Next week we will continue our discussion of the hanachat tefillin. If the tefillin are viewed as a disrupter of aveilut and forbidden similar to other aveilut disruptions, the prohibition should apply to Tisha Be-Av; all the classic prohibitions of personal aveilut apply on Tisha Be-Av. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. and MaxMind, also licensed under Creative Commons. HALACHAS (LAWS) OF FAST OF ESTHER 1) The fast begins at dawn ( "Alot Hashachar") and ends after nightfall ( "Tzait Hakochavim" ). This website includes location data created by GeoNames 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. 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. This makes the fast much longer and more difficult. Purim Readings. Anyone who isn't fasting for whatever reason should try to eat in private. Tomorrow, Monday, March 17 th, is Taanit Ester, the fast which commemorates Ester's fast before approching the king. (Sha'ar HaTziun 686:16), 9) Avinu Malkeinu is said only in Shacharit, but not in Mincha. Thus, on a tzom, we need to take our passion to actively achieve something great and bring it out to the world of action. 82-83. But God is always For those men who wear a tallit during Shacharit, which should be put on first, the tallit or the tefillin? Every year, the Fast of Esther is held on one of the days prior to Purim. Typically, the term of an avel is truncated based on the principle of miktzat ha-yom ke-kulo expressing aveilut for a part of the day is equivalent to expressing it the entire day. Minah l'Shabbat. 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. Most famously, the shiva seven-day aveilut period concludes a few minutes into the seventh day, after part of the day has been experienced as an avel. 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. Yabia Omer OC 2:34 and 9:66 discusses this topic at great length and agrees with the Chesed Lalafim. This facilitates the process of "teshuva" -- literally "return." His aveilut responsibilities simply override his mitzva to study Torah. In addition to mere mechanical donning, tefillin demands a corresponding inner state of expanded religious consciousness. The Fast of Esther ( Ta'anith Ester, Hebrew: ) is a fast on Purim eve commemorating two communal fasts undertaken by the Persian Jewish community of Shushan in the Book of Esther, for the purpose of praying for salvation from annihilation by an evil decree, which had been the instigated by the . Mordechai responds forcefully, warning Ester not to think that she will escape This principle is found in the Talmud (Yoma 33a). Why did she call for a fast? Esther called for a fast, knowing that through soul-searching the Jews would forge a spiritual connection necessary to make her mission successful. Piskei Teshuvot 567:1 and Sht Minchat Yitzchak 4:109 hold that brushing teeth has the same status as rinsing one's teeth. However, in honor of the Purim heroine, it is called Taanit Esther -- the Fast of Esther. In an earlier shiur [Maintaining Tefillin Awareness], we discussed the mental/emotional layer of tefillin as essential to the mitzva performance. In a famous passage in Sefer Yechezkel (chapter 24), Hashem instructs the prophet to deliberately demonstrate that he is not adhering to the rules of mourning. He lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel. However, Yalkut Yosef and Tzitz Eliezer 7:49:12 are lenient but still say its preferable not to. 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. As Mark Twain wrote, "All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. Kumah strongly urges everyone to fast this year on Taanit Ester. Learn more about JOFAs Agunot Advocacy Campaign and about what you can do to spread awareness about this crisis. u'tzedaka" - repentance, prayer, and tzedaka. The Mishna (Horiyot 3:6) teaches: Any mitzva that is more frequent than another mitzva precedes that other mitzva if the opportunity to fulfill one of them coincides with an opportunity to fulfill the other. Since the avel is incapable of achieving that state, he is excused from tefillin. This is the position of the Tosafot Rabbenu Yechiel in his comments to Moed Katan (21a). Many have the custom to recite Avinu Malkeinu on public fast days. Nitei Gavriel page 34 allows children to swim. 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. The statement that an avel is obligated in every mitzva including Torah - but with the exception of tefillin makes sense if gauged at a fundamental and not a practical level. Granted, we colloquially call the day Taanit Esther (and mislabel the Fast of Gedaliah as Tzom Gedaliah; see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 549), but Esther herself said, Vtzumu aleiAnd fast on my account (Megillat Esther 4:16). Gemara Brachot 6b indicates that fasting is certainly a mitvzah, yet giving charity is a crucial element of the fast day. people. Should an avel wear tefillin when the aveilut begins after the chag? Some poskim say that one should avoid eating too much before a fast, as this may make him feel the fasting less. According to Ashkenazim it is possible to accept upon oneself to fast a partial fast and break it before the night. In previous shiurim, we introduced the mitzvah of tefillin, exploring its reasons and whether the donning the two phylacteries is one mitzva or two separate mitzvot. To save this word, you'll need to log in. Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: Taanith Esther. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Taanith%20Esther. In all cases, a competent rabbi should be consulted. begins Monday morning, before sunrise, and ends at night after the reading of Mishna Taanit 26b, Rambam Taaniyot 5:2, Shibbolei Haleket 263, Chayei Adam 133:4, Mishna Brurah 549:2, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:4, Aruch Hashulchan 549:3, Chazon Ovadia (Laws of the Four Fasts, Halacha 1), Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 527, Halachos of the Three Weeks page 1. 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. Bob Barocas is the author of Legacy of Light: Revealing the Torah's Eternal Relevance. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. The Taz (OC 684:4) disagrees. The Beur Halakha (OC 25 s.v. Similarly, for those fast days that are not allowed to fall out on Shabbat, we push them back a day. If one ate by mistake on a fast day he should nevertheless continue fasting afterwards. 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. A second important question surrounds tefillin for an avel who is not suffering the despair typically associated with the first days of aveilut. For public readings selected for Taanit Esther, visit here. Ester, we know that the geula will eventually come to Israel. 22, Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur SA 550:26 and. Incorrect password. The Torah prescribes that whenever a Jewish army goes to war, the soldiers should spend the previous day fasting. 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. Since Tisha Be-Av constitutes collective mourning and is also based on remote events, perhaps Tisha Be-av does not instigate the experience of dreadful sorrow which threatens the 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. Because a fast helps to lower the volume on our physical pursuits in order to focus more acutely on our spiritual selves. Fasting for the purpose of teshuva or receiving atonement is an important mitzvah. [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. Purim Sheni Readings. The Shulchan Arukh (25:2) adds that one who puts on his tallit katan upon rising, thus fulfilling the mitzva of tzitzit first, should then don his tefillin, and only afterwards put on the tallit gadol. 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. 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). Moshe Rabenu also fasted while presiding over the battle with Amalek in prayer. Shulchan Aruch 562:1 accepts Rashi as the primary opinion. Taanit Esther Readings. b'soneihem." 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. Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 530 permits washing one's body with hot water, but adds that one who is strict is praiseworthy. Piskei Teshuvot 589:1 citing Pri Megadim 612 citing Taz 612:8. Jewish Holidays: A Guide & Commentary, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. However, the PERSONAL sorrow and dejection of the mourner may not be as potent given the time delay. If Ta'anit Esther falls Many observances in Jewish law must be performed at specific times during the day. The basis for the haftorah at mincha on a fast day is from the gemara Tanit 12b discussing a fast for a drought and codified by the Rambam Taniyot 1:17. Regarding the communal practice changing see the Rashba (Rosh Hashana 18b s.v. The Arukh Ha-shulchan (OC 25:1) defends the Shulchan Arukh, and explains that although the Gemara cited above (Menachot 49b) implies that one may choose which mitzva to perform first, it is appropriate in our case to wear the tzitzit first and then further sanctify oneself (maalin bekodesh) by donning the tefillin. The Fast of Esther (Ta'anit 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. The first three are discussed in this article. ein maavirin) cites a well-known Mekhilta (12:17) which states: And you shall watch over the matzot" R. Yoshiya says: Read it not, "And you shall watch over the matzot," but, "And you shall watch over the mitzvot." Click a date on the calendar displays the schedule for that day. Topics mp3 Audio Ohr Somayach. There is a dispute whether nowadays these fasts are considered a binding communal practice or derived from the words of prophets.