The Rules of Fasting

Shalom!

Take a moment to greet your chevruta and to check in.

How are they doing? Are they ready to engage in our learning? Do they need something before they can learn?

How are you doing? Are you ready to engage in our learning? Do you need something before diving in?

It is almost Yom Kippur... a very serious and solemn day. One of the most famous customs of YK is fasting. Let's explore the origins of this mitzvah and its limitations.

Read through the texts below with your chevruta and ask yourselves the following questions:

What does this text mean?
מה המשמעות של המקור
Do I care?
האם אכפת לי
Is this OK in our world?
האם העניין הזה בסדר בעולמנו המודרני
Can I take the wisdom / lesson / values of this text and make them relevant for us?
האם אני יכול לקחת איזשהו חכמה או שיעור או ערך מהמקור ולעשות את זה רלוונטי בשבילנו

YK in the Torah

ויקרא ט״ז:כ״ט-ל״א

(כט) וְהָיְתָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִ֠י בֶּֽעָשׂ֨וֹר לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ תְּעַנּ֣וּ אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֗ם וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ הָֽאֶזְרָ֔ח וְהַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃ (ל) כִּֽי־בַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה יְכַפֵּ֥ר עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְטַהֵ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם מִכֹּל֙ חַטֹּ֣אתֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה תִּטְהָֽרוּ׃ (לא) שַׁבַּ֨ת שַׁבָּת֥וֹן הִיא֙ לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֖ת עוֹלָֽם׃

Leviticus 16:29-31

(29) And this shall be to you a law for all time: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall practice self-denial; and you shall do no manner of work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. (30) For on this day atonement shall be made for you to purify you of all your sins; you shall be pure before יהוה. (31) It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; it is a law for all time.

ויקרא כ״ג:כ״ז-ל״ב

(כז) אַ֡ךְ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֩דֶשׁ֩ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֨י הַזֶּ֜ה י֧וֹם הַכִּפֻּרִ֣ים ה֗וּא מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהֹוָֽה׃ (כח) וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י י֤וֹם כִּפֻּרִים֙ ה֔וּא לְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (כט) כִּ֤י כׇל־הַנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־תְעֻנֶּ֔ה בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְנִכְרְתָ֖ה מֵֽעַמֶּֽיהָ׃ (ל) וְכׇל־הַנֶּ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ כׇּל־מְלָאכָ֔ה בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְהַֽאֲבַדְתִּ֛י אֶת־הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ׃ (לא) כׇּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ (לב) שַׁבַּ֨ת שַׁבָּת֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם בְּתִשְׁעָ֤ה לַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ בָּעֶ֔רֶב מֵעֶ֣רֶב עַד־עֶ֔רֶב תִּשְׁבְּת֖וּ שַׁבַּתְּכֶֽם׃ {פ}

Leviticus 23:27-32

(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 יהוה; (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 your God יהוה. (29) Indeed, any person who does not practice self-denial throughout that day shall be cut off from kin; (30) and whoever does any work throughout that day, I will cause that person to perish from among the 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.

What is self denial?
According to Torah, what should Yom Kippur look like?
How should we translate the root ע.נ.ה?

Now into the MISHNAH!

משנה יומא ח׳:א׳

יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּבִשְׁתִיָּה וּבִרְחִיצָה וּבְסִיכָה וּבִנְעִילַת הַסַּנְדָּל וּבְתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה. וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַכַּלָּה יִרְחֲצוּ אֶת פְּנֵיהֶם, וְהֶחָיָה תִנְעֹל אֶת הַסַּנְדָּל, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹסְרִין:

Mishnah Yoma 8:1

On Yom Kippur, the day on which there is a mitzva by Torah law to afflict oneself, it is prohibited to engage in eating and in drinking, and in bathing, and in smearing oil on one’s body, and in wearing shoes, and in conjugal relations. However, the king, in deference to his eminence, and a new bride within thirty days of her marriage, who wishes to look especially attractive at the beginning of her relationship with her husband, may wash their faces on Yom Kippur. A woman after childbirth, who is suffering, may wear shoes because going barefoot causes her pain. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. The Rabbis prohibit these activities for a king, a new bride, and a woman after childbirth.

Look at the exceptions to the general rule:

What makes them similar to each other?
What reasons not to afflict one's self are offered here?
Do you think these are good reasons to modify one's YK practice?

