Fast of the firstborn
Encyclopedia
Fast of the Firstborn; is a unique fast day
in Judaism
which usually falls on the day before Passover
(i.e. the fourteenth day of Nisan
, a month in the Jewish calendar
. Passover always begins on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month). Usually, the fast is broken at a siyum
celebration
(typically made at the conclusion of the morning services
), which, according to prevailing custom, creates an atmosphere of rejoicing that overrides the requirement to continue the fast (see Breaking the fast below). Unlike most Jewish fast days, only firstborns are required to fast on the Fast of the Firstborn.
This fast commemorates the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn (according to the Book of Exodus, the tenth of the ten plagues wrought upon Ancient Egypt
prior to the Exodus of the Children of Israel), when, according to Exodus (12:29): "...God struck every firstborn in the Land of Mitzrayim (Ancient Egypt)...."
, and the custom may have existed even prior to Talmudic times. The primary Talmudic source quoted for this custom is found in Tractate Soferim
(21:3). There it details the reason for the custom. It states that firstborns fast "in commemoration of the miracle that they were saved from the Plague of the Firstborn." Rabbeinu Asher
, in his comprehensive halakhic
commentary on the Babylonian Talmud (Pesachim
10:19), as well as Rabbeinu Aharon HaKohein
in his Orchot Chayyim (p. 76, §13), quote the Jerusalem Talmud
(Pesachim 68a) as an additional source for the fast.
The Chatam Sofer
suggests that the firstborn Israelites fasted in trepidation in advance of the Plague of the Firstborn; despite a divine guarantee of safety, they felt a need to fast in repentance to achieve greater divine protection. The Chatam Sofer thus posits that this was the precedent for the Fast of the Firstborn.
, there are essentially three potential purposes in fasting
, and a combination of some or all of these could apply to any given fast. One purpose in fasting is the achievement of atonement for sins and omissions in Divine service. Fasting is not considered the primary means of acquiring atonement; rather, sincere regret for and rectification of wrongdoing is key (see Isaiah
, 58:1-13).
Nevertheless, fasting is conducive to atonement, for it tends to precipitate contrition in the one who fasts (see Joel
, 2:12-18). This is why the Bible requires fasting (lit. self affliction) on Yom Kippur
(Jewish holiday of atonement) (see Leviticus
, 23:27,29,32; Numbers
, 29:7; Tractate Yoma
, 8:1; ibid. Babylonian Talmud, 81a). Because, according to the Hebrew Bible, hardship and calamitous circumstances can occur as a result of wrongdoing (see, for example, Leviticus, 26:14-41), fasting is often undertaken by the community or by individuals to achieve atonement and avert catastrophe (see, for example, Esther
, 4:3,16; Jonah
, 3:7). Most of the Talmud's Tractate Ta'anit
("Fast[s]") is dedicated to the protocol involved in declaring and observing fast days.
The second purpose in fasting is commemorative mourning. Indeed, most communal fast days that are set permanently in the Jewish calendar fulfill this purpose. These fasts include: Tisha B'Av
, the Seventeenth of Tammuz
, the Tenth of Tevet
(all of the three dedicated to mourning the loss of the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem
), and the Fast of Gedalia
. The purpose of a fast of mourning is the demonstration that those fasting are impacted by and distraught over earlier loss. This serves to heighten appreciation of that which was lost. This is in line with Isaiah (66:10), who indicates that mourning over a loss leads to increased happiness upon return of the loss:
The third purpose in fasting is commemorative gratitude. Since food and drink are corporeal needs, abstinence from them serves to provide a unique opportunity for focus on the spiritual. Indeed, the Midrash
explains that fasting can potentially elevate one to the exalted level of the ministering angels (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer
, 46). This dedication is considered appropriate gratitude to God for providing salvation. Additionally, by refraining from such basic physical indulgence, one can more greatly appreciate the dependence of humanity on God, leading to appreciation of God's beneficence in sustaining His creations. Indeed, Jewish philosophy considers this appreciation one of the fundamental reasons for which God endowed mankind with such basic physical needs as food and drink. This is seen from the text of the blessing customarily recited after consuming snacks or drinks:
Fasting on the Fast of the Firstborn incorporates the first purpose (as do all fasts) and the third, as detailed in the introduction to this article. Additionally, according to Rabbi Jacob Emden
, the Fast of the Firstborn, like the Fast of Esther
(which occurs approximately a month prior), commemorates the salvation of the Jews from the plot of Haman
. This is because Haman advanced his plot on the thirteenth of Nisan (Esther, 3:12), and Queen Esther
reacted by instructing all Jews of Shushan
to undertake a three-day fast beginning on the following day (the fourteenth of Nisan) (ibid, 4:16). For this reason, even some non-firstborns maintain the custom to fast on the fourteenth of Nisan.
Additionally, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
(Halichos Sh'lomo 3:179-180) suggests that the Fast of the Firstborn incorporates the second purpose mentioned above; firstborns fast to mourn the loss of their priestly status (see Numbers, 3:40-51) which had initially been granted them on the fourteenth of Nisan (ibid., 3:14). Furthermore, during the Temple
period, this loss was most profoundly felt on the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the busiest day of the year for the Temple priests
and Levite
s (see Pesachim 58a).
authorities (authoritative scholars of Jewish law) as to who qualifies as a firstborn (Bechor
) for purposes of the Fast of the Firstborn. All authorities agree, however, to the conditions of halakhic adulthood (generally speaking, this is 12 years for a female and 13 years for a male) and sanity, preconditions for all positive mitzvot, to obligate one to fast. (Other rare conditions, such as deaf-muteness, also exempt one from positive mitzvot).
