Moreover, a tzom is a joyous day, which is precisely why we bring the Fast of Esther closer to us when it falls out on Shabbatwe look forward to it. All the contact info is on the site. 625) and Hagahot Ashri (Tanit 1:12) argues that Rav Chisda only meant that if one accepted to fast for the whole day then it is ineffective if one ate before night, but it is possible to accept just to fast part of the day. verachatz) seems to agree. Shaarit l'Shabbat ul'Yom Tov. On. In fact, the grandeur of tefillin is spiritual in nature and should not constitute a clash with aveilut. Commemoration of the Destruction of the Temple, Rav Hershel Schachter (Piskei Corona #42), Rabbi Eli Mansour in the names of Rav Moshe and Chacham Ovadia Yosef, https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Fast_Days&oldid=31148. be destroyed. Rashi (s.v. Rather, we observe the fast on Thursday, the 11th of Adar. Ta'anit Esther (the Fast of Esther) begins on Adar 13, a day before Purim, the same day the war between the Jews and their enemies was won, with Am Israel getting the upper hand. It was not one of the fast days instituted by the Prophets, and it does not correlate to one of the four aspects of exile. The Maggid Mishna (Taniyot 5:5) writes that today it is only a minhag and will remain an obligation until the third Beit HaMikdash is built. This is the position of the Tosafot Rabbenu Yechiel in his comments to Moed Katan (21a). Nonetheless, one may not exempt oneself with only doing Teshuva because fasting on these days is a Mitzvah MeDivrei HaNevim. Since an avel must exhibit mourning, he may not wear tefillin, which create a majestic experience of peer. Ta'anit Esther doesn't end that late, but another hour goes by until the synagogue finishes the Megillah, especially with all the carrying on. The principle purpose of the fast days is to cause one to reflect upon one's ways in order to repent. Assuming that an avel does not wear tefillin for tefillin-related reasons (and not to protect the integrity of the avels mourning), the distinction between Torah and tefillin is clear. Alternatively, perhaps his mourning is not as intense and therefore does not endanger tefillin in the manner that a classic avel does, and he may therefore be obligated to wear tefillin. In the context of the story it is probably describing how they rallied together to do battle against their enemies. 82-83. A pregnant or nursing woman who does not need to fast, does not need to make up the fast on a different day. Ta'anit Esther for Hebrew Year 5784 occurs at dawn on Thursday, 21 March 2024. If, however, tefillin is suspended because the avel, in his state of dejection, cannot achieve the necessary experience of tefillin, we would not apply the aveilut-based principle of miktzat ha-yom ke-kulo. It is permissible to wash with hot water or anoint oneself. Gemara Brachot 6b indicates that fasting is certainly a mitvzah, yet giving charity is a crucial element of the fast day. u'tzedaka" - repentance, prayer, and tzedaka. Mishna Brurah 566:12, Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. The Fast of Esther ( Taanit Esther or " Esther Fast") is a dawn-to-nightfall fast held on the day before the jolly holiday of Purim. We commemorate the fast on 13 Adar. You can see the complete Hebrew service here. Purim Sheni Readings. Today, the 13th of Adar, was a critical day in the times of Mordechai and Esther. Many question the sweeping generalization that an avel is obligated in every mitzva, since he is forbidden from studying Torah. We stop eating and drinking and restrain ourselves from acting as we did the prior day because this day is far more than business as usual. We try to break out of our mundane mindsets and excitedly rise above to get higher and closer to Hashem. This codified as halacha by the Rambam (Taniot 5:2-3), SA 549:2, Mishna Brurah 549:1, and Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 527). We also discussed times when tefillin are not worn (night, Shabbat, Yom Tov), whether one must wear tefillin on Chol Ha-moed, and whether the tefillin should be worn for the entire day. The Shulchan Aruch 562:2 quotes this opinion as some say and the Rama 562:2 accepts it so that an individual can recite anenu in shema kolenu but not to change any bracha. begins Monday morning, before sunrise, and ends at night after the reading of Some poskim hold that a fast of hours only is effective if one accepted to fast partially from the previous day. Avinu Malkenu. (Sha'ar HaTziun 686:16), 9) Avinu Malkeinu is said only in Shacharit, but not in Mincha. s.v. These sources indicate that when one happens upon a mitzva, it should not be delayed. For an individual fast day, a person needs to fast until. The Finder Family Educational Center. Mishna Brurah 562:10 quotes the Eliya Rabba for someone who is weak. Rav Beryl Gershenfeld reveals that the word taanit comes from the word ani, meaning poor. On a taanit we recognize that we are lacking (like a poor person). One can even say Avinu Malkeinu when davening without a minyan. Doing so requires a two-step process. One need not train his children to fast, even at the age of 12 for boys or eleven for girls. Similarly, for those fast days that are not allowed to fall out on Shabbat, we push them back a day. His exemption is not an OVERRIDE, but rather an INTERNAL EXCEPTION. 