3,231
edits
Fast Days: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
→Other Halachot of Fast Days
| Line 103: | Line 103: | ||
# One should be careful to control his [[anger]] on a fast day. <ref> Baer Heitiv 568:22, Kaf Hachayim 549:11, Mishna Brurah 558:50. </ref> | # One should be careful to control his [[anger]] on a fast day. <ref> Baer Heitiv 568:22, Kaf Hachayim 549:11, Mishna Brurah 558:50. </ref> | ||
# On the [[Shabbat]] prior to Asara B'Tevet and [[Shiva]] Asar bitammuz, we announce the day of the fast prior to saying [[Mussaf]]. <ref> Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 530 </ref> | # On the [[Shabbat]] prior to Asara B'Tevet and [[Shiva]] Asar bitammuz, we announce the day of the fast prior to saying [[Mussaf]]. <ref> Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 530 </ref> | ||
# A restaurant or store owner should preferably refrain from giving out food unless it is known that it is for sick people or for after the fast, and even if there are other places where people can access food. <ref> Yechave Daat 3:67. Beer Moshe 8:95 permits leaving a canteen or soda machine open in a camp for those who aren't fasting, and Shevet Hakehati 4:155:1 permits leaving a store open for those not fasting. </ref> | # A restaurant or store owner should preferably refrain from giving out food unless it is known that it is for sick people or for after the fast, and even if there are other places where people can access food. <ref> Yechave Daat 3:67. see Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 37 where he writes that one who leaves it open doesn't violate lifnei iver, but it is still best to post a clear sign that today is a fast day and nobody should be eating. Beer Moshe 8:95 permits leaving a canteen or soda machine open in a camp for those who aren't fasting, and Shevet Hakehati 4:155:1 permits leaving a store open for those not fasting. </ref> | ||
====Medicine==== | ====Medicine==== | ||
# Prescribed [[medications]] may be taken if it doesn't have a taste. If one has difficulty swallowing the pills, and a person is taking the pills because of a sickness for which the doctor prescribed these pills, it is permitted to swallow the pills with a minimal amount of water, the amount needed to swallow them, even on Tisha B'av. <ref> Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach quoted in Nishmas Avraham (v. 5, p. 46). Nitei Gavriel (Ben Hametzarim v. 1 p. 54 3:4 fnt. 8) quotes the Debrisiner Rav who permitted it if the person couldn't swallow it without the water, though the Nitai Gavriel disagrees. </ref> | # Prescribed [[medications]] may be taken if it doesn't have a taste. If one has difficulty swallowing the pills, and a person is taking the pills because of a sickness for which the doctor prescribed these pills, it is permitted to swallow the pills with a minimal amount of water, the amount needed to swallow them, even on Tisha B'av. <ref> Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach quoted in Nishmas Avraham (v. 5, p. 46) and Halichot Shlomo Moadim pg. 67. Nitei Gavriel (Ben Hametzarim v. 1 p. 54 3:4 fnt. 8) quotes the Debrisiner Rav who permitted it if the person couldn't swallow it without the water, though the Nitai Gavriel disagrees. Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 30 permits somebody who cannot swallow a pill to use a tiny bit of water to help him, even for somebody suffering from a headache.</ref> | ||
# Somebody suffering from a headache may swallow a pill that doesn't have a pleasant taste.<ref> Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 30 </ref> If the required pill has a pleasant taste, one can wrap the pill in paper or the like and swallow it that way<ref> Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 31 </ref> | |||
# Some poskim permit taking caffeine suppositories during the fast, to avoid caffeine related headaches. <ref> Maharsham (1:123, page 178), Chelkat Yaakov 2:83, Contemporary Halachic Problems (v. 2, p. 26). </ref> | # Some poskim permit taking caffeine suppositories during the fast, to avoid caffeine related headaches. <ref> Maharsham (1:123, page 178), Chelkat Yaakov 2:83, Contemporary Halachic Problems (v. 2, p. 26). </ref> | ||
| Line 116: | Line 117: | ||