According to the Bayit Chadash
, the Sefer Agudah, and arguably the Maharil
, both men and women are obligated to fast. This is based upon the Midrash
, which states that both men and women among the firstborn Egyptians perished in the plague. Following a precedent common in Jewish commemorative rituals, the above authorities ruled that all those who were miraculously saved should participate in commemoration (see also Pesachim
108b). Since both men and women died from the plague, all firstborn Jewish men and women alive at that time are considered to have been miraculously saved. The Rema
and the Vilna Gaon
rule that women are exempt from the fast. As the Book of Exodus (13:12-15) mentions the biblical commandment of Redemption of the Firstborn
as commemorative of the salvation of Jewish firstborns in Egypt, and as this command only applies to firstborn males, the Rema and the Vilna Gaon rule similarly that only males are obligated to fast. Common practice is that only males fast.
While a firstborn to both parents, or a firstborn to only the mother, must fast according to all authorities, there is a dispute among the early halakhic authorities regarding the status of a firstborn to only the father. The Shulchan Aruch
(OC 470:1) codifies that a firstborn to only the father is obligated to fast, while most printings of the Arba'ah Turim
(ibid.) indicate that such a person would be exempt. Common practice follows the Shulchan Aruch.
Typically, if the oldest in the family died, the next oldest is not required to fast. However, if the oldest child had died within 30 days of birth, the next oldest is required to fast. (The Dagul Mervavah
maintains that this only applies if the oldest child had been born prematurely or was not born viable).
Many authorities, including the Rema, note the custom that the father of a firstborn should fast on his child's behalf until the child reaches halakhic adulthood. The Rema rules that if the father is a firstborn himself, the mother should fast on behalf of the child. The Mateh Moshe
and Maharil dispute this and rule in such a scenario that the mother need not fast. The Magen Avraham
agrees with the latter position, but adds that a mother who begins following the former opinion must maintain that custom and fast in subsequent years (except when fasting causes her excessive discomfort or she is pregnant or nursing).
The Sh'vut Ya'akov
(1:17) rules that the above-cited custom of the father fasting for the child goes into effect as soon as the child is born, except where the child is born after chatzot ha'laila (halakhic midnight, which generally corresponds to solar midnight
) on the 14th of Nisan of that year. (Since the child had not yet been born by the equivalent time that the Plague of the Firstborn had occurred in Egypt, the father need not fast for his child until the following year) The Korban N'tan'el (Pesachim 10:19:80) disagrees. He writes that the custom only goes into effect from the time the child is 30 days old. This relates, again, to the command to redeem the firstborn, which does not go into effect until the child is 30 days old.
There is some dispute among the poskim
(halakhic authorities) regarding whether a firstborn born through caesarean section
is required to observe this fast, given that he is not obligated in the Redemption of the Firstborn. The Chok Ya'akov
(470:2) rules that such a firstborn must fast, while the Kaf HaChayyim
(470:3) rules that he need not fast. To circumvent this dispute, as well as dispute regarding a firstborn non-Jew
who converts to Judaism, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Seder Ha'aruch, Vol. 3, p. 44) suggests that such firstborns participate in a seudat mitzvah
(see here and here below).
. The common practice is that it is subsequently broken in the morning at a seudat mitzvah
(celebratory meal) following a siyum
. If the fast is not broken at a seudat mitzvah, there is a dispute among halakhic authorities regarding the duration of the fast. Normally, all Jewish fasts continue until nightfall (most authorities rule that this is approximately 40 minutes after sunset, but varies by location and time of year). However, the presence of a fast immediately before a holiday presents a unique quandary. Normally, one may not enter a Shabbat
(Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath) or Yom Tov (Festival) in a state of fasting. The Talmud
(Eruvin
41a) discusses what one should do when a formal fast day (other than Yom Kippur
) falls directly before Shabbat or Yom Tov. The sages of the Talmud are divided over two options: Either one should break the fast shortly before sundown, or one should fast through nightfall, regardless. Since the Talmud arrives at no clear conclusion, disagreement arose among halakhic authorities. The Maharil rules that the fast continues until nightfall, while others rule that it should be broken before sundown.
quotes three opinions regarding circumstances in which the fast may be broken. According to the first, a healthy individual must fast if he can sustain the fast without undue suffering and without any subsequent weakening that would affect his ability or inclination to heartily partake of his Passover Seder
meal (and specifically the matzah). (If one is obligated to partake of a festive meal that day, such as if he is the father of an infant on the day of circumcision
, this opinion requires him to undertake a reciprocal fast at the soonest opportunity.) According to the second custom (quoted by the Magen Avraham in the name of the Maharash Levi
), the fast may be broken at any festive meal celebrating a circumcision
or (interestingly) a redemption of the firstborn. According to the third custom, based upon the Maharshal
(Yam Shel Sh'lomo, Bava Kamma
7:37), the fast may even be broken at a seudat mitzvah for a siyum celebrating the completion of study of a tractate of Talmud. The latter custom is commonly observed.
