The Sick Person and the Minor on Yom Kippur - Rabbi Michael Shlomo Avishid shlita

00:02 Speaker 1 You’re listening to “Lema’an Yishme’u,” a podcast from Machon Halacha Chabad.

00:09 Speaker 2 Hello, everyone. With Hashem’s help, we’re preparing for the holidays, for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Today we’ll focus on some very serious halachos: the halachos of fasting on Yom Kippur. Who is actually required to fast, and who is exempt? And if someone is exempt, how exactly should they eat or drink? As I said at the outset, these are extremely serious halachos, because the Yom Kippur fast is far more stringent than any of the other fasts we observe during the year. Take the fast of Tisha B’Av, for example, which people generally think of as an especially stringent fast. Even there, someone who is ill but not in danger—whose life is not at risk, but who meets the well-known definition of a person who is ill but not in danger in the laws of Shabbos, siman 328, along with some additional definitions in the laws of fasts, siman 554—is exempt from fasting. An ill person is not required to fast. You might ask: If this involves a Torah prohibition, how can we set it aside and perhaps violate a Torah prohibition for an illness that poses no danger? The answer is that, to begin with, the Tisha B’Av fast comes from the words of the Prophets in Tanach; it is not a fast stated in the Chumash. The words of the Prophets are classified as the words of the Sages. That is the language the Alter Rebbe uses in siman 242, at the beginning of the laws of Shabbos, or in siman 529, in the laws of Yom Tov. True, this category of the words of the Sages is more stringent. There is a well-known Turei Even in the laws of Megillah concerning a doubt about hearing the daytime Megillah reading. The Alter Rebbe, too, in siman 261, which discusses the laws of bein hashmashos, addresses an eruv techumin. The matter of a techum involves, as it were, establishing a place of residence, and is connected to laws written in Tanach, in the book of Nechemiah. It is therefore more stringent than an ordinary enactment of the Sages. But it is still considered and classified in halacha as a more stringent enactment of the

03:02 Speaker 2 Sages. Another point: regarding times of peace, the Gemara says, “If they wish, they fast; if they wish, they do not fast.” The accepted practice, of course, is to fast. This establishes the Tisha B’Av fast as a rabbinic prohibition rather than a Torah prohibition, and the Sages did not impose it in a case of illness. Here, however, we are dealing with the Yom Kippur fast, the holiest day for the Jewish people. It is extremely stringent: Yom Kippur has five forms of affliction, five things that are prohibited. The Alter Rebbe follows the view of the Ran that all these prohibitions are from the Torah, except that the Torah left it to the Sages to determine the scope of these Torah prohibitions. But not all of the Torah prohibitions carry the penalty of kareis. Only the prohibitions against work and against eating and drinking carry kareis. Kareis is, of course, an exceptionally rare penalty. Among the 365 negative commandments, we generally do not find prohibitions carrying kareis. Out of all the Torah’s negative and positive commandments, there are only thirty-six prohibitions carrying kareis, listed at the beginning of tractate Kerisos, and two positive commandments—circumcision and the Pesach offering—for which failure to perform them carries kareis. So even among negative commandments, it is exceptionally rare. On Yom Kippur, then, we are dealing with the severe prohibition that carries kareis. On the other side of the scale, though, sometimes a life is at stake. We are dealing with a person’s health, and the Torah has already told us, as everyone knows from the discussion at the end of Yoma, “You shall live by them—not die by them.” As the great halachic authorities expressed it, Rabbi Chaim of Brisk said, “I am stringent about the laws of saving a life.” Many simanim in the Shulchan Aruch deal with saving a life, including simanim 328 and 329 in Orach Chaim and the final simanim of Choshen Mishpat. Indeed, that is the concluding halacha: the last halacha of Choshen Mishpat concerns just how very, very careful we must be about health. And that is

05:25 Speaker 2 precisely what makes these halachos difficult. On the one hand, we are concerned about extremely severe prohibitions; on the other, we are concerned about each person’s health, both physical and mental. That is the complexity. The Shulchan Aruch has clear simanim on this subject, but those simanim alone are not enough to make a ruling. One must understand the actual situation and be in contact with the doctor, as we will explain later in the class. The simanim that any rabbi dealing with this must know thoroughly are siman 612 in Orach Chaim; 616, concerning a minor; 617, concerning a pregnant or nursing woman and so on, and especially a woman who has given birth; and 618, concerning an ill person. In this class, we will try to provide the tools and sum up the main laws and principles that emerge from those simanim, so that we can address as many questions as possible. Toward the end of the class, we will discuss some common illnesses and situations that every rabbi encounters. It is also important for the public to know the basic principles in advance, so that someone who is ill, G-d forbid, can be in touch with their family doctor or the specialist monitoring their particular condition. Calling at the very last minute, right before Yom Kippur, is not always ideal, because the rabbi is not a doctor. The rabbi has experience and halachic knowledge, but as we will see, a great deal depends on the doctor and on the particular patient. You cannot always tell from the name of the illness alone what can be done, or how much food the person needs to eat. People therefore need to know these things and be alert to these halachos. Every Jew should study the halachos of Yom Kippur before Yom Kippur. Everyone needs to know the details, and, of course, anyone who is not a rabbi