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. It is this heroic act that we should focus on during the Fast of Esther and use it as springboard to catapult us to even higher levels of holiness and refinement. Shulchan Aruch 550:2, Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 530, Aruch Hashulchan 550:2. Rabbi Soloveitchik (Shiurei HaRav, pp. Rather, she says, Fast on my account or Fast for me so she could be successful when going before king Achashverosh to plead on their behalf for salvation. One shouldn't skip Aneinu in Shemona Esrei to say it after Shemona Esrei so that one can answer kedusha. Maharik 9:5, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 8) quotes the Debrisiner Rav who permitted it if the person couldn't swallow it without the water, though the Nitai Gavriel disagrees. Ta'anit Esther is the only time in the Jewish calendar that wholly commemorates the power of a single woman to exercise courage in changing the course of Jewish history. Interestingly, this question of why tefillin are suspended for an avel may help solve an intriguing linguistic issue. Asara B'Tevet commemorates the tragedy of Nevuchadnezzar laying siege to Yerushalayim. The Beur Halakha (ibid. The Shulchan Arukh (OC 25:1) rules the same way but offers another reason. A time when we did something correctly that propelled us forward to reach new spiritual heights. This heroic act saved the Jewish people from Haman's plot to kill all the Jews of Shushan. Tefillin. For those men who wear a tallit during Shacharit, which should be put on first, the tallit or the tefillin? However, the secondary opinion he quotes is the Rosh (Tanit 1:12) who explains that it is always necessary to accept the fast of hours a day in advance for it to count. Clearly the parshiot entail the core of tefillin. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach quoted in Nishmas Avraham (v. 5, p. 46) and Halichot Shlomo Moadim pg. In Gemara, The Gemara Rosh Hashana 18b states based on the pasuk in Zecharya that if there's no Beit HaMikdash and persecution then these are fast days, if there's a Beit HaMikdash then they're holidays, however, if there's no Beit HaMikdash and no persecution these are dependent on the will of the people. That was his maasehhis mem to the tzav during the tzom. She would not have needed to say vtzumu alei if that were the case. The Shulchan Arukh (25:1) writes that one should be careful to place not to place the tefillin on the top of the bag, such that one touches the tallit before the tefillin. Matei Ephraim 602:22, Shaare Ephraim 1:10, Minchas Elazar 3:3, Teshuvot Vihanhagot 2:265, Minhag Yisroel Torah 550:page 31, Nitei Gavriel (Bein Hametzarim) 1:page 64:footnote 22. The fast Mar 16, 2022, 5:00 AM (GMT+2) Taanit Esther Fasting Rabbi Eliezer Melamed. Mishna Brurah 550:6 and Kaf Hachayim 550:10 quote this as well but notes that one should continue to wear leather shoes so as not to publicize it too much. Erev Shabbat. The Gemara in Taanit 12a says that to be considered a fast a person needs to wait until the sun completes to set. 567:1, Mishna Brurah 567:6, Kaf Hachaim 567:10. Mishna Brurah 571:4 adds that if a talmid chacham has certain sins for which he needs to fast in order to do teshuva it is permitted to fast. Rama 550:1 writes that pregnant or nursing woman are exempt from the three fast days (except, Shulchan Aruch 554:5, Mishna Brurah 550:5, In Yechave Daat 1:35, Rav Ovadia Yosef concludes that if the woman feels sick she may eat, but if she feels like she can fast, she should try to fast. Shulchan Aruch 566:1, Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 545. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Our fasting is designed to. any more than any other Jews. Yerushalayim. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! 22, Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur SA 550:26 and. Tags: It is customary to keep the tallit and tefillin in the same bag. See further on the. Mishna Brurah 550:5 and Beiur Halacha "hakol" Yalkut Yosef Dinei. The Nemukei Yosef (Hilkhot Tzitzit 12) rules that the tallit should be worn first, as the mitzva of tzitzit is equivalent to all the other mitzvot (Menachot 43b). He adds that for, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, Volume 1, Page 106, Chesed Lalafim 109 writes that one shouldn't skip aneinu in shemona esrei in order to catch answering kedusha with the congregation. On the day (the 13th day of Adar) that the enemies of Furthermore, the mitzva of tzitzit is tadir, i.e., it is performed more frequently as the tallit is worn on both Shabbat and Yom Tov. The fast is not even held on Friday, since this would adversely affect Shabbat preparations. As Rashi summarizes (Berakhot 11a), Since an avel is dejected and rolling in his personal [emotional] dust, he cannot achieve [the state] of peer. Similar sentiments are voiced by Tosafot in Moed Katan (21a). Bet Yosef 575:2 points out that the Rambam Tefillah 13:18 implies that there is no haftorah for a fast day besides for Tisha B'av or a fast for a drought and that the minhag of Sephardim was not to say a haftorah. In the days of Esther, the Fast of Esther happened during Pesach. May we merit to appreciate the depth and beauty hidden within the Fast of Esther and happily utilize it to the fullest. As tefillin are referred to as pe'er, this inner feeling is central to the mitzva performance. The Presence of an Absence: a Public Reading for the Fast of Esther, the dark side to Purim, by Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow. Our fasting is designed to arouse us to do teshuvah and help us realize that we can be so much greater than we currently are. The Shulchan Arukh (OC 25:6) rules that despite what we learned above regarding one who touches his tefillin before his tallit, one who touches the tefillin shel rosh before the tefillin shel yad should set aside the tefillin shel rosh and put on his tefillin in the order described above. It is noteworthy that the Aruch Hashulchan 549:5 writes that it is obligatory today from the words of the Navi. Rav Beryl Gershenfeld adds that it also connotes excitement, passion, and actively aiming to achieve something truly great. The Fast of Esther (Taanit Ester, Hebrew: ) is a Jewish fast from dawn until dusk on Purim eve, commemorating the three-day fast observed by the Jewish people in the story of Purim. Incredibly, the Midrash in Esther Rabbah (8:7) reveals that eating on seder night of that year was abolished! Piskei Teshuvot 550:6, Rivevot Ephraim 1:363:1 and 3:368, Sht Bear Moshe 3:77, Rav Moshe Feinstein quoted in Moadei Yeshurun page 108. is again threatened in our home land. commemorates Ester's fast before approching the king. See the Avnei Nezer OC 429 for a fascinating explanation as to why that conclusion is correct. Instead, they stem form a unique hazard that the avel poses to the Tefillin. redemption. The Hebrew letter mem stands for maaseh, or action. When we see a mem at the end of a word, it reveals that we should be bringing this particular concept out to the world of action. In the Remas time, however, one could wear both ones tallit and tefillin to shul, and therefore it was preferable to put on ones tallit before his tefillin, at home. Thank you for making me aware of this women-centered Jewish tradition. He is also a highly-acclaimed speaker and mentor for RJX/MEOR Rutgers, a contributing writer for Chabad.org, financial coach, proud husband, and father of three. Just as matzot are not permitted to become chametz (i.e., to sour), so a mitzva should not be permitted to become chametz; rather, if the opportunity of a mitzva presents itself to you, perform it immediately. A similar question arises regarding a shmua kerova, the state of aveilut upon receiving information about a recent death and burial. However, in honor of the Purim heroine, it is called Taanit Esther -- the Fast of Esther. We return to our essential state of purity. 3) Since this is not a major fast, pregnant or nursing women are exempt from the fast, as are moderately ill people. asher sibru oy'vei hayihudim l'shlot bahem, venahafoch hu hayihudim heima Originally from Buffalo, New York, he holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. As Mark Twain wrote, "All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. However, in honor of the Purim heroine, it is called Taanit Esther -- the Fast of Esther. Watch more videos on Purim, or learn more in our Esther's Fast 101 Guide. The individual who is called up for that aliyah should not read the verses aloud with the congregation but instead should wait until the reader says them aloud and read along with him. Fasting for the purpose of teshuva or receiving atonement is an important mitzvah. He explains that the Shulchan Arukh reflects a reality in which it was not customary to wear the tallit, publicly, to shul, and therefore wearing the tallit katan sufficed. He notes from the Korban Netanel that we can't be lenient both to allow eating during Ben Hashemashot and also to follow the Ben