If a firstborn attending a siyum does not hear the completion of the tractate, or if he does not understand what he hears, or if he is in the shiva period of mourning and is thus forbidden from listening to the Torah
material being taught, some authorities rule that subsequent eating would not qualify as a seudat mitzvah and he would therefore be forbidden to break his fast (Ben Ish Chai
1:96:25; Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Elyashiv, Siddur Pesach K'hilchaso, p. 168; Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
, Chazon Ovadiah, p. 99). Other authorities allow a firstborn to break his fast under such circumstances (Minchas Yitzchak
9:45; Teshuvos V'hanhagos
1:300, 2:210 in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
). The Minchas Yitzchak (ibid.) suggests that a firstborn in such a position should at least try to contribute to the siyum in some way, such as by sponsoring or helping to prepare the meal.
In order to break one's fast on a seudat mitzvah, many authorities rule that one must partake of at least a kotevet of food (around 1.5 to 2 oz.
) or a melo lugmav of liquid (at least around 1.7 oz.) at the seudah (Minchas Yitzchak, ibid.; Chazon Ovadiah, ibid.; Teshuvos V'hanhagos, ibid.). Other authorities rule that a firstborn need not eat anything at the siyum itself, and that he may break his fast anytime after the siyum (Siddur Pesach K'hilchaso, ibid; Rabbi Yehoshua Menachem Mendel Ehrenberg, Devar Yehoshua 2:81).
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
(OC 1:157), based on the N'mukei Yosef (Bava Batra
53b), the Ran
(ibid. 121b), the Rashbam
(ibid), and the Eliyah Rabba, extends the possibility of breaking the fast to include even breaking it at a festive meal celebrating the completion of any mitzvah
(commandment) that had required regular, continual involvement. According to these authorities, such a meal would be considered a seudat mitzvah of adequate caliber to exempt one from continuing the fast.
Additionally, the Mordechai (Pesachim 107) quotes the ruling of his father-in-law Rabbeinu Yechiel
that firstborns need not fast at all on the day before Passover; firstborns need only limit their diet to snacks. (The Bigdei Yesha
commentary suggests the rationale behind this ruling was to avoid holding a fast during the month of Nisan, which is generally prohibited.) The Mishnah Berurah states that it is appropriate for a weak individual to follow this ruling.
, most authorities rule that the fast is set for the previous Thursday, and this has become common practice. This is because it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat (except for where Yom Kippur
falls on Shabbat), and fasts are preferably not set for Friday. In such a scenario, the ritual of Bedikas Chametz
(the formal search for forbidden leaven
that is conducted before Passover
) is set for Thursday night. Normally, it is forbidden to eat (starting from nightfall) before conducting the Bedikas Chametz. However, for a firstborn who is fatigued or uncomfortable from the fast, the Mateh Moshe and Maharil rule that some food may be eaten before the search or that another person may be appointed to perform the search on behalf of the firstborn.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (OC 4:69:4) writes, based on the Rema (who is supported by a similar ruling of the P'ri M'gadim
), that one who breaks the adjusted Thursday fast might be required to fast on Friday. Since there are many opinions that dispute the Rema (such as the Shulchan Aruch
, Turei Zahav
, Eliyah Rabba, Chayei Adam
, Sh'vut Ya'akov, Mor U-K'tzi'a
), Rabbi Feinstein writes that, practically speaking, one should not fast on Friday in such circumstances. This rationale may be based on the above cited Korban N'tan'el, who writes that excessive strictures regarding keeping the Fast of the Firstborn should not come at the expense of possibly fasting unnecessarily during the month of Nisan.
The above halakhic quandary is avoided completely if a firstborn fasts the entire day on Thursday. However, Rabbi Feinstein makes no mention of this requirement. In order for a firstborn (who eats on Thursday) to comply with the ruling of the Rema, the Piskei T'shuvot suggests participating in a second siyum on Friday, while Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank
suggests partaking on Friday of leftovers from the previous day's siyum.
, there are two general types of fast: the communal fast and the individuals' fast. Among other differences between the two, a special prayer is added by the Chazzan (leader of the prayers) on communal fasts whenever both ten fasting individuals congregate and the Chazzan is fasting. While the Magen Avraham
treats the fast as an individuals' fast, the Shiyurei K'nesset Ha-G'dolah
, the P'ri Chadash, and the Or Zaru'a
view it as a communal fast. To avoid the practical implications of the controversy, the Mishnah Berurah suggests that a firstborn should not serve as Chazzan on the day of the fast.
Additionally, this fast differs from most other fasts established in the Jewish calendar in that this fast is not indicated in the Hebrew Scriptures
. This lessens the severity of the fast, and someone who experiences significant discomfort as a result of fasting may break his fast (Mishnah Berurah based on the Rema).
communities as well as many Conservative
communities around the world.
Ta'anit
A ta'anit or taanis or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water...
in Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
which usually falls on the day before Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
(i.e. the fourteenth day of Nisan
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
, a month in the Jewish calendar
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
. Passover always begins on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month). Usually, the fast is broken at a siyum
Siyum
A siyum means the completion of any unit of Torah study, or book of the Mishnah or Talmud in Judaism. A siyum is usually followed by a celebratory meal, or seudat mitzvah, a meal in honor of a mitzvah, or commandment...
celebration
Seudat mitzvah
A seudat mitzvah , in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah , such as a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah , or a siyum...
(typically made at the conclusion of the morning services
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
), which, according to prevailing custom, creates an atmosphere of rejoicing that overrides the requirement to continue the fast (see Breaking the fast below). Unlike most Jewish fast days, only firstborns are required to fast on the Fast of the Firstborn.