משנה יומא ח׳:ג׳

אָכַל וְשָׁתָה בְּהֶעְלֵם אַחַת, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אֶחָת. אָכַל וְעָשָׂה מְלָאכָה, חַיָּב שְׁתֵּי חַטָּאוֹת. אָכַל אֳכָלִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה, וְשָׁתָה מַשְׁקִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לִשְׁתִיָּה, וְשָׁתָה צִיר אוֹ מֻרְיָס, פָּטוּר:

Mishnah Yoma 8:3

If one ate and drank unwittingly within one lapse of awareness, e.g., he forgot that it is Yom Kippur, he is liable to bring only one sin-offering. However, if he ate and performed labor unwittingly, he is liable to bring two sin-offerings, as by doing so he violated two separate prohibitions. If he ate foods that are not fit for eating, or drank liquids that are not fit for drinking, or drank fish brine or the briny liquid in which fish are pickled, he is exempt, as that is not the typical manner of eating or drinking.

In your own opinions, why is working by mistake on YK worse than eating?
What are examples from your world of "foods that are not fit for eating or liquids that are not fit for drinking"?
Why do you think your are liable if you mistakenly ate regular food but not if you ate food not fit for eating?
Does this all seem fair to you?

משנה יומא ח׳:ד׳

הַתִּינוֹקוֹת, אֵין מְעַנִּין אוֹתָן בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אֲבָל מְחַנְּכִין אוֹתָם לִפְנֵי שָׁנָה וְלִפְנֵי שְׁנָתַיִם, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְגִילִין בַּמִּצְוֹת:

Mishnah Yoma 8:4

With regard to the children, one does not afflict them by withholding food on Yom Kippur; however, one trains them one year before or two years before they reach majority, by means of a partial fast lasting several hours, so that they will be accustomed to fulfill mitzvot.

Why do kids have to practice fasting?
Are there other things you practice years before you will take on that custom / practice?

משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳

עֻבָּרָה שֶׁהֵרִיחָה, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתָהּ עַד שֶׁתָּשִׁיב נַפְשָׁהּ. חוֹלֶה מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ עַל פִּי בְקִיאִין. וְאִם אֵין שָׁם בְּקִיאִין, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר דָּי:

Mishnah Yoma 8:5

With regard to a pregnant woman who smelled food and was overcome by a craving to eat it, one feeds her until she recovers, as failure to do so could lead to a life-threatening situation. If a person is ill and requires food due to potential danger, one feeds him according to the advice of medical experts who determine that he indeed requires food. And if there are no experts there, one feeds him according to his own instructions, until he says that he has eaten enough and needs no more.

What is going on here!?!?

Why is a pregnant person allowed to eat?
What is the role of experts in deciding these exceptions?
Does this sound like a good idea to you? Why or why not?

Now, into the Gemara!

יומא פ״ב א:ט׳

גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: עוּבָּרָה שֶׁהֵרִיחָה בְּשַׂר קוֹדֶשׁ אוֹ בְּשַׂר חֲזִיר — תּוֹחֲבִין לָהּ כּוּשׁ בְּרוֹטֶב, וּמַנִּיחִין לָהּ עַל פִּיהָ, אִם נִתְיַישְּׁבָה דַּעְתָּהּ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתָהּ רוֹטֶב עַצְמוֹ, וְאִם נִתְיַישְּׁבָה דַּעְתָּהּ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתָהּ שׁוּמָּן עַצְמוֹ. שֶׁאֵין לְךָ דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵי פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ, חוּץ מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.

Yoma 82a:9

GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: With regard to a pregnant woman who smelled consecrated meat or pig meat and craved those specific foods, one inserts a thin reed into the juice of that item and places it on her mouth. If her mind become settled with that, it is well. And if not, one feeds her the gravy itself of that forbidden food. If her mind becomes settled with that, it is well. And if not, one feeds her the fat of the forbidden food itself, as there is no halakha that stands in the way of saving a life except for the prohibitions against idol worship, and forbidden sexual relationships, and bloodshed.

WHAT?!?!

Can you believe our tradition teaches this??
Why would we give the pregnant person a taste of something forbidden?
Why do we not just give her the forbidden food from the beginning?
Why ramp up with a series of tastes? What do the rabbis hope will/will not happen?

Here's some commentary on our Mishnah to bring a little more clarity:

ברטנורא על משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳:א׳

עוברה שהריחה. העובר מריח ריח התבשיל והיא מתאוה לו, ואם אינה אוכלת שניהם מסוכנים:

Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma 8:5:1

עוברה שהריחה – the fetus smells the scent of a cooked dish and she desires it But if she does not eat, both of them (i.e., the fetus and the mother) are endangered.

What is added to your understanding of our texts by this commentary?

Do you agree or do you think the commentator is stretching the meaning of our text TOO much?

