Parashat Pinchas A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... Z'charya spoke about the four fast days associated with the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. Technically, all four should be full fasts. Definition of a fast day should logically come from Yom Kippur - THE Fast day of the Torah. So how come Tish'a b'Av is the only one of the four fasts that has the Yom Kippur look, specifically,beginning before sundown the previous night and having the five restrictions apply. Why is the 17th of Tammuz, for example, a dawn to stars out, no eating and no drinking kind of fast day? The four fasts were canceled during the time of the second Beit HaMikdash. After its destruction, the Sanhedrin reinstated Tish'a b'Av only. At a later time, the other three fasts were made optional, and conditional upon the status of each Jewish community. Jews who live in relative peace and security fasted only on Tish'a b'Av. Communities which found themselves in harsh circumstances, were obligated to fast on all four fast days, full fast day rules applying. With the passage of time, and the realities of a less than kind exile, the Sages decreed that we should fast on allfour fast days. This is no longer optional. It isrequired. However, the Sages did not want to over-burden the community with extra fast days thatthe Sanhedrin of past generations had notimposed. So they went easy on us. The "other three"fasts beginat dawn, rather than the nightbefore. A big leniency. Only eating and drinkingare forbidden. Washing, wearing leather shoes,use of lotions and cosmetics, marital relationsARE permitted. Another leniency. And peoplewith health conditions, permanent or temporary- are exempt from fasting. Does that mean that the other threefasts areless important? Not at all. A healthy person isREQUIRED to fast on all the required dates. Even someone eating on a fast should still bepart of the fast. More on this another time.
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