This fast commemorates the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn (according to the Book of Exodus, the tenth of the ten plagues wrought upon Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
prior to the Exodus of the Children of Israel), when, according to Exodus (12:29): "...God struck every firstborn in the Land of Mitzrayim (Ancient Egypt)...."
Origins
The origins of the Fast of the Firstborn are found in the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, and the custom may have existed even prior to Talmudic times. The primary Talmudic source quoted for this custom is found in Tractate Soferim
Soferim (Talmud)
Soferim is a Talmudic treatise dealing especially with the rules relating to the preparation of the holy books, as well as with the regulations for the reading of the Law. It belongs to the so-called "smaller tractates," a term applied to about 15 works in rabbinical literature, each containing...
(21:3). There it details the reason for the custom. It states that firstborns fast "in commemoration of the miracle that they were saved from the Plague of the Firstborn." Rabbeinu Asher
Asher ben Jehiel
Asher ben Jehiel- Ashkenazi was an eminent rabbi and Talmudist best known for his abstract of Talmudic law. He is often referred to as Rabbenu Asher, “our Rabbi Asher” or by the Hebrew acronym for this title, the ROSH...
, in his comprehensive halakhic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
commentary on the Babylonian Talmud (Pesachim
Pesahim
Pesahim is the third tractate of Seder Moed of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. It is concerned mainly with the laws of the Jewish holiday Passover as well as the Passover lamb offering...
10:19), as well as Rabbeinu Aharon HaKohein
Aaron ben Jacob Ha-Kohen
Aaron ben Jacob ha-Kohen was a Provençal rabbi, one of a family of scholars living at Narbonne, France , and who suffered the expulsion of the Jews in 1306....
in his Orchot Chayyim (p. 76, §13), quote the Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
(Pesachim 68a) as an additional source for the fast.
The Chatam Sofer
Moses Sofer
Moses Schreiber, known to his own community and Jewish posterity as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work Chasam Sofer, , , was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century...
suggests that the firstborn Israelites fasted in trepidation in advance of the Plague of the Firstborn; despite a divine guarantee of safety, they felt a need to fast in repentance to achieve greater divine protection. The Chatam Sofer thus posits that this was the precedent for the Fast of the Firstborn.
Meaning of the fast
In JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, there are essentially three potential purposes in fasting
Ta'anit
A ta'anit or taanis or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water...
, and a combination of some or all of these could apply to any given fast. One purpose in fasting is the achievement of atonement for sins and omissions in Divine service. Fasting is not considered the primary means of acquiring atonement; rather, sincere regret for and rectification of wrongdoing is key (see Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
, 58:1-13).
Nevertheless, fasting is conducive to atonement, for it tends to precipitate contrition in the one who fasts (see Joel
Book of Joel
The Book of Joel is part of the Hebrew Bible. Joel is part of a group of twelve prophetic books known as the Minor Prophets or simply as The Twelve; the distinction 'minor' indicates the short length of the text in relation to the larger prophetic texts known as the "Major Prophets".-Content:After...
, 2:12-18). This is why the Bible requires fasting (lit. self affliction) on Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
(Jewish holiday of atonement) (see Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
, 23:27,29,32; Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
, 29:7; Tractate Yoma
Yoma
Yoma is the fifth tractate of Seder Moed of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. It is concerned mainly with the laws of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, on which Jews atone for their sins from the previous year...
, 8:1; ibid. Babylonian Talmud, 81a). Because, according to the Hebrew Bible, hardship and calamitous circumstances can occur as a result of wrongdoing (see, for example, Leviticus, 26:14-41), fasting is often undertaken by the community or by individuals to achieve atonement and avert catastrophe (see, for example, Esther
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther is a book in the Ketuvim , the third section of the Jewish Tanakh and is part of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim...
, 4:3,16; Jonah
Book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It tells the story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah ben Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission...
, 3:7). Most of the Talmud's Tractate Ta'anit
Ta'anit (Talmud)
Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature.The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers...
("Fast[s]") is dedicated to the protocol involved in declaring and observing fast days.
The second purpose in fasting is commemorative mourning. Indeed, most communal fast days that are set permanently in the Jewish calendar fulfill this purpose. These fasts include: Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av
|Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date...
, the Seventeenth of Tammuz
Seventeenth of Tammuz
The Seventeenth of Tammuz is a minor Jewish fast day commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. It falls on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week mourning period leading up to Tisha B'Av.The day...
, the Tenth of Tevet
Tenth of Tevet
Tenth of Tevet , the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, is a minor fast day in Judaism. It is a "low fast" observed from sunrise to sunset. The day has no relationship to Hanukkah, but it happens to follow that festival by a week...
(all of the three dedicated to mourning the loss of the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
), and the Fast of Gedalia
Fast of Gedalia
The Fast of Gedalia , also spelled Gedaliah, is a Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple.-Origins:...
. The purpose of a fast of mourning is the demonstration that those fasting are impacted by and distraught over earlier loss. This serves to heighten appreciation of that which was lost. This is in line with Isaiah (66:10), who indicates that mourning over a loss leads to increased happiness upon return of the loss:
- Be glad with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all those who love her; rejoice with her in celebration, all those [who were] mourners over her.
The third purpose in fasting is commemorative gratitude. Since food and drink are corporeal needs, abstinence from them serves to provide a unique opportunity for focus on the spiritual. Indeed, the Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
explains that fasting can potentially elevate one to the exalted level of the ministering angels (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer
Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer
Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer is an aggadic-midrashic work on Genesis, part of Exodus, and a few sentences of Numbers, ascribed to R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus , a disciple of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai and teacher of Rabbi Akiva. It comprises fifty four chapters...