08:06 Speaker 2 will need to ask their rabbi and their doctor. The rabbi, of course, will guide the patient on how to consult the doctor and what to ask. With Hashem’s help, may we all be healthy and never need an exemption under any circumstances. But if an exemption is needed, that too is part of the Torah: “You shall live by them,” and not, G-d forbid, the opposite. Let’s begin with the important principles of the laws of fasting on Yom Kippur. The first thing to know is that, G-d forbid, for eating or drinking to carry the penalty of kareis, a person must consume a certain amount. But that amount determines only liability for kareis. It is possible to violate a Torah prohibition even by consuming less than the amounts we will discuss, though without incurring kareis. It is extremely important to emphasize that even if consuming less than the amount that incurs kareis does not itself incur kareis, it is still a very severe Torah prohibition, and it belongs to the same category as prohibitions carrying kareis. It does not incur kareis, but it belongs to that category. One example appears in the laws of niddah, in the Beis Yosef, Yoreh Deah siman 190. We see that he sometimes writes about various stringencies that, even though the general approach to stains is to be lenient in various ways, he is sometimes stringent because he classifies this as a severe prohibition carrying kareis. A stain involves only a rabbinic prohibition and does not incur kareis, but it still belongs to that category. So when we define the amounts one may eat, we certainly must not take the matter lightly and think it is not so serious. We are speaking of Torah prohibitions that do not incur kareis, but belong to that category—though it is true that they do not incur kareis. So let us recall the well-known point: this is a dispute between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish in tractate Yoma, page 74. The halacha follows Rabbi Yochanan, who holds that consuming less than the prescribed amount is prohibited by the Torah. In other words, even though the Torah will hold us liable

10:34 Speaker 2 With eating and drinking, even below the amounts we’ll explain shortly, there is still a Torah prohibition. When we say “half the required amount,” that isn’t a precise expression. It could be half of a half, even the tiniest amount. As the Alter Rebbe emphasizes in siman 602, even the tiniest amount involves a Torah prohibition, though one that does not carry kareis. So “half the required amount” means even the tiniest amount of the prohibited food. There is, admittedly, an almost solitary opinion of the Maharam Chalavah in his commentary on Pesachim, page 44—the only one of his tractate commentaries that remains in our hands. He writes that half the required amount is prohibited by the Torah, but less than half, a quarter for example, is not a Torah prohibition. The Rebbe once discussed this in yechidus with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu in 5752. But ultimately, the Rebbe also mentioned that the Alter Rebbe says in Orach Chaim that it is a Torah prohibition. And not only with a prohibition on eating, by the way. So it’s very important to know that it does not carry kareis, but even the tiniest amount involves a Torah prohibition. Now let’s begin with the prohibition on eating on Yom Kippur. What amount makes a person liable for kareis? The amount is given in the Mishnah, on page 73b. A well-known Mishnah at the beginning of the chapter says “a large date”—meaning a date, not a small one but a large one. Today there are Medjool dates and other large varieties. Often, it seems, we don’t find dates as large as the ones the Gemara discusses. But there is testimony, including from experts and from non-Jews centuries ago, that dates did reach the sizes we’ll see. Also, today, methods of removing some leaves and other things around the fruit allow a date to grow larger, and it really is possible

12:48 Speaker 2 to reach the sizes the Sages spoke about. So what is the size of a large date? The Gemara discusses this later, on page 79, and gives two opinions. In the end, we conclude that it is no more than the volume of an egg, but slightly less. This is the ruling in Shulchan Aruch, siman 612, and in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch as well. So we’re talking about less than the volume of an egg. People with some familiarity with these measurements always hear them expressed in grams, but grams certainly aren’t what determines the amount. The Alter Rebbe mentions this too in siman 486, in the laws of Pesach. What matters is volume. People sometimes speak of a kezayis as twenty-seven or thirty grams, and of an egg as two olive-sized amounts. There are two opinions about this, of course, as the Alter Rebbe mentions in siman 486, but that would make it double, about fifty-four grams. The main thing is to speak in cubic centimeters. This is a measure of volume, and it is a little smaller than an egg. As we continue, we’ll come back to what that means in today’s measurements. But at least we understand that the amount that makes a person liable for kareis is a large date, a little smaller than an egg. That’s important to know. Now, regarding drinking: the amount is not a large date, and it’s not a revi’is either. The wording of the Mishnah on page 73, in that same Mishnah, is “a cheekful.” In the wording of the Shulchan Aruch and the Alter Rebbe in siman 612, this is less than a revi’is. There’s another, more commonly cited formulation in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman 612, section 19: he writes that it is most of a revi’is. But that is considerably less than a full revi’is, and we’ll return to the measurement. In any case, the amount that makes a person liable for kareis for drinking is a cheekful. And the Alter Rebbe