[3]. If one forgot to say Aneinu in "Shomea Tefila" one should recite it in "Elokai Netzor. Mishna Brurah 562:10 quotes the Eliya Rabba for someone who is weak. Additionally, the fact that we are physically weakened when the battle begins, assures us that any victory cannot be attributed to our physical prowess. However, a Baal Nefesh should be strict not to wash oneself in hot water or anoint oneself. There is also an organization called JACADA founded here in Washington that is very active in the areas of domestic violence and Agunot. For an individual fast day, a person needs to fast until. One who isn't fasting doesn't recite aneinu. Refua Shelema to Rabbi Daniel ben Miriam Chaya Rut Beller. Sorted by: 3. 42. Ester replies that she cannot go, since the king has not called her in On all rabbinic public fast days, we read Shemot 32:11-14 and 34:1-10, both in the morning and the afternoon, except Tisha B'Av morning. Instead, it is a time to reframe our outlook on life and push ourselves to grow more than we thought possible. 8) If a Brit Milah falls on the Fast of Esther, the Seudat Mitzvah should be be postponed until the evening. Some poskim hold that a fast of hours only is effective if one accepted to fast partially from the previous day. 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. Theres a dispute whether one may take a haircut on a fast day and its preferable not to. The Arukh Ha-shulchan concludes that since nowadays, due to our great sins, we are unable to walk to shul in our tallit or our tefillin, therefore it is customary to put on both at shul. We also do not abstain from eating and drinking for three days (the number of days Esther decreed the Jews in her day fast for) because our Sages knew that we would not be capable of having the proper mindsets and intentions for more than one day. The Finder Family Educational Center. And when he removes his phylacteries, he first removes the phylacteries of the head and afterward removes the phylacteries of the arm. after which she will approach the king, even though this means risking her life. The very source for why we fastEsthers own plea to the Jewish Peopleuses the word tzom, not taanit. 43), Mishna Brurah 550:1, Aruch Hashulchan 459:5, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:11. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. And when he removes his phylacteries, he first removes the phylacteries of the head and afterward removes the phylacteries of the arm. It is noteworthy that the Aruch Hashulchan 549:5 writes that it is obligatory today from the words of the Navi. One shouldn't skip Aneinu in Shemona Esrei to say it after Shemona Esrei so that one can answer kedusha. The Presence of an Absence: a Public Reading for the Fast of Esther, the dark side to Purim, by Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow. This was the first year that I fasted on Ta'anit Esther, and I did so mainly as an act of solidarity with agunot. be destroyed. He adds that for Taanit Esther it is preferable to get 10 people fasting but if not, . 22, Terumat Hadeshen 156. Today, the 13th of Adar, was a critical day in the times of Mordechai and Esther. 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. Therefore, when understood in this light, we see that Esther is not telling the Jewish People to focus on atoning for their sins when they fast during this time. In our case, we have a clash between these two characteristics: while the tallit is worn more frequently (Shabbat, Yom Tov, etc. An avel responding to a report of death may be obligated to obey the classic rules of aveilut, but he may not experience the raw pain and dejection of a classic avel who experiences the death and burial firsthand. Behind the Scenes of Netflixs Jewish Matchmaking. SA 562:1, Mordechai Taanis 631, Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 529. The Gemara asks: Granted, the ruling that when one dons phylacteries, he first dons the phylacteries of the arm and afterward dons the phylacteries of the head, is understood, as it is first written: And you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm, and then it is written: And they shall be for frontlets between your eyes (Devarim 6:8). Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha. This has been a long-standing problem in the Jewish community, particularly in the Orthodox world in which womens autonomy is often stifled. Many question the sweeping generalization that an avel is obligated in every mitzva, since he is forbidden from studying Torah. Second, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach encourages us to recall a time in our lives where we stepped outside of our comfort zone and did something truly great. The Jewish Calendar ( jewish_calendar) integration displays a variety of information related to the Jewish Calendar as a variety of sensors. 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. Tefillin. Rabbi Joshua B. Gordon ob'm Rabbi Ari Herzog. 