, 46). This dedication is considered appropriate gratitude to God for providing salvation. Additionally, by refraining from such basic physical indulgence, one can more greatly appreciate the dependence of humanity on God, leading to appreciation of God's beneficence in sustaining His creations. Indeed, Jewish philosophy considers this appreciation one of the fundamental reasons for which God endowed mankind with such basic physical needs as food and drink. This is seen from the text of the blessing customarily recited after consuming snacks or drinks:
- You are the Source of all blessing, O' Eternal One, our God, King of the universe, Creator of many souls, who gave [those souls] needs for all that which You created, to give life through them to every living soul. Blessed is the Eternal Life-giver.
Fasting on the Fast of the Firstborn incorporates the first purpose (as do all fasts) and the third, as detailed in the introduction to this article. Additionally, according to Rabbi Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
, the Fast of the Firstborn, like the Fast of Esther
Fast of Esther
The Fast of Esther 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...
(which occurs approximately a month prior), commemorates the salvation of the Jews from the plot of Haman
Haman (Bible)
Haman is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who, according to Old Testament tradition, was a 5th Century BC noble and vizier of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, traditionally identified as Artaxerxes II...
. This is because Haman advanced his plot on the thirteenth of Nisan (Esther, 3:12), and Queen Esther
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
reacted by instructing all Jews of Shushan
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
to undertake a three-day fast beginning on the following day (the fourteenth of Nisan) (ibid, 4:16). For this reason, even some non-firstborns maintain the custom to fast on the fourteenth of Nisan.
Additionally, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , was a renowned Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel...
(Halichos Sh'lomo 3:179-180) suggests that the Fast of the Firstborn incorporates the second purpose mentioned above; firstborns fast to mourn the loss of their priestly status (see Numbers, 3:40-51) which had initially been granted them on the fourteenth of Nisan (ibid., 3:14). Furthermore, during the Temple
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
period, this loss was most profoundly felt on the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the busiest day of the year for the Temple priests
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
and Levite
Levite
In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"...
s (see Pesachim 58a).
Qualifications for fasting
There is disagreement among the early halakhicHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
authorities (authoritative scholars of Jewish law) as to who qualifies as a firstborn (Bechor
Bechor
The firstborn or firstborn son is an important concept of the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinic Judaism. The role of firstborn son carries significance in the redemption of the first born son, in the allocation of a double portion of the inheritance, and in the prophetic application of "firstborn" to the...
) for purposes of the Fast of the Firstborn. All authorities agree, however, to the conditions of halakhic adulthood (generally speaking, this is 12 years for a female and 13 years for a male) and sanity, preconditions for all positive mitzvot, to obligate one to fast. (Other rare conditions, such as deaf-muteness, also exempt one from positive mitzvot).
According to the Bayit Chadash
Yoel Sirkis
Joel ben Samuel Sirkis also known as the Bach - an abbreviation of his magnum opus, Bayit Chadash - was a prominent Jewish posek and halakhist. He lived in central Europe and held rabbinical positions in Belz, Brest-Litovsk and Kraków from 1561-1640.-Biography:Sirkis was born in Lublin in 1561...
, the Sefer Agudah, and arguably the Maharil
Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Jacob b. Moses Moelin was a Talmudist and posek best known for his codification of the customs of the German Jews. He is also known as Maharil - the Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi, Yaakov Levi" - as well as Mahari Segal or Mahari Moelin...
, both men and women are obligated to fast. This is based upon the Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, which states that both men and women among the firstborn Egyptians perished in the plague. Following a precedent common in Jewish commemorative rituals, the above authorities ruled that all those who were miraculously saved should participate in commemoration (see also Pesachim
Pesahim
Pesahim is the third tractate of Seder Moed of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. It is concerned mainly with the laws of the Jewish holiday Passover as well as the Passover lamb offering...
108b). Since both men and women died from the plague, all firstborn Jewish men and women alive at that time are considered to have been miraculously saved. The Rema
Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, , was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha , entitled ha-Mapah , an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch...
and the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
rule that women are exempt from the fast. As the Book of Exodus (13:12-15) mentions the biblical commandment of Redemption of the Firstborn
Pidyon HaBen
The Pidyon HaBen, or Redemption of the first born son, is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is redeemed by use of silver coins from his birth-state of sanctity....
as commemorative of the salvation of Jewish firstborns in Egypt, and as this command only applies to firstborn males, the Rema and the Vilna Gaon rule similarly that only males are obligated to fast. Common practice is that only males fast.
While a firstborn to both parents, or a firstborn to only the mother, must fast according to all authorities, there is a dispute among the early halakhic authorities regarding the status of a firstborn to only the father. The Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
(OC 470:1) codifies that a firstborn to only the father is obligated to fast, while most printings of the Arba'ah Turim
Arba'ah Turim
Arba'ah Turim , often called simply the Tur, is an important Halakhic code, composed by Yaakov ben Asher...
(ibid.) indicate that such a person would be exempt. Common practice follows the Shulchan Aruch.
Typically, if the oldest in the family died, the next oldest is not required to fast. However, if the oldest child had died within 30 days of birth, the next oldest is required to fast. (The Dagul Mervavah
Yechezkel Landau
Yechezkel ben Yehuda Landau was an influential authority in halakha . He is best known for the work Noda Biyhudah , by which title he is also known.-Biography:...
maintains that this only applies if the oldest child had been born prematurely or was not born viable).