15:21 Speaker 2 gives each person a way to check it for himself. The Mishnah Berurah does this as well regarding the time it takes to eat a pras, which we’ll discuss later. But the Alter Rebbe says that anyone can check, and earlier halachic authorities also mentioned this. A cheekful does not mean filling both cheeks. You fill one cheek, then empty it into a cup to see exactly how much it holds. With eating, the volume of a large date does not depend on a person’s size. Our Sages say, as quoted in Shulchan Aruch, that even for someone as large as Og, king of Bashan, a large date is enough to settle his mind. So the amount for eating does not vary from person to person; it is fixed for everyone. A cheekful, by contrast, means each person’s own cheekful. One person’s holds much more, another’s much less. That’s why the Alter Rebbe says that each person can check. Rabbi Chaim Naeh, who wrote at length about these subjects in Shiurei Torah, and several other halachic authorities offered a simple suggestion. Sometimes, when you fill one side, you can’t be quite sure you’ve filled only that side; perhaps some has gone toward the middle of the mouth or the other cheek. So they suggested filling both cheeks as much as possible, emptying the water into a cup, and dividing that amount in two. That gives you one cheekful. It’s really the simplest and easiest method. And sometimes, as we’ll explain the amounts later in the lesson, we can also establish an approximate amount that we can be confident about.

17:21 Speaker 2 The Alter Rebbe and other halachic authorities also mention that if, at some point, we permit someone to eat in measured amounts, this still involves a Torah prohibition, but we’re dealing with a possible danger to life. That’s what I began the lesson by saying: on Tisha B’Av, there doesn’t need to be a danger to life. If someone is ill, even without such a danger, there is already permission to eat. On Yom Kippur, there must be a concern about danger to life. The patient need not already be defined as dangerously ill; it is enough that the illness could deteriorate and become dangerous. Then the permission to eat already applies. This is based on Yoma, page 83, which discusses permission to eat in measured amounts. For eating, then, one must eat less than the prescribed amount. How much less? The Ran and later authorities say, as the halachic authorities cite, not to come too close to it. After all, the amount is almost the volume of an egg, just slightly less. One shouldn’t go right up to almost an egg, because we’re dealing with a prohibition that carries kareis. So one should leave a margin. The suggestion there is two-thirds of an egg, or a little more, but not too close. With a cheekful, on the other hand, the Alter Rebbe says one need only drink less than that amount, since it is quite easy to measure: empty a cheekful into a cup, then take a little less. So ordinarily, it doesn’t say there to take much less. Still, as we’ll see, people vary in size, and their mouths may be smaller or larger. For a fairly small person with a small face, for example, the amount below which one would not be liable for kareis might come out to around thirty-two cubic centimeters. I should mention that with water, volume corresponds exactly to weight. For example, thirty cubic centimeters is thirty grams, so thirty

19:34 Speaker 2 And 32 cc is 32 grams. A person can take a cup beforehand, weigh the cup empty, of course—sometimes a plastic cup weighs about two grams—then fill it and check the amount, because with drinking it’s very easy. Very easy. The cc and the grams basically correspond. So sometimes it can be 32, and for an average person it can be about 40 cc, like 40 grams of water. Some rabbis therefore publish a measure of 40 to begin with. Others publish 35. We’ll see that sometimes it’s worth being careful, because there are different opinions. You can also check it the way we suggested, but in the end, sometimes it’s possible to recommend about 30, so that it will be perfectly fine according to all opinions. But we’ll see that sometimes a person needs to drink a lot, and we’ll go into that later. Let’s add a very important point: when the Torah says there is a prohibition punishable by kares for eating or drinking, it doesn’t necessarily mean eating or drinking the amount all at once. Separate amounts can combine. If I eat a little now and a little later, they can be combined. This is what halachah calls, in many sections of the Shulchan Aruch, including siman 216, the time it takes to eat a pras. When discussing other prohibitions, where the prohibited amount is generally a kezayis, we say that a kezayis eaten within the time it takes to eat a pras combines into one amount. Here we’re discussing eating on Yom Kippur, where the measure is a large date, and amounts eaten within that time combine. If we want to allow someone to eat in measured amounts, the question is: exactly how long is the time it takes to eat a pras? As is well known, the Rambam and Rashi disagree about this. Here the Rambam is more lenient, and Rashi is stricter. According to the Rambam, it’s the time it takes to eat three eggs. So