Hashemashot of Rabbi Yehuda. On a tzom, we stop doing superficial things, reflect on our ultimate mission in life, and take a proactive step toward greatness by doing something elevated and godly. Rambam Hilchot Taanit 1:4, Shulchan Aruch 550:1, Chayei Adam 133:6, Chacham Ovadia Yosef (in Yabia Omer 1:33 and Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. King, perhaps because we haven't heard Him calling us. Publications: Philosophy and Current Affairs, Revava - The Riva Koschitzky z"l Torah Enrichment Program, The Prohibition for an Avel to Wear Tefillin. The Shla Taanit 43b says the only reason not everybody accepted this is because it is something that is too hard for all of the congregation to hold, but on a personal level each person should make an effort to refrain from this. The Magen Avraham (OC 25, s.k. Even rabbis or teachers whose fasting may cause their learning to be of lower quality should fast on these fast days including. (Case in point: the Six Day War.) Should an avel wear tefillin when the aveilut begins after the chag? This website includes location data created by GeoNames Mishna Brura 550:6, Baer Heitev 550:2, Rav Tzvi Rimon (Sulamot Sh"t Asar Btevet Shchal BShabbat), Mishna Brura 603:3, Aruch Hashulchan 550:2. see Aruch Hashulchan there about a custom that existed to omit torah reading. It was on this day that the Megila states (9:1), "Bayom Rashi in Ketuvot (6b) augments this idea by asserting that not only is an avel EXEMPTED from the mitzva of tefillin, he is also FORBIDDEN from performing it. There is also an organization called JACADA founded here in Washington that is very active in the areas of domestic violence and Agunot. He is instructed to wear his peer, literally magnificence, a reference to tefillin. A groom within the seven days of his wedding, the father of a baby boy, a sandak, a mohel must fast on these four fasts unless the fast was postponed because it originally fell out on, Communal fasts which do not start at night only begin at, If one went to sleep at night and wakes up before. Ta'anit Esther This is an archive of prayers written for, or relevant to, the Fast of Esther on the day preceding the festival of Purim. Even though a Jews halakhic status on Tisha Be-Av mirrors that of an actual avel, his EMOTIONAL state isnt as tumultuous, and tefillin therefore do not have to be protected. Since Tisha B'Av is more severe, one shouldn't brush one's teeth on Tisha B'Av unless not brushing will cause oneself major pain. There is a dispute whether nowadays these fasts are considered a binding communal practice or derived from the words of prophets.[3]. As such, the Fast of Esther is actually a tzom, not a taanit. However, the Yalkut Yosef (Hilkhot Tefillin 25:28) rules that the principle of ein maavirin is Rabbinic, and he therefore invokes the principle of kavod ha-briot (human dignity), which sets aside Rabbinic prohibitions, applies. However, Mishna Brurah 550:6, Shaar HaTziyun 550:8, Kaf Hachayim 550:13 write based on earlier acharonim that a baal nefesh should be strict not to wash with hot water. Mishna Brurah 550:4, Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 531, Sh"t Yechave Daat 1:35, Aruch Hashulchan 550:6, Teshuvot Vihanhagot 4:123. 22, Terumat Hadeshen 156. Several gemarot (Berakhot 11, Ketuvot 6 and Sukka 25) cite a statement of Rav identifying the one mitzva that an avel (mourner) is excused from the mitzva of tefillin. Ashkenazim have a custom is certain verses are read aloud by the congregation. and our generation, may not be the ones to see it if we don't act. Birkei Yosef 568, Sht Yabia Omer YD 2:5(6), OC 4:41 and 10:41, Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. Thus even women fast on Taanis Esther. And anyone who is more sanctified than another precedes that other person. [2] # The 3 minor fast day of Tzom Gedalya, Asara B'Tevet, and Shiva Asar B'Tamuz all mourn different aspects of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. Yabia Omer 1:34:11, 5:40, Mishna Brura 559:35. The Talmud accordingly designates those dates as " z'man ehilah "a time of assembly. In an earlier shiur [Maintaining Tefillin Awareness], we discussed the mental/emotional layer of tefillin as essential to the mitzva performance. As tefillin are referred to as peer, this inner feeling is central to the mitzva performance. This is unlike the Ramban in Torat HaAdam (Chavel edition, page 244) who says that all of these fast days last from sunset the night before, and all the activities that are forbidden on tisha b'av are forbidden on these as well. Maharsham 4:120 writes that it seems that it is only necessary to fast a makeup fast for the fast of Ester but since the Eliya Rabba 550:1 said that you need to make up all fast days we should follow that. Not only do we stop eating and drinking, but we also hold ourselves back from acting before thinking. If a person wants to fast he must accept it upon himself the day before. Rav Moshe Feinstein quoted in Moadei Yeshurun 1:page 108, Halachos of the Three Weeks by Rabbi Eider p. 19. 