Many authorities, including the Rema, note the custom that the father of a firstborn should fast on his child's behalf until the child reaches halakhic adulthood. The Rema rules that if the father is a firstborn himself, the mother should fast on behalf of the child. The Mateh Moshe
Mateh Moshe
Mateh Moshe is a highly cited halakhic work by Rabbi Moshe ben Avraham of Przemyśl , a student of Rabbi Shlomo Luria. Mateh Moshe particularly emphasizes the religious customs of Polish Jewry...
and Maharil dispute this and rule in such a scenario that the mother need not fast. The Magen Avraham
Avraham Gombiner
Abraham Abele Gombiner , known as the Magen Avraham, born in Gąbin , Poland, was a rabbi, Talmudist and a leading religious authority in the Jewish community of Kalish, Poland during the seventeenth century. His full name is Avraham Avli ben Chaim HaLevi from the town of Gombin...
agrees with the latter position, but adds that a mother who begins following the former opinion must maintain that custom and fast in subsequent years (except when fasting causes her excessive discomfort or she is pregnant or nursing).
The Sh'vut Ya'akov
Yaakov Reischer
Jacob ben Joseph Reischer was an Austrian rabbi and halakhist born at Prague. He was the son of R. Joseph, author of Gib'ot 'Olam, and a pupil of R. Simon Spira of Prague, who gave him in marriage the daughter of his son Benjamin Wolf...
(1:17) rules that the above-cited custom of the father fasting for the child goes into effect as soon as the child is born, except where the child is born after chatzot ha'laila (halakhic midnight, which generally corresponds to solar midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
) on the 14th of Nisan of that year. (Since the child had not yet been born by the equivalent time that the Plague of the Firstborn had occurred in Egypt, the father need not fast for his child until the following year) The Korban N'tan'el (Pesachim 10:19:80) disagrees. He writes that the custom only goes into effect from the time the child is 30 days old. This relates, again, to the command to redeem the firstborn, which does not go into effect until the child is 30 days old.
There is some dispute among the poskim
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
(halakhic authorities) regarding whether a firstborn born through caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
is required to observe this fast, given that he is not obligated in the Redemption of the Firstborn. The Chok Ya'akov
Yaakov Reischer
Jacob ben Joseph Reischer was an Austrian rabbi and halakhist born at Prague. He was the son of R. Joseph, author of Gib'ot 'Olam, and a pupil of R. Simon Spira of Prague, who gave him in marriage the daughter of his son Benjamin Wolf...
(470:2) rules that such a firstborn must fast, while the Kaf HaChayyim
Yaakov Chaim Sofer
Yaakov Chaim Sofer was an Orthodox rabbi, Kabbalist, Talmudist and posek . Sofer is author of the work of halakha titled Kaf Hachayim, by which title he is also known....
(470:3) rules that he need not fast. To circumvent this dispute, as well as dispute regarding a firstborn non-Jew
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
who converts to Judaism, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Seder Ha'aruch, Vol. 3, p. 44) suggests that such firstborns participate in a seudat mitzvah
Seudat mitzvah
A seudat mitzvah , in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah , such as a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah , or a siyum...
(see here and here below).
Duration of the fast
As with most Jewish fast days, the fast begins at dawnDawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
. The common practice is that it is subsequently broken in the morning at a seudat mitzvah
Seudat mitzvah
A seudat mitzvah , in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah , such as a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah , or a siyum...
(celebratory meal) following a siyum
Siyum
A siyum means the completion of any unit of Torah study, or book of the Mishnah or Talmud in Judaism. A siyum is usually followed by a celebratory meal, or seudat mitzvah, a meal in honor of a mitzvah, or commandment...
. If the fast is not broken at a seudat mitzvah, there is a dispute among halakhic authorities regarding the duration of the fast. Normally, all Jewish fasts continue until nightfall (most authorities rule that this is approximately 40 minutes after sunset, but varies by location and time of year). However, the presence of a fast immediately before a holiday presents a unique quandary. Normally, one may not enter a Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
(Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath) or Yom Tov (Festival) in a state of fasting. The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Eruvin
Moed
Moed is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people . Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of Moed consists of 12 tractates:# Shabbat: or Shabbath deals with the 39 prohibitions of "work" on the Shabbat...
41a) discusses what one should do when a formal fast day (other than Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
) falls directly before Shabbat or Yom Tov. The sages of the Talmud are divided over two options: Either one should break the fast shortly before sundown, or one should fast through nightfall, regardless. Since the Talmud arrives at no clear conclusion, disagreement arose among halakhic authorities. The Maharil rules that the fast continues until nightfall, while others rule that it should be broken before sundown.
Breaking the fast
The Mishnah BerurahMishnah Berurah
The Mishnah Berurah is a work of halakha by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan , also colloquially known by the name of another of his books, Chofetz Chaim "Desirer of Life."...
quotes three opinions regarding circumstances in which the fast may be broken. According to the first, a healthy individual must fast if he can sustain the fast without undue suffering and without any subsequent weakening that would affect his ability or inclination to heartily partake of his Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
meal (and specifically the matzah). (If one is obligated to partake of a festive meal that day, such as if he is the father of an infant on the day of circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
, this opinion requires him to undertake a reciprocal fast at the soonest opportunity.) According to the second custom (quoted by the Magen Avraham in the name of the Maharash Levi
Maharash Levi
Shlomo ben Yitzchak HaLevi was a prominent rabbinic scholar in Thessaloniki, Greece, during the Jewish community's "Golden Age." Among his other duties, he served the exiled Jews from Évora, Portugal . He is most well known for his responsa Maharash Levi , published in Thessaloniki in 1652...