21:44 Speaker 2 once more time has passed than it takes to eat three eggs, the amounts no longer combine, and I have the leniency of eating in measured amounts. According to Rashi, the time it takes to eat a pras is the time it takes to eat four eggs. That’s a longer period, so amounts eaten within that time still combine. That’s why Rashi is considered stricter on this point. What is the halachic ruling? The Alter Rebbe rules in siman 612 that we take Rashi’s view into account. He is discussing prohibitions, of course—for example, Yom Kippur, which is a Torah prohibition. He says that for a Torah prohibition we rule stringently, like Rashi, while for a rabbinic prohibition we rule leniently, like the Rambam. So in our case, the prohibition of eating on Yom Kippur, if the eating takes place within the time it takes to eat four eggs, the amounts combine, bringing the person to an amount punishable by kares. To avoid that, the eating has to be spread over more time than it takes to eat four eggs. That is the stringency here. Nevertheless, in siman 618, which deals with a sick person and eating, the Alter Rebbe says in se’if 13 that while this is a Torah prohibition and we should therefore be stringent like Rashi, as he ruled earlier, if there is a need—if, for example, a doctor says the person must eat a little more, or eat more quickly—we can rely on the Rambam’s lenient view. But often it’s entirely possible to manage with Rashi’s measure and calculate the time it takes to eat a pras. We’ll translate this into practical terms today, both for the amount of food and for the time it takes to eat a pras. For now, we’re establishing the basic principles. Regarding drinking, there’s a well-known disagreement between the Rambam and the Raavad. The Rambam’s view is even more lenient here than his view on eating relative to Rashi. He says the relevant time is the time from when I begin drinking a cheekful to when I finish it. If I drink it in two stages, with a pause between them, within the time it takes to drink a revi’is—a person drinking a revi’is, which isn’t very much, about 86 grams of water—not necessarily continuously, but taking a drink, pausing briefly, and drinking again, we’re talking about a matter of seconds. We’ll define it precisely,

24:04 Speaker 2 and of course take a stringent approach here. But if a person drinks more slowly than that measure, the Rambam says the amounts no longer combine. That’s very helpful. If there’s a concern that a person’s condition could deteriorate and become dangerous, he can space out the drinking so the amounts won’t combine—by waiting, say, two minutes. We’ll get into the details later, but about two minutes certainly means they won’t combine according to the Rambam. According to the Raavad, however, drinking is like eating. The question underlying their disagreement is whether we follow the Gemara or the Tosefta. The Raavad says that for drinking, too, the relevant period is the time it takes to eat a pras. This is a very important disagreement, because for some people, doctors may say that they must drink a lot—perhaps two or three liters of water over the course of the day. If we’re stringent and wait the time it takes to eat a pras, following the Raavad, it will take longer, and we might not manage to drink the required amount. So it’s important to know the halachah. The Alter Rebbe rules stringently here too. We’re dealing with a prohibition punishable by kares, a serious Torah prohibition, so he says that someone drinking in measured amounts must leave an interval between one drink

26:15 Speaker 2 and the next. Each time, of course, the person should drink less than a cheekful, as we mentioned, and leave an interval of the time it takes to eat a pras, following the Raavad. Nevertheless, here too, in siman 618 [unclear], he writes that if we need to rule leniently like the Rambam, we will do so. We won’t take risks contrary to the doctor’s instructions. If the doctor says that’s what the sick person needs, then of course we’ll do it. Those are some important basic principles. Now let’s put the measures of volume and the time it takes to eat a pras into practical terms today. We’ll start with the time it takes to eat a pras. Boruch Hashem, people have heard about this many times. We deal with it, for example, in the laws of eating matzah on Pesach. There are several opinions, and we’ll summarize those generally followed in practice. First, there is a discussion in the responsa of the Tzemach Tzedek. We dealt with this recently in connection with COVID and fasting during the pandemic—times of an epidemic and so on. It’s in the Orach Chaim section of his responsa, simanim 108, 109 and 110. The Tzemach Tzedek discusses this measure there, but he’s speaking about Tisha B’Av, which is, of course, a rabbinic prohibition rather than a Torah prohibition, as we mentioned earlier. The Alter Rebbe ruled in the Shulchan Aruch that for a rabbinic prohibition, we can leniently follow the Rambam’s view of the time it takes to eat a pras. So the Tzemach Tzedek gives a measure of six minutes there—six minutes. There’s also the well-known view of Rabbi Chaim Naeh, which is four minutes. Exactly two responsa later, in siman 114 of the Tzemach Tzedek’s responsa, there is a note by his son, Rabbi Yisrael Noach of Niezhin, who writes that he spoke with… with the

