{"id":5845,"date":"2010-02-07T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2010-02-07T06:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5845"},"modified":"2010-02-07T08:00:20","modified_gmt":"2010-02-07T06:00:20","slug":"05-07-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-07-08\/","title":{"rendered":"8 \u2013 Pregnant and Nursing Women on Tish\u2019a B\u2019Av and the Minor Fast Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pregnant and nursing women are obligated to fast on Tish\u2019a B\u2019Av, because only the infirm are exempt from that fast, and pregnant and nursing women are considered healthy, unless they feel unusually weak.\u00a0 These women, however, need not fast on the minor fast days, for the following reason.\u00a0 According to the letter of the law, the Prophets ordained that we observe these fasts when Israel is faced with harsh decrees, but when no such decrees exist, it is up to the Jews to decide whether they want to fast or not.\u00a0 And indeed, the Jews have accepted upon themselves to fast on these days until the Temple is rebuilt, speedily in our days.\u00a0 However, from the very beginning, the custom has been that pregnant and nursing women do not fast on these days, because it is harder for them to fast.<\/p>\n

In Germany (Ashkenaz<\/i>), many pregnant and nursing women had a custom to act strictly and fast on the minor fast days.\u00a0 Perhaps they did so because of the harsh decrees that the Jews suffered there.\u00a0 In any event, the prevalent custom today, even among Ashkenazi Jews, is that pregnant and nursing women do not observe the minor fast days.\u00a0 And even if a particular woman wants to act stringently, it is preferable that she not fast if she has a hard time doing so.\u00a0 From the moment a woman knows she\u2019s pregnant, she is exempt from the fast.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

A nursing woman is exempt from the minor fasts as long as she nurses her child.\u00a0 Even if the child receives additional nourishment, the mother need not fast as long as she has yet to stop nursing her baby. \u00a0Some poskim<\/i> exempt all women from fasting for 24 months after giving birth, because [in their opinion] the exemption does not depend on nursing but on the hardships of childbirth, from which it takes 24 months to recover.\u00a0 In practice, most poskim<\/i> rule strictly and require every woman who has stopped nursing her child to fast even on the minor fast days.\u00a0 This is the prevalent custom, but one who wants to adopt the more lenient opinion has upon whom to rely, for several great poskim<\/i> rule leniently on this issue.[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n[10]<\/a>. In general, a woman is considered pregnant when her fetus is visible, which occurs after three months.\u00a0 Here, however, the Acharonim write that a woman suffers more and is in greater danger of having a miscarriage specifically during the first few months.\u00a0 Therefore, it would appear that a woman who knows for sure that she is pregnant, based on a test or the like, is exempt from fasting.\u00a0 However, the author of Mishnah Berurah<\/i> (550:3) and Sha\u2019ar HaTziyun<\/i> (ibid. 2) writes that one may [rely on this and] act leniently before the fortieth day of pregnancy only if she is in great pain (for then, she is considered sick).\u00a0 In my humble opinion, though, [he said this] only because [in those days] women weren\u2019t certain that they were pregnant [until later on], but if one knows for sure that she is pregnant, the danger of having a miscarriage already exists and it is clear that her aches are a result of her pregnancy.\u00a0 Therefore, she need not fast, as is the law for all pregnant women.\u00a0 The author of Mikra\u2019ei Kodesh<\/i> (Harari) writes likewise (1, note 10) in the name of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.<\/p>\n

Rabbeinu Yerucham, Radvaz, and other poskim<\/i> write that pregnant and nursing women are forbidden to fast on the minor fast days (see Torat HaMo\u2019adim<\/i> 2:2).\u00a0 The Rama writes that such women have a custom to act stringently and fast.\u00a0 The Acharonim (CA 133:6, AHS 550:1) explain that healthy women have the custom to act strictly, while those who experience a little distress need not follow this custom, but they are allowed to fast; and those who suffer greatly are forbidden to act stringently.\u00a0 Nowadays, the prevalent ruling for Ashkenazi women is not to fast.\u00a0 See Piskei Teshuvot<\/i> 550:1, which cites authorities who are extremely lenient, saying that all women who are capable of giving birth are exempt from these fasts, so that they can have strength to give birth.\u00a0 [Piskei Teshuvot<\/i> concludes that] some say that [such women] should \u201credeem\u201d the fast with charity.\u00a0 Most poskim<\/i> do not accept this opinion, but one may use it as an additional reason to rule leniently in questionable circumstances.\n<\/div>\n

\n[11]<\/a>. The following authorities rule leniently: Maharsham, Da\u2019at Torah<\/i> 550; Yechaveh Da\u2019at<\/i> 1:35.\u00a0 See the previous note.\u00a0 On a simple level, however, only one who is nursing is exempt; this is the viewpoint of most poskim<\/i>.\u00a0 Rav Eliyahu concurs in Hilchot Chagim<\/i> 24:35.\u00a0 For a summary of the various opinions, see Mikra\u2019ei Kodesh<\/i> (Harari) 1:4.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pregnant and nursing women are obligated to fast on Tish\u2019a B\u2019Av, because only the infirm are exempt from that fast, and pregnant and nursing women are considered healthy, unless they feel unusually weak.\u00a0 These women, however, need not fast on the minor fast days, for the following reason.\u00a0 According to the letter of the law, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-05-07"],"yoast_head":"\n8 \u2013 Pregnant and Nursing Women on Tish\u2019a B\u2019Av and the Minor Fast Days - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-07-08\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 \u2013 Pregnant and Nursing Women on Tish\u2019a B\u2019Av and the Minor Fast Days - 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