====Chewing Gum==== | ====Chewing Gum==== | ||
# It is prohibited to chew gum on a fast day, unless the gum has no taste whatsoever. <ref> Yalkut Yosef Moadim 535 </ref> | # It is prohibited to chew gum on a fast day, unless the gum has no taste whatsoever. <ref> Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 29, Yalkut Yosef Moadim 535, [http://www.dailyhalacha.com/m/halacha.aspx?id=2506 Rabbi Eli Mansour]</ref> | ||
====Smoking==== | ====Smoking==== | ||
# It’s permissible to smoke on a fast day except on [[Tisha BeAv]] (disregarding whether it’s permissible to smoke because of the health issue). <Ref> Sh”t Yechave Daat 5:39, Sh”t Yabia Omer 1:33. He adds that if it is extremely urgent, one may be lenient on [[Tisha BeAv]] after | # It’s permissible to smoke on a fast day except on [[Tisha BeAv]] (disregarding whether it’s permissible to smoke because of the health issue). In truth though, it is really proper to avoid at all times since it has become clear that it is extremely damaging to one's health<Ref> Sh”t Yechave Daat 5:39, Sh”t Yabia Omer 1:33, Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 32. He adds that if it is extremely urgent, one may be lenient on [[Tisha BeAv]] after midday in private. see [[Hygiene_%26_Health#Smoking|Smoking]] </ref> | ||
====Tasting | ====Tasting Food==== | ||
# According to Sephardim, on a fast day besides [[Tisha BeAv]] and [[Yom Kippur]] one may taste food (to see if it is seasoned correctly) up to a [[Revi'it]], as long as one spits it out afterwards. According to Ashkenazim, one may not taste food on any communal fast day except where one needs to taste a food for a Suedat Mitzvah to see if it’s seasoned well. <Ref> S”A 567:1 writes that on any fast day one may taste food up to a [[Revi'it]] as long as one spits it all out, except for [[Tisha BeAv]] and [[Yom Kippur]] when it’s forbidden. Rav Ovadyah in Chazon Ovadyah (Arba Taniyot pg 27) rules like S”A. Rama 567:1 writes, based on Terumat Hadeshen 158, that the minhag is not to taste any food on any communal fast. Mishna Brurah 567:6 writes that one may only be lenient in a case where one has to taste food that’s being prepared for a Seudat Mitzvah to see if it’s spiced well. </ref> | # According to Sephardim, on a fast day besides [[Tisha BeAv]] and [[Yom Kippur]] one may taste food (to see if it is seasoned correctly) up to a [[Revi'it]], as long as one spits it out afterwards. According to Ashkenazim, one may not taste food on any communal fast day except where one needs to taste a food for a Suedat Mitzvah to see if it’s seasoned well. <Ref> S”A 567:1 writes that on any fast day one may taste food up to a [[Revi'it]] as long as one spits it all out, except for [[Tisha BeAv]] and [[Yom Kippur]] when it’s forbidden. Rav Ovadyah in Chazon Ovadyah (Arba Taniyot pg 27) rules like S”A. Rama 567:1 writes, based on Terumat Hadeshen 158, that the minhag is not to taste any food on any communal fast. Mishna Brurah 567:6 writes that one may only be lenient in a case where one has to taste food that’s being prepared for a Seudat Mitzvah to see if it’s spiced well. </ref> | ||
# Preferably one should be strict when making sure to have less than a [[Revi'it]] to consider this [[Revi'it]] to include anything one tasted the whole day, however, the strict law is that one only has to make sure to have less than a [[Revi'it]] each time one tastes. <Ref> S”A 567:2 quotes a dispute whether one is allowed to taste up to a [[Revi'it]] and the [[Revi'it]] is a combination of anything one tasted the whole day or that one may taste up to a [[Revi'it]] many times if at each time it is less than a [[Revi'it]] (according to