28:27 Speaker 2 [unclear], with the Tzemach Tzedek, and the discussion is even about six minutes—and that is for measurements established by the Sages. For Torah-law measurements, one can be concerned for, and follow the stricter view of, the Chasam Sofer, as he mentions there. The Chasam Sofer’s stricter measure for the time it takes to eat a pras is nine minutes. That’s why you often hear rabbis say to eat measured amounts every nine minutes. Some even say ten, because it’s easier to keep track of a round number on a clock. But with nine minutes, once nine minutes have passed, we know that the amounts do not combine according to the Chasam Sofer’s stricter view for Torah-law matters. The Rebbe also notes in a footnote in Sefer Haminhagim that the Sdei Chemed cites a report in the name of Rabbi Dovid Fridsher[?], who heard in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek, speaking even of three minutes. Sometimes on Pesach we do suggest eating the kezaysim within three minutes, to take that report into account as well. But of course, we generally follow the stricter approach. Still, it’s important to know the other views for when they’re needed and the doctor requires the person to eat more. It can also reassure the patient to know that, according to one view, the amounts he eats do not fall within the time it takes to eat a pras at all. So that’s regarding the measurements. In practice, as I said, we’ll say to eat every nine minutes. If the doctor says to eat more frequently because the patient needs more food in measured amounts, then of course we’ll shorten the interval. And as the Alter Rebbe ruled, one can also follow the Rambam’s view of three eggs, which brings us to seven minutes. If necessary, there is also what the Tzemach Tzedek’s son said. But the well-known, standard measure is six minutes, and sometimes we’ll go even lower if—because in these laws, when the doctor says more is needed, then

30:31 Speaker 2 one eats more. With drinking, too, for example, sometimes a person has fainted and has been revived somewhat. We won’t start by giving him measured amounts to drink. Or a person may be severely dehydrated. So sometimes we’ll say to drink more; it all depends on the doctor. And here it’s important to emphasize, before wrapping up the discussion of the time it takes to eat a pras as it relates to drinking, that I keep saying “the doctor.” A rabbi does not need to be a doctor. The Shulchan Aruch does not say he has to study medicine. What does he need? He needs to know what the doctor says. So it’s very important for every rabbi who deals with these laws to have a doctor he can reach, especially during the pressured hours of Yom Kippur. If the doctor needs to be paid appropriately, he should be paid appropriately. Sometimes doctors are willing to help on their own, but the point is not to feel embarrassed about calling and consulting them. Of course, sometimes the doctor you’re in contact with isn’t enough. Sometimes that person’s family doctor, neurologist, or cardiologist will also need to give an opinion, because they know the patient. But it’s important for a rabbi to have someone to talk to: a doctor he can reach easily and exchange views with, rather than someone he barely knows, who answers offhand when he calls. Second, you really need to choose an expert doctor. In every field, as they say in Chassidus, there is a wise person and there is a wise person; there is a chossid and there is a chossid. So there are different levels of expertise among doctors too. It’s important to choose a doctor who understands his field and has extensive experience with these matters. There’s also the question of finding a doctor: what about a non-Jewish doctor? The Shulchan Aruch discusses a non-Jewish doctor too, but the poskim discuss this extensively, already in Yoreh De’ah, section

32:27 Speaker 2 187. As is known, regarding certain laws, it says there that if a doctor says a woman has recovered, one may rely on him. But it also says there not to rely on a doctor who is a forced convert, because “they speak falsehood,” so relying on him is not straightforward, especially when there is an established presumption that something is forbidden. When serious matters and serious Torah prohibitions are involved, when can we rely on them? Ultimately, though, there is also a well-known ruling of the Tzemach Tzedek in section 148, and many have discussed it. The Maharshak[?] wrote about it, as did his student and many others who address this question. In practice, they conclude that, at least in matters of saving a life, a non-Jewish doctor’s opinion carries enough weight to raise a doubt for us. And if it raises a doubt, that is already enough: even in a case of doubt, or a double doubt, about saving a life, we can be lenient, both in the laws of Shabbos and in the laws of Yom Kippur. So one can indeed rely on a non-Jewish doctor. The question is whether, from the outset, when a person here in the Holy Land has access to Jewish doctors, including G-d-fearing doctors, he should do so. I even heard a very important non-Chabad rabbi say that he prefers a non-Jewish doctor, who is less likely to bring stringencies and the awe of Yom Kippur into what should be a purely medical question. But ultimately, it’s clear that many poskim disagree. If we can consult an expert doctor who is Jewish, reachable, available to talk, and also G-d-fearing, then certainly he understands medicine and cares about health, while also understanding the Torah and the stringency of the fast. That’s a very good combination for a consultation. But sometimes, as I said, we don’t have such a doctor readily available. Second,