), the fast may be broken at any festive meal celebrating a circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
or (interestingly) a redemption of the firstborn. According to the third custom, based upon the Maharshal
Solomon Luria
Solomon Luria was one of the great Ashkenazic poskim and teachers of his time. He is known for his work of Halakha, Yam Shel Shlomo, and his Talmudic commentary Chochmat Shlomo...
(Yam Shel Sh'lomo, Bava Kamma
Bava Kamma
Bava Kamma is the first of a series of three Talmudic tractates in the order Nezikin that deal with civil matters such as damages and torts...
7:37), the fast may even be broken at a seudat mitzvah for a siyum celebrating the completion of study of a tractate of Talmud. The latter custom is commonly observed.
If a firstborn attending a siyum does not hear the completion of the tractate, or if he does not understand what he hears, or if he is in the shiva period of mourning and is thus forbidden from listening to the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
material being taught, some authorities rule that subsequent eating would not qualify as a seudat mitzvah and he would therefore be forbidden to break his fast (Ben Ish Chai
Ben Ish Chai
Yosef Chaim or in Iraqi Hebrew Yoseph Ḥayyim was a leading hakham , authority on Jewish law and Master Kabbalist...
1:96:25; Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Elyashiv, Siddur Pesach K'hilchaso, p. 168; Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, a recognised Talmudic scholar and foremost halakhic authority.He currently serves as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli parliament...
, Chazon Ovadiah, p. 99). Other authorities allow a firstborn to break his fast under such circumstances (Minchas Yitzchak
Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss
Dayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
9:45; Teshuvos V'hanhagos
Moishe Sternbuch
Moishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
1:300, 2:210 in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as The Steipler or The Steipler Gaon , was a rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and posek .-Biography:...
). The Minchas Yitzchak (ibid.) suggests that a firstborn in such a position should at least try to contribute to the siyum in some way, such as by sponsoring or helping to prepare the meal.
In order to break one's fast on a seudat mitzvah, many authorities rule that one must partake of at least a kotevet of food (around 1.5 to 2 oz.
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
) or a melo lugmav of liquid (at least around 1.7 oz.) at the seudah (Minchas Yitzchak, ibid.; Chazon Ovadiah, ibid.; Teshuvos V'hanhagos, ibid.). Other authorities rule that a firstborn need not eat anything at the siyum itself, and that he may break his fast anytime after the siyum (Siddur Pesach K'hilchaso, ibid; Rabbi Yehoshua Menachem Mendel Ehrenberg, Devar Yehoshua 2:81).
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
(OC 1:157), based on the N'mukei Yosef (Bava Batra
Bava Batra
Bava Batra is the third of the three tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of property. It is part of Judaism's oral law...
53b), the Ran
Nissim of Gerona
Nissim ben Reuven of Girona, Catalonia was an influential talmudist and authority on Jewish law. He was one of the last of the great Spanish medieval talmudic scholars. He is also known as the RaN .-Biography:The Ran was born in Barcelona, Catalonia...
(ibid. 121b), the Rashbam
Rashbam
Samuel ben Meir after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for: RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi."-Biography:...
(ibid), and the Eliyah Rabba, extends the possibility of breaking the fast to include even breaking it at a festive meal celebrating the completion of any mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
(commandment) that had required regular, continual involvement. According to these authorities, such a meal would be considered a seudat mitzvah of adequate caliber to exempt one from continuing the fast.
Additionally, the Mordechai (Pesachim 107) quotes the ruling of his father-in-law Rabbeinu Yechiel
Yechiel of Paris
Yechiel ben Joseph of Paris was a major Talmudic scholar and Tosafist from northern France, father-in-law of Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil. He was a disciple of Rabbi Judah Messer Leon, and succeeded him in 1225 as head of the Yeshiva of Paris, which then boasted some 300 students; his best known...
that firstborns need not fast at all on the day before Passover; firstborns need only limit their diet to snacks. (The Bigdei Yesha
Isaiah Horowitz
Isaiah Horowitz, , also known as the Shelah ha-Kadosh after the title of his best-known work, was a prominent Levite rabbi and mystic.-Biography:...
commentary suggests the rationale behind this ruling was to avoid holding a fast during the month of Nisan, which is generally prohibited.) The Mishnah Berurah states that it is appropriate for a weak individual to follow this ruling.
When Passover begins after Shabbat
If the day before Passover falls on ShabbatEruv Pesach on Shabbat
When the Eve of Passover falls on Shabbat, special laws apply that are not followed when the Eve of Passover occurs on any other day of the week, and various adjustments are made in the preparations for the holiday from the usual routine.-Frequency:The Eve of Passover occurring on Shabbat is a...
, most authorities rule that the fast is set for the previous Thursday, and this has become common practice. This is because it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat (except for where Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
falls on Shabbat), and fasts are preferably not set for Friday. In such a scenario, the ritual of Bedikas Chametz
Bedikas Chametz
Bedikas Chametz, or Bdikat Chametz, is the search before the Jewish Holiday of Pesach for Chametz. The search takes place after nightfall on the evening before Pesach...