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. He writes that one who touches his tefillin before his tallit should distract himself from the tefillin, read the parshiot of the korbanot, and some time later, put on his tallit, and then the tefillin., The Order of the Tefillin shel Rosh and Tefillin shel Yad. Get Certified. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach quoted in Nishmas Avraham (v. 5, p. 46) and Halichot Shlomo Moadim pg. 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. Thank you for making me aware of this women-centered Jewish tradition. These positions may also be debating whether tefillin is prohibited for an avel so as not to disrupt his aveilut or in order to protect the tefillin. That was his maasehhis mem to the tzav during the tzom. He explains that due to the principle of ein maavirin al ha-mitzvot (one may not bypass one mitzva in order to perform another mitzva), if one were to touch his tefillin first, he would have to don the tefillin first. . 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. 6) During the afternoon Mincha prayers, the paragraph of Aneinu is added to the silent Amidah, during the blessing of Shema Koleinu. Perhaps the debate surrounds the nature of the tefillin exemption for an avel. Purim is often compared to Yom Kippur, so to borrow a phrase from If a person wants to fast he must accept it upon himself the day before. 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. But we, 1) The fast begins at dawn ("Alot Hashachar") and ends after nightfall ("Tzait Hakochavim"). In the days of Esther, the Fast of Esther happened during Pesach. Taanis Esther is different than the other fast days because it is unrelated to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. Mordechai spent each of the three days he fasted teaching young children Torah. It was on this day that the Megila states (9:1), "Bayom asher sibru oy'vei hayihudim l'shlot bahem, venahafoch hu hayihudim heima b . The fast Rav Ovadia Yosef writes in Yabia Omer 27:10 that this is true even of tzom gedalia, even though some rishonim say the tragedy occurred on. Mishna Brurah 566:12, Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg. Ta'anit Esther for Hebrew Year 5782 occurred on Wednesday, 16 March 2022. One need not train his children to fast, even at the age of 12 for boys or eleven for girls. As tefillin are referred to as peer, this inner feeling is central to the mitzva performance. Today, the 13th of Adar, was a critical day in the times of Mordechai and Esther. The Gemara asks: Granted, the ruling that when one dons phylacteries, he first dons the phylacteries of the arm and afterward dons the phylacteries of the head, is understood, as it is first written: And you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm, and then it is written: And they shall be for frontlets between your eyes (, Next week we will continue our discussion of the, Publications: Philosophy and Current Affairs, Revava - The Riva Koschitzky z"l Torah Enrichment Program, Hanachat Ha-tefillin Donning the Tefillin. 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. The Fast of Esther (Ta'anit 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. Avinu Malkenu. Thus, a person should should make time on a fast day to think about one's actions and do Teshuva. Some Sephardim had the minhag to wear tefillin on fast days at Mincha so as to complete 100 Brachot, however this minhag isn't very widespread. He explains that the tefillin should be put on after the tallit due to the principle: One elevates in sanctity and does not descend (maalin be-kodesh ve-ein moridin). The Levush (ibid.) Sh"t Yechave Daat 1:35, Kaf Hachaim 686:22, 550:4, Nitai Gavriel Purim 25:4. 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. He is co-founder of HonestReporting.com, and author of"David & Goliath",the definitive account of anti-Israel media bias. Taanun. The actual Selichot are a collage of Torah verses and poetically written Hebrew works in which we ask Gd to forgive us on a personal and communal level. All Jews fast on the four fast days mentioned by the prophets which are: Tzom Gedalya (the third of Tishrei), Asara B'Tevet (tenth of Tevet), Shiva Asar BeTamuz (seventeenth of Tamuz), and Tisha BeAv (ninth of Av). Yerushalayim. The Ari zl (Shaar Ha-kavanot Derush 2) argues, based upon mystical reasons (sod), that the tallit should always be worn before the tefillin. ), the tefillin certainly has greater sanctity. Since an avel must exhibit mourning, he may not wear tefillin, which create a majestic experience of peer. 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. Is it possible to eat and drink after nightfall right before going to hear the Megillah? Yabia Omer 2:28:7 and Chazon Ovadia Arba Taaniyot pg.
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