34:31 Speaker 2 even when we have a doctor available, it often depends on the doctor treating that particular person. Abroad, those doctors are often non-Jewish, and one may rely on them. All the more so because the poskim have discussed at length, as I mentioned regarding section 187, the possibility that circumstances have changed today. Today everything is documented; there are many reports. A doctor will not lightly risk his credibility by endangering a patient or saying something untrue. Doctors are often subject to more oversight today, and there is more competition. It isn’t like an isolated town with just one doctor, who is the sole authority there. So it’s easier to rely on them, and it is permitted. If possible, of course, it’s preferable to consult a G-d-fearing Jew—but only if he is an expert, because otherwise expertise is more important here than being G-d-fearing. Now, as for what the doctor says, it’s very important to know that on the other fast days, when a person is ill and we’ve permitted him to eat, even though his life is not in danger, as we mentioned, once he is permitted to eat, he eats. That’s it. Here, by contrast, even when he eats, there is the concept of eating measured amounts. Of course, if the doctor says measured amounts aren’t enough, then he eats normally. And if we’re in doubt about how he needs to eat, sometimes we must have him eat normally. If the doctor isn’t reachable, or this suddenly happens in the middle of Yom Kippur, we mustn’t take risks with this. But it’s important to know that we have to treat saving a life as an extremely serious matter. It’s true that we are very concerned about the prohibition against eating on Yom Kippur, but as we’ve said, it’s very important to know these details. On the other hand, it is not like the other fast days,

36:40 Speaker 2 With the other fasts, as I mentioned, if you eat, you eat. Here, if that amount is enough—if the patient has eaten enough to get through the rest of the fast—then he does not need to eat any more. Perhaps that patient only needs to drink; in that case, he only drinks. Now, you might say, “But he is already eating.” No, it is not the same thing. Here, the obligation is to undergo affliction. There are the afflictions of Yom Kippur, and whatever aspect of that affliction he can observe, he does. That is why this is different. When a person is given a leniency, he really needs to be instructed to eat in measured amounts. Once he has had what he needs, and there are three hours left until the end of the fast and he can manage without any concern—and he has drunk the amount he needed—he continues the fast, observing whatever affliction he can. It is important to emphasize in these laws that the amounts of food and drink are counted separately. Eating and drinking do not combine. In other words, if a person is permitted to eat in measured amounts, and the doctor says he needs both food and drink, he may eat a measured amount and drink immediately afterward without waiting. He then waits nine minutes and can eat and drink again, because food and drink do not combine, as stated in the Mishnah at the end of Yoma that we mentioned. Another basic point we want to cover tonight is a woman who has given birth. We will go into the details shortly, but the law concerning a woman who has given birth appears in the Shulchan Aruch, siman 617. It says that during the first three days, even if she feels that she wants to eat, we insist that she eat. The Terumas Hadeshen states explicitly that she is fed even against her will. There are authorities

38:49 Speaker 2 who wrote otherwise, but the Terumas Hadeshen is clear that she must be fed even against her will. Usually, during those first three days, she cooperates. Now, how much does she need to eat? The Alter Rebbe writes that she should eat in measured amounts. The Mishnah Berurah cites Rabbi Baruch Frankel in Shaar Hatziyun as saying that sometimes she may eat without restricting herself to measured amounts, but we rule that she generally eats in measured amounts. She may eat in measured amounts during the first three days. Now, what counts as the first three days? Here, both the Shulchan Aruch and the Terumas Hadeshen in siman 617 say that the three days are not three full twenty-four-hour periods. In other words, if a woman gave birth on 7 Tishrei at three in the afternoon, then counting three full periods would take her through 8, 9, and 10 Tishrei, until three in the afternoon on 10 Tishrei, during which time she could eat in measured amounts. But the ruling here is different. The Terumas Hadeshen rules—and many authorities ruled along the same lines—that we do not count full twenty-four-hour periods. The 7th is one day, even if only a few hours of that day remain. The 8th and 9th complete three days, and she must fast on Yom Kippur. Authorities generally do not rule that way today. They rule that during the first three full twenty-four-hour periods, one can certainly be lenient. The Mishnah Berurah brings the different opinions and says that the practice is to be lenient. In Chabad, we should mention the Tzemach Tzedek, in siman 63, who says that a weak woman may rely on the lenient view and count three full twenty-four-hour periods. Today, of course, everyone should ask their own rabbi, and rabbis follow what they received through practical training with their teachers. But I learned from respected rabbis that we do take their needs into account and allow them to eat in measured amounts during the first three full twenty-four-hour periods. And one of the reasons

40:59 Speaker 2 is what happens from the third day until seven days after the birth. The Shulchan Aruch discusses this, and there are many details: What does the doctor say? What does she say? But, put simply, if a woman feels that she needs to eat, then she does eat. If she is unsure whether she needs to eat, doctors today will generally say unanimously that she should eat in measured amounts. There is still considerable weakness, so that is generally what is recommended. And the woman herself usually cannot assess this. She may say that she wants to eat because she is concerned, but she feels weak. She feels she needs to eat, and even if she is unsure, there is still permission there to eat in measured amounts. So she will generally be in touch with a rabbi, and very often she will receive some leniency, not only during the first three days. That is one reason we can be lenient for at least the first three full twenty-four-hour periods: in fact, one can sometimes go further when a woman is unsure. I am not speaking about a case where the doctor says with certainty that she does not need to eat, but that generally does not happen. It is rare to hear a doctor state clearly, “She can fast; she does not need to eat at all.” At least, I have not heard doctors say that, and several rabbis have told me the same thing. That is regarding a woman who has given birth. Now, regarding pregnant and nursing women in halachah: the Gemara in Pesachim 54 says, and it is ruled in the Shulchan Aruch, [unclear], that pregnant and nursing women fast on Tishah B’Av and Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is more stringent than Tishah B’Av, as we mentioned at the beginning of the class. So it is important to emphasize that a pregnant