(the formal search for forbidden leaven
Chametz
Chametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated from , are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover...
that is conducted before Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
) is set for Thursday night. Normally, it is forbidden to eat (starting from nightfall) before conducting the Bedikas Chametz. However, for a firstborn who is fatigued or uncomfortable from the fast, the Mateh Moshe and Maharil rule that some food may be eaten before the search or that another person may be appointed to perform the search on behalf of the firstborn.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (OC 4:69:4) writes, based on the Rema (who is supported by a similar ruling of the P'ri M'gadim
Joseph ben Meir Teomim
Joseph ben Meir Teomim was a Galician rabbi born at Lemberg. While still young he succeeded his father in the position of preacher and rabbinical instructor in the yeshivah of Lemberg. Later he went to Berlin, where he stayed several years in the bet ha-midrash of Daniel Jafe...
), that one who breaks the adjusted Thursday fast might be required to fast on Friday. Since there are many opinions that dispute the Rema (such as the Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
, Turei Zahav
David HaLevi Segal
David ha-Levi Segal , also known as the Turei Zahav after the title of his significant halakhic commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, was one of the greatest Polish rabbinical authorities....
, Eliyah Rabba, Chayei Adam
Chayei Adam
Chayei Adam is a work of Jewish law by Rabbi Avraham Danzig , dealing with the laws discussed in the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch...
, Sh'vut Ya'akov, Mor U-K'tzi'a
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
), Rabbi Feinstein writes that, practically speaking, one should not fast on Friday in such circumstances. This rationale may be based on the above cited Korban N'tan'el, who writes that excessive strictures regarding keeping the Fast of the Firstborn should not come at the expense of possibly fasting unnecessarily during the month of Nisan.
The above halakhic quandary is avoided completely if a firstborn fasts the entire day on Thursday. However, Rabbi Feinstein makes no mention of this requirement. In order for a firstborn (who eats on Thursday) to comply with the ruling of the Rema, the Piskei T'shuvot suggests participating in a second siyum on Friday, while Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank
Tzvi Pesach Frank
Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank was a renowned halachic scholar and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem for several decades.-Biography:...
suggests partaking on Friday of leftovers from the previous day's siyum.
Status of the fast
In halakhaHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, there are two general types of fast: the communal fast and the individuals' fast. Among other differences between the two, a special prayer is added by the Chazzan (leader of the prayers) on communal fasts whenever both ten fasting individuals congregate and the Chazzan is fasting. While the Magen Avraham
Avraham Gombiner
Abraham Abele Gombiner , known as the Magen Avraham, born in Gąbin , Poland, was a rabbi, Talmudist and a leading religious authority in the Jewish community of Kalish, Poland during the seventeenth century. His full name is Avraham Avli ben Chaim HaLevi from the town of Gombin...
treats the fast as an individuals' fast, the Shiyurei K'nesset Ha-G'dolah
Chaim Benveniste
Chaim Benveniste was a prominent rabbinic authority in 17th century Turkey. He was a student of Rabbi Joseph Trani and a brother of Joshua Benveniste. Born in Constantinople, he was appointed Rabbi of Tita in 1644. In 1658, he was appointed one of the rabbis of İzmir...
, the P'ri Chadash, and the Or Zaru'a
Isaac ben Moses of Vienna
Isaac ben Moses of Vienna, also called Isaac Or Zarua or the Riaz, was one of the greatest rabbis of the Middle Ages. He was probably born in Bohemia and lived between 1200 and 1270. He attained his fame in Vienna and his major work, the halachic guide known as the Or Zarua, was very popular...
view it as a communal fast. To avoid the practical implications of the controversy, the Mishnah Berurah suggests that a firstborn should not serve as Chazzan on the day of the fast.
Additionally, this fast differs from most other fasts established in the Jewish calendar in that this fast is not indicated in the Hebrew Scriptures
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
. This lessens the severity of the fast, and someone who experiences significant discomfort as a result of fasting may break his fast (Mishnah Berurah based on the Rema).
Modern practice
The laws pertaining to the Fast of the Firstborn are universally observed in OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
communities as well as many Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
communities around the world.
Recommended reading
- The Book of Our Heritage Eliyahu KitovEliyahu KitovAvraham Eliyahu Mokotow , better known as Eliyahu Kitov, was a Rabbi, educator, and community activist. He was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1912 as Abraham Eliyahu Mokotowski.-Biography:...
, Feldheim Inc., 1968 (hardcover: ISBN 0-87306-763-0; paperback: ISBN 0-87306-764-9) - The Festivals in Halacha Shlomo Yosef ZevinShlomo Yosef ZevinShlomo Yosef Zevin was one of the most prominent Orthodox rabbis of the 20th century. He founded the Encyclopedia Talmudit, a Hebrew Halachic Encyclopedia.- Rabbinate and scholarship :...
, Mesorah PublicationsArtScrollArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York...
, 1981 (ISBN 0-89906-908-8) - Halachas of Tanit Bechorim
External links
- Laws and customs of the Fast of the Firstborn
- Audio lecture on Fast of the Firstborn by Rabbi Michael Taubes
- Elaboration on the meaning and laws of the fast
- Firstborn caesarian section births, firstborn converts, and the required degree of participation in a siyum
- Fast of the Firstborn when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat
- Women and the Fast of the Firstborn
- Rabbi Dr. Raymond Apple on Fast of the First-Born
- My Jewish Learning article on the Fast of the Firstborn