the explanation of Mishna Brurah 567:7 and 9). Kaf HaChaim 567:12 rules that the halacha follows the second opinion but preferably one should be strict for the first opinion as well. Mishna Brurah 567:8 also implies this. </ref> | # Preferably one should be strict when making sure to have less than a [[Revi'it]] to consider this [[Revi'it]] to include anything one tasted the whole day, however, the strict law is that one only has to make sure to have less than a [[Revi'it]] each time one tastes. <Ref> S”A 567:2 quotes a dispute whether one is allowed to taste up to a [[Revi'it]] and the [[Revi'it]] is a combination of anything one tasted the whole day or that one may taste up to a [[Revi'it]] many times if at each time it is less than a [[Revi'it]] (according to the explanation of Mishna Brurah 567:7 and 9). Kaf HaChaim 567:12 rules that the halacha follows the second opinion but preferably one should be strict for the first opinion as well. Mishna Brurah 567:8 also implies this. </ref> | ||
| Line 128: | Line 130: | ||
====Making a [[Shehecheyanu]]==== | ====Making a [[Shehecheyanu]]==== | ||
# It’s permitted to make a [[Shehecheyanu]] on a fast day. <Ref> Piskei Teshuvot 550:8 in name of Pri Megadim A”A 551:42 and Kaf HaChaim 550:209 </ref> | # It’s permitted to make a [[Shehecheyanu]] on a fast day. <Ref> Piskei Teshuvot 550:8 in name of Pri Megadim A”A 551:42 and Kaf HaChaim 550:209 </ref> | ||
====Taking a | ====Taking a Haircut==== | ||
# There’s a dispute whether one may take a haircut on a fast day and it’s preferable not to. <Ref> Rav Chaim Palagi in Ruach Chaim 566:4 is strict. Or Letzion and Piskei Teshuvot 550:8 agree. However, Yalkut Yosef and Tzitz Eliezer 7:49:12 are lenient but still say its preferable not to. </ref> | # There’s a dispute whether one may take a haircut on a fast day and it’s preferable not to. <Ref> Rav Chaim Palagi in Ruach Chaim 566:4 is strict. Or Letzion and Piskei Teshuvot 550:8 agree. However, Yalkut Yosef and Tzitz Eliezer 7:49:12 are lenient but still say its preferable not to. </ref> | ||
====Giving [[Tzedaka]]==== | ====Giving [[Tzedaka]]==== | ||
# It’s customary to give [[Tzedaka]] at [[Mincha]] on a fast day, the value of the amount of food one would have eaten that day. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 566:12 </ref> | # It’s customary to give [[Tzedaka]] at [[Mincha]] on a fast day, the value of the amount of food one would have eaten that day. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 566:12, Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. 42. Gemara Berachot 6b writes that the reward for a fast day is from the tzedaka that one gives. </ref> | ||
====Doing Teshuva==== | ====Doing Teshuva==== | ||
# The primary purpose of the Fast days is to inspire a person to do Teshuva and remember his sins and the sins of our fathers which caused the tragedy which is being commemorated to occur. Thus, a person should should make time on a fast day to think about one's actions and do Teshuva. Those people who take walks and do other activities which are a waste of time when they are fasting have missed a major point of the fast. Nonetheless, one may not exempt oneself with only doing Teshuva because fasting on these days is a Mitzvah MeDivrei HaNevim. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 549:1</ref> | # The primary purpose of the Fast days is to inspire a person to do Teshuva and remember his sins and the sins of our fathers which caused the tragedy which is being commemorated to occur. Thus, a person should should make time on a fast day to think about one's actions and do Teshuva. Those people who take walks and do other activities which are a waste of time when they are fasting have missed a major point of the fast. Nonetheless, one may not exempt oneself with only doing Teshuva because fasting on these days is a Mitzvah MeDivrei HaNevim. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 549:1</ref> | ||