43:05 Speaker 2 or nursing woman fasts. That is the straightforward norm. Do not assume there are leniencies here. Even a nursing woman, for whom there are often various leniencies regarding the other fasts, must fast on Yom Kippur. That is a clear halachah in the Shulchan Aruch. Now, when we give examples shortly, we will look at the most common real-life situations. Of course, I do not mean that someone should hear these cases and immediately rule accordingly. One needs to consult a doctor and really check the situation. But we will at least try to provide some tools, through a few examples, for recognizing when there is a question, how to approach it, and the general direction the answer usually takes. Broadly speaking, a woman who has given birth has the leniencies that extend through the first three and seven days, as we mentioned. Even a woman who gave birth by Caesarean section, if the doctor finds her weak and so on, may sometimes receive leniencies beyond seven days. I have had occasion to rule that way several times, after consulting respected rabbis and elder members of Anash, some of whom have since passed away, on these matters. We have sometimes found grounds for leniency beyond that period. So with a Caesarean section, one should know that the question can extend beyond a week. And, of course, the same can apply to a woman who had a regular delivery but developed an infection or has some other complication afterward, and so on. Every case must be considered on its own, and sometimes further leniencies are possible. But broadly speaking, those are the basic parameters. Pregnant women generally do fast. On the other hand, there certainly are high-risk pregnancies in which permission may be given to eat in measured amounts. Sometimes a woman will only need to drink. Take, for example, a woman pregnant with twins. There are several different situations with twins, such as whether they share a placenta or do not share a…

45:16 Speaker 2 With nursing infants [?], the concern about dehydration is greater. And of course, with everything I mention as an example, there are differing opinions. But here we really have to be stringent when it comes to the laws of saving a life, rather than, G-d forbid, looking for some lenient ruling from one rabbi or another. Sometimes there are exaggerations, too. A doctor may also be too quick to give a lenient ruling, so you need a specialist—someone who understands the situation and also understands the importance of fasting on Yom Kippur. These are details we really have to get right. In the end, a woman carrying twins will often have grounds from the outset to eat in measured amounts, and sometimes she may only need to drink. So she needs to consult her doctor. Sometimes drinking alone is enough to ensure there is no concern about dehydration, and sometimes she needs to drink a great deal to prevent dehydration, or she may already have various complications in the pregnancy. A high-risk pregnancy or an unusual pregnancy is obviously an exception; we do not simply say in such cases that pregnant women must fast on Yom Kippur. There is considerable room for leniency here. Now, as for a nursing mother, she needs to fast. What often happens is that she is actively nursing and the baby is very young—not yet eating much else, as in the first six months after birth. A baby like that really needs his mother. Some mothers already supplement with various formulas or milk substitutes. Of course, that is helpful in preparation for Yom Kippur. Sometimes they can give the baby a little more during Yom Kippur, and they can also try it out in the preceding days. Some things written in the books come from older books. In other words, if we rely on halachic authorities who wrote thirty years ago,

47:25 Speaker 2 things were somewhat different then. There was much more concern about changing a baby’s diet, which could also cause digestive problems and stomachaches, and the products available did not contain all the necessary vitamins. Today, boruch Hashem, these products have improved tremendously, and there are very good options that do not cause digestive problems. So sometimes you need to try them out. The truth is that we still encounter cases—I’m not yet old, but we have already seen many—in which babies are difficult and refuse, even when parents try offering something else a few days before Yom Kippur. They simply will not take it. We do not put the baby at risk just to get him used to something for Yom Kippur. He refuses the bottle; we have tried once or twice, and even when he is a little hungry, he still will not take it. Or perhaps it really does cause him digestive problems. We do not take chances here. In that case, the woman will need to nurse him exclusively. If she prepares very well and drinks plenty beforehand, she may not need to drink on Yom Kippur itself. Sometimes women are so busy with things around the house on Erev Yom Kippur that they do not drink at all, and then suddenly drink a great deal at once. Drinking even a liter in a few minutes does not help. You really need to drink many glasses throughout the day, waiting a little and then having another glass, and another, and another. That is much better. Grape juice is also very good for maintaining a plentiful milk supply. This has been tried: women drank about a liter or a little more and did not complain of a lack of milk. But you have to prepare properly so that you do not become dehydrated, and consider what to eat, including sweet foods and other things—

