fitting for a bondsman on the day he comes in judgement before his Master to come with a spirit dark and confused from food and drink, with thoughts of the physicalitywithin which it resides … it is good for him to elevate his intelligent soul, and to subdue the physical before it on that honored day, so that it will be fitting and ready to receive its atonement …. It is an affliction for a person as long as he does not eat a date’s worth, for a person’s mind is not settled with less … and similarly, what they said, that the measure of drinking is a person’s cheek full … and with less than this there is no prohibition of excision …. It applies in every place and at every time, for males and females. One who violates it and ate on Yom Kippur the measure of a date’s worth violated a positive commandment, and violated a negative commandment that is liable for excision, as it is said “For every soul who is not afflicted on this very day shall be cut off”

(4) Thereupon the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me: (5) Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months all these seventy years, did you fast for my benefit? (6) And when you eat and drink, who but you does the eating, and who but you does the drinking? (7) Look, this is the message that the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem and the towns about her were peopled and tranquil, when the Negeb and the Shephelah were peopled. (8) And the word of the LORD to Zechariah continued: (9) Thus said the LORD of Hosts: Execute true justice; deal loyally and compassionately with one another. (10) Do not defraud the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; and do not plot evil against one another.— (11) But they refused to pay heed. They presented a balky back and turned a deaf ear. (12) They hardened their hearts like adamant against heeding the instruction and admonition that the LORD of Hosts sent to them by His spirit through the earlier prophets; and a terrible wrath issued from the LORD of Hosts. (13) Even as He called and they would not listen, “So,” said the LORD of Hosts, “let them call and I will not listen.” (14) I dispersed them among all those nations which they had not known, and the land was left behind them desolate, without any who came and went. They caused a delightful land to be turned into a desolation.

And the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me, saying. Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests saying: When you fasted and lamented on the fifth and the seventh [months], these seventy years, did I fast? And when you eat, and when you drink — behold you are the ones who are eating, and you are the ones who are drinking… These are the things that you should do. Speak truth, each person to their fellow — truth and a peaceful judgement you shall judge in your gates. And do not think evil of each other in your hearts, and do not love false oaths … So says the Lord of Hosts: the fast of the fourth and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth [months] will be for the house of Yehuda rejoicing and happiness and good appointed times, and truth and peace you shall love.

The fast of the tenth – this is the 10th of Tevet when the king of Bavel besieged Jerusalem…

The city was breached – that was on the 17th. Isn’t it written (Yirmiyahu 52:6) in the fourth month on the 9th of the month the famine was great in the city, and it is written after that (Yirmiyahu 52:7) “and the city was breached…”? Rava said: there is no contradiction. Here [it refers to] the first [Temple] and here to the second. As it is taught, with the first [Temple] the city was breached on the 9th of Tammuz, with the second on the 17th.

(2) Even though it is written in the verse (Jeremiah 39:2) "[During the eleventh year [of the reign] of Tzidkiyahu] in the fourth month [i.e., Tammuz], on the ninth day of the month, the city was crossed", we do not fast on the 9th day of that [month], rather on the 17th of that [month] -- since, despite the fact that originally (i.e.; the First Temple) [the city of Jerusalem] was breached on the 9th of that [month] -- since the second time (i.e.; the Second Temple) [the city] was breached on the 17th of that [month], [the sages] decreed a fast on the 17th of that [month] because the destruction of the Second Temple was stronger than it (i.e; the destruction of the First Temple).

Five things happened to our forefathers on the 17th of Tammuz….On the 17th of Tammuz the tablets were broken, the [daily] Tamid offering ceased, the city [wall] was breached, Apostomus burned the Torah, and an idol was erected in the sanctuary.

The First Temple was destroyed, as it is written (Melachim II 25:8) “In the fifth month on the 7th of the month, that is the nineteenth year of King Nevuchadnetzar, king of Bavel, Nevuzaradan, the chief of the guards, and officer of the king of Bavel, came to Yerushalayim and burned the House of God…” And it is written (Yirmiyahu 52:12) “In the fifth month on the 10th of the month, that is the nineteenth [year] of King Nevuchadnetzar, king of Bavel, Nevuzaradan, the chief of the guards, stood before the king of Bavel in Yerushalayim and burned the House of God…” And it is taught [in a baraita], it is impossible to say on the 7th, for it was already said on the 10th. And it is impossible to say on the 10th, for it was already said on the 7th. How is this? On the 7th, foreigners entered the Sanctuary, and they ate and sinned there on the 7th and 8th, and on the 9th close to dark they lit it on fire, and it kept burning the entire day…and according to the rabbis, the beginning of the calamity is more significant.

Five things befell our forefathers on the 17th of Tammuz, and five on Tisha Be-Av… On Tisha Be-Av it was decreed that our forefathers would not enter into the land [of Israel after the sin of the spies], and the first and second Temples were destroyed, and Beitar was captured, and the city [of Yerushalayim] was ploughed over.

The fast of the seventh – this is the 3rd of Tishrei, when Gedalya ben Achikam was assassinated. And who killed him? Yishmael ben Netina killed him. This teaches you that the death of righteous people is comparable to the burning of the House of God.

In this time all of Israel has the custom to fast on the 13th of Adar, to commemorate the fast that they fasted in the days of Haman, as it says (Esther 9:31) “The matters of the fasts and their crying out.”

“Be glad with Jerusalem and exult with her all who love her; rejoice with her in joy all who mourn for her” (Yeshayahu 66:10). From here they said: Everyone who mourns for Jerusalem will merit to see her happiness.