ברטנורא על משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳:ג׳

אין שם בקיאין מאכילין אותו על פי עצמו. הכי מפרשה מתניתין בגמרא, בד״א דסומכין על דברי בקיאין, בזמן שהחולה אומר איני צריך או שותק אבל אמר צריך, אין שם בקיאין כלל כלומר אין בקיאותן חשובה לכלום אבל מאכילין אותו ע״פ עצמו. ואף על פי שהבקיאין אומרים אינו צריך:

Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma 8:5:3

אין שם בקיאין מאכילין אותו על פי עצמו – this is how it is explained in the Gemara (Talmud Yoma 83a), when is it said that they rely on the words of specialists? At the time when the sick person says: “I don’t need it” or is silent, but when he says, “I need it,” if there is no specialist [available] at all, that is to say, their specialty is not considered worth anything, we feed him on his own word. And even though the specialists say that he doesn’t need it.

What is added to your understanding of our texts by this commentary?

Do you agree or do you think the commentator is stretching the meaning of our text TOO much?

Need some clarity? Here is an English explanation from my teacher, Joshua Kulp.

ביאור אנגלי על משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳:א׳

...

English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma 8:5:1

Introduction As important as Yom Kippur may be, the value of life precedes the observance of all mitzvot. Our mishnah teaches that if fasting might cause danger to a person’s life, that person must eat. I should note that the mishnah is not addressed to the person looking to “cheat the system” by feigning illness and eating on Yom Kippur. With God watching one can’t really cheat the system. The mishnah is addressing the religious fanatic who might risk his/her own life in order to observe the fast. The mishnah is not allowing someone to eat it is forbidding them from fasting.

ביאור אנגלי על משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳:ב׳

...

English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma 8:5:2

If a pregnant woman smelled [food on Yom Kippur], they feed her until she feels restored. Pregnant women are obligated to fast on Yom Kippur, unless they are told by a doctor that they may not. Contrary to what some people seem to think, there is no blanket exemption. However, if a pregnant woman gets a craving to eat something because she smelled a certain food, they must feed her until she is satisfied. Her cravings are seen to be potential matters of life and death.

ביאור אנגלי על משנה יומא ח׳:ה׳:ג׳

...

English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma 8:5:3

A sick person is fed at the word of experts. And if no experts are there, they feed him upon his own request until he says: enough. A sick person should check with a doctor/expert before he eats or drinks on Yom Kippur. If they say he must drink or eat than he must do so, even if he doesn’t want to. The Talmud notes that if the experts say he does not need to eat or drink but he believes that if he doesn’t his life might be endangered, he must eat. In other words, his own word trumps that of the experts if he wants to eat and they don’t think it is necessary. However, if he doesn’t want to eat and they think he should, he must eat. In this case, their words trump his. If there are no experts around, then we take him at his word and we must feed him or give him water until he says that he has had enough.

Done? Check out these sources that are connected to our learning but which focus not on YK but on Shabbat. What do they add to our understanding of our texts?

פניני הלכה, שבת כ״ז:ב׳:ו׳

המתחסד לשאול רב, אם לחלל שבת כדי להציל חולה מסוכן, הרי זה שופך דמים, כי בעוד שהוא שואל, מצבו של החולה עלול להחמיר, והתורה צוותה (ויקרא יט, טז): "לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ". וגם הרב שתלמידיו שואלים זאת מגונה, שהיה צריך ללמד אותם שפיקוח נפש דוחה שבת (ירושלמי יומא פ"ח ה"ה; משנה ברורה שכח, ו).

Peninei Halakhah, Shabbat 27:2:6

If, in an effort to be pious, one asks a rabbi whether to desecrate Shabbat in order to help someone in mortal danger, he is a killer, for while he is asking, the patient’s situation may deteriorate, and the Torah commands us: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Vayikra 19:16). Furthermore, the rabbi whose students ask such questions is reprehensible, as he should have taught them that saving a life overrides Shabbat (y. Yoma 8:5; MB 328:6).

גריי מאטר ב, הלכות שבת, הצלת חיים בשבת ו׳

...

Gray Matter II, Laws of Shabbat, Saving Lives on Shabbat 6

The Mishnah Berurah (Orach Chaim 328:6) notes that the Yerushalmi (Yoma 8:5) condemns Torah scholars who are posed with the question of whether danger to life warrants the desecration of Shabbat. He explains that a Torah scholar should publicize the fact that one must desecrate Shabbat in case of piku’ach nefesh, so that, if such a situation were to arise, people would not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to save human lives. The Mishnah Berurah also cites the Radbaz’s ruling (Teshuvot 4:67) that anyone who refuses to desecrate Shabbat in order to save his own life may be coerced to do so. Before trying to coerce him, however, one should try to convince such an individual to desecrate Shabbat, presumably because coercion may further traumatize him.