49:13 Speaker 2 and avoid salty foods. In any case, on Yom Kippur we do not eat salty food in the afternoon beforehand, and so on. With the right preparations, the fast passes more easily. Sometimes the milk supply drops, so the woman should rest rather than go to shul. If going could jeopardize her fast, it is better to stay home. There is a well-known ruling about this. Some halachic authorities even say that the husband may need to stay home to help his wife with this, rather than go to daven, so that she can fast. She should therefore rest as much as possible. But if her milk supply is low and the baby is hungry, then of course we cannot put the baby at risk. He will not take a bottle or anything else, and he is very young. We find halachic authorities who allowed room for leniency here, including the well-known ruling of the Chazon Ish in section 59, and many others who addressed the matter. Now we will get to the main part of the class, working through examples of situations we and other rabbis encounter. We will not have time to discuss every illness. We will talk about the major, common ones and give a general approach. It is not an ironclad rule: each patient and the doctor who knows that patient’s particular circumstances need to determine the precise answer. You cannot use this class to make that decision, but it will be very helpful for understanding the general direction. So let us discuss illnesses that are unfortunately very common. One example is diabetes. I am starting with diabetes because, unfortunately, doctors and medical professionals call it the disease of our generation. In the Holy Land, for example, we are talking about half a million people, around seven and a half percent of the population. Among older people, over sixty and so on, it is as much as twenty-five percent—one in four.

51:22 Speaker 2 So it is an extremely common illness. We are talking about hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and medicine has a great deal of experience with fasting, including Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av fasts in the Holy Land. Many patients have been monitored, including non-Jews. Muslims fasting during Ramadan have also been studied for a long time, though those fasts are easier—at most twelve hours during the day. The important thing to know is that there is a great deal of information, and there are differing medical opinions. Some are more concerned about the danger, and some less so. Some rabbis have taken one approach and others another. It is very important for rabbis to keep up with this information. Sometimes younger rabbis can be very helpful because they are more open to new information. G-d forbid, I do not mean to criticize the older rabbis—on the contrary, they are advanced both in years and in wisdom and have tremendous experience. But someone may have knowledge gained from many years of learning under Torah scholars and working with doctors, and still needs to keep learning, taking in medical information and staying up to date. It is like the laws of niddah: if someone studying section 188 relies only on what halachic authorities wrote twenty years ago, things have changed; testing methods have changed, and so on. Here, too, new knowledge is constantly emerging. My approach follows the principle that each rabbi rules according to his experience, while being stringent about saving a life, particularly when we are dealing with eating in measured amounts. But with diabetes, even eating in measured amounts is not always possible. Anyone who understands diabetes knows that changing the pattern of eating from the preceding days can create real dangers. The liver gets thrown off, and there can be many dangerous consequences.

53:35 Speaker 2 Very much so. This is not a simple illness, however much people think they have it under control. So now I’ll just give a few guidelines. Sometimes there are discussions and disagreements about each point. I’ll give a few guidelines accepted by a number of rabbis and prominent doctors, and that you’ll find in various places. But you’ll always find other doctors who think differently, and it’s important to know that. With diabetes, there’s type 1 and type 2. Gestational diabetes is generally something rabbis agree is very dangerous. They don’t have the woman fast for the entire Yom Kippur, and she needs to follow instructions: consult her doctor and get guidance, with Hashem’s help, on what she needs to drink and eat, and whether eating and drinking in measured amounts will suffice. Usually it is possible to do that, but she still needs to consult someone, because every case is different. That’s for certain. As for gestational diabetes—and as for type 1 diabetes, which sometimes affects young people, when the pancreas doesn’t function as it should—many rabbis, though there is disagreement, are lenient and allow them to eat in measured amounts. Sometimes they need to consult a doctor, because eating in measured amounts is not always possible. Some rabbis say to prepare for the fast and go ahead with it, but that will require many more blood tests, because blood is taken to check the sugar level. Sometimes there are subcutaneous [unclear] devices, but we don’t always have them. It means a lot of testing: taking blood and testing it to find out the sugar level, every two and a half hours. When someone is fasting, they need even closer monitoring, and that involves many prohibited acts. Even someone who doesn’t study nigleh knows from Tanya [unclear] about the number of prohibited acts

55:25 Speaker 2 as compared with one more severe prohibition committed once. So there are several considerations here. According to many halachic authorities, this is also considered a potentially life-threatening illness, because the pancreas is an internal organ with a real problem. Many doctors, too, have doubts about those who say monitoring is enough. They see that there is still a risk, particularly when people take insulin and are at considerable risk of hypoglycemia. So this often comes up when someone takes insulin and has type 1 diabetes. Generally, one can be lenient and allow eating in measured amounts, or consult a doctor. As I said, never make the decision on your own. Sometimes rabbis who have a great deal of experience with these questions may be inclined to generalize. But don’t generalize: when someone says they have diabetes, it can often come with other conditions or underlying illnesses. It may even have caused heart disease, kidney failure, and so on. The treating doctor therefore has very important information. Sometimes you can speak with the doctor directly, if possible, or tell the patient what