22. It is interesting to look at how Taanit Esther has taken on new, contemporary meaning in some Jewish circles and has become re-ritualized in order to understand the experience of freedom and survival (or lack thereof) in todays Jewish world. Please try again or choose an option below. Love words? Some poskim say that one should avoid eating too much before a fast, as this may make him feel the fasting less. Many have the custom to recite Avinu Malkeinu on public fast days. 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. The calculation of these halachic times, known as zmanim (Hebrew for times), depends on the various astronomical phenomena of the day for the specific locale. This was the day selected by Haman to commit genocide against the Jewish people. Gregorian advanced yeshiva site making this calendar have been invested great efforts both from the technical side and in terms of laws and political calendar and times for not printing a calendar from the website for commercial use without written permission. In other words, is the prohibition to wear tefillin limited to the early part of the day based upon the rule of miktzat ha-yom ke-kulo? Rav Beryl Gershenfeld reveals that the word " taanit " comes from the word " ani ," meaning "poor." On a taanit we recognize that we are lacking (like a poor person). Why did she call for a fast? . Similarly, there was another fast during the Purim story: The Jews fasted and prayed on the 13th of Adar in preparation for their defense against Haman's decree. Rashi on Vayikra (6:2) tells us that the word tzav comes from a language of urgency. A second important question surrounds tefillin for an avel who is not suffering the despair typically associated with the first days of aveilut. A similar question arises in a third scenario, in which a person passes on Yom Tov and the entire aveilut is delayed until after Yom Tov. It first appears in the 1829 edition, Teinot ein Gebetbuch fr gebildete Frauenzimmer mosaicher Religion as teinah 56 on pp. He is truly EXCUSED from the mitzva of tefillin. and MaxMind, also licensed under Creative Commons. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Furthermore, it cannot be that the word tzom only means to refrain from eating or drinking. After all, in the very same verse Esther also says, Val tochlu val tishtuand do not eat and do not drink (Megillat Esther 4:16). 175-80) suggested that Purim and Taanit Esther commemorate two distinct themes of Purim, which are rooted in the different themes of the Megilla itself. Every year, the Fast of Esther is held on one of the days prior to Purim. Take a look, and your Taanit Esther - and Purim - will never be the same. Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 530 permits washing one's body with hot water, but adds that one who is strict is praiseworthy. However, the PERSONAL sorrow and dejection of the mourner may not be as potent given the time delay. Similarly, the phrase Bar Mitzvah, which contains the word tzav, is the time in which a young man is ready to reach new spiritual heights by taking on mitzvot. Gemara Tanit 11b, Shulchan Aruch 571:2. 42. In such a case he can recite Anenu at mincha. Weekday Amidah. Gemara Berachot 6b writes that the reward for a fast day is from the tzedaka that one gives. If the prohibition stems from aveilut concerns not to disrupt the mourning with the magnificence of tefillin perhaps the classic rule of miktzat ha-yom should apply, as it does to all aveilut practices. Without question, it took very radical actiona ruling only a prophet like Esther could be permitted to enact (see the Gemara in Megillah 14a)to bring about an awakening of radical change that sufficiently shook the Heavens and paved the way for the Jews to be saved. This has been a long-standing problem in the Jewish community, particularly in the Orthodox world in which womens autonomy is often stifled. If one ate by mistake, he doesn't need to fast another day to make up for it. Another related page is Commemoration of the Destruction of the Temple (Zecher LeChurban). The Arukh Ha-shulchan (25:2) explains that this debate is based upon the Zohar (Va-etchanan 265), which emphasizes the merits of wearing ones tallit and tefillin before entering the synagogue. HALACHAS (LAWS) OF FAST OF ESTHER 1) The fast begins at dawn ( "Alot Hashachar") and ends after nightfall ( "Tzait Hakochavim" ). Somebody suffering from a headache may swallow a pill that doesn't have a pleasant taste. (Viewed on May 1, 2023)
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