Why is it we fast and You do not see? We afflict ourselves and You do not know? Because on the day of your fasts you do business and oppress those indebted to you… Is this the fast I choose? A day for a person to afflict his body, bow his head like a bulrush, and lie in sackcloth and ashes?! Is this what you call a fast and a day that is favorable to the Lord?! Rather this is the fast I desire: open the fetters of evil and unbind the cords of the yoke to set free the oppressed and break every yoke. Rather share your bread with the hungry and take the downtrodden poor into your home; when you see nakedness cover it, and do not ignore your flesh… Then you will call out and God will answer and save you, and say “Here I am!” if you remove the yoke [of oppression] from your midst, [and cease] to lay a finger or speak evil.

(1) There are days that all the people of Israel observe as fasts on account of the tragic events which occurred on them, the purpose being to appeal to the hearts and to lay open the paths of repentance. This serves as a reminder of our evil doings, and the deeds of our fathers which were like ours now, resulting in the afflictions endured by them and by us. By remembering these things we are likely to repent and do right, as it is written: "They shall confess their sins and the sins of their fathers…" (Leviticus 26:40).

The plain meaning of sacrifices… for we have established that the essential [feelings of] our hearts follow our actions. Therefore when a person sins, his heart cannot be properly purified by speech alone, by turning to the wall and saying “I have sinned and I will not continue to do so,” but he must do a great action [to overcome] the matter of his sin, to take goats from his pens and trouble himself to bring them to the established Temple to the kohen and do all the actions that are written concerning sin-offerings. Through this great undertaking, the evil of sin will be ingrained in his heart and he will avoid it the next time.

Rav Sheshet, when he would sit in fast, after he prayed would say thus: Master of worlds, it is revealed before you, that at the time when the Temple was standing a person would sin and bring a sacrifice, and all that would be offered [on the altar] is its fat and blood and the person would be atoned for; and now, I sit fasting, and my fat and blood are lessened. May it be Your will that my fat and blood that has been lessened will be as if I had offered it before You upon the altar, and that I will find favor before You.

Mishna : The messengers go out for six months: For Nissan because of Pesach, for Av because of the fast, for Elul because of Rosh Ha-shana, for Tishrei because of establishing the festivals, for Kislev because of Chanuka, and for Adar because of Purim, and when the Temple was standing, they would also go out for Iyar because of Pesach Katan. Gemara : They should also go out for Tammuz and Tevet, as Rav Chana bar Bizna said in the name of Rav Shimon Chasida: that which is written, “So says the Lord of Hosts: the fast of the fourth and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth [months] will be for the house of Yehuda rejoicing and happiness.” They are called a fast, and they are called rejoicing and happiness – at a time when there is peace, they will be for rejoicing and happiness, when there is no peace – a fast. Rav Papa said: It was said thus: At a time when there is peace, they will be for rejoicing and happiness; when there is persecution [a textual variant: decrees] – a fast; neither persecution nor peace, if they want, they fast; if they want, they do not fast. If so, Tisha Be-av as well! Rav Papa said: Tisha Be-Av is different, since troubles were multiplied on it. As the master said: On Tisha Be-Av the First and Second Temples were destroyed, and Beitar was captured, and the city [of Jerusalem] was ploughed over.

The prohibition of eating and drinking on it is like the manner of the prohibition on Yom Kippur, except that this [Yom Kippur] is punished by spiritual excision and this [Tisha Be-Av] is from divrei kabbala and one receives lashes for rebelliousness.

Tisha Be-Av in our times, when there is neither persecution nor peace, is also a rabbinic decree and is not from divrei kabbala, which are similar to divrei Torah, as it says in the first chapter of Rosh Ha-shana, “If they want, they fast.”

We fast on 13 Adar. Rema: And this fast is not obligatory, therefore, one can be lenient when necessary…

The explanation of “they do not want” – the community, but an individual cannot separate from the community as long as there is no communal consensus not to fast.

There is no persecution in a known location in Israel – If most of Israel want, and they agree not to fast, they don’t fast, and if most of the community want, they fast. Nowadays, they want, and the custom is to fast, therefore, it is forbidden to breach boundaries…

We are required to fast on the 9th of Av, [and] on the 17th of Tammuz, and on the 3rd of Tishrei, and on the 10th of Teves because of the bad occurrences that occurred on those [days].

All are obligated to fast on these Four fasts, and it is forbidden to break the fence (i.e. not fast)

“Neither persecution nor peace, if they want, they fast; if they want, they do not fast” – one can say that since our forefathers already accepted it upon themselves, presumably they [the generation of Rabbi Yehuda Ha-nasi] also accepted it.

What is the difference between a ta’anit tzibbur and a ta’anit yachid? On a ta’anit tzibbur we eat and drink while it is still daytime [on the previous day, and begin fasting the evening], which is not so for a ta’anit yachid [which only begins in the daytime]. On a ta’anit tzibur labor, washing, anointing, wearing shoes, and cohabitation are prohibited, which is not so for a ta’anit yachid [when only eating and drinking are prohibited]. On a ta’anit tzibbur, we gather in synagogues, which is not so for a ta’anit yachid…

At a time when there is peace, i.e., any time when the Temple is standing, [the fast will] be for rejoicing and happiness

At a time when there is peace, they will be for rejoicing and happiness. The meaning of “at a time when there is peace” – when Israel are dwelling on their land.

When there is peace – when the hand of the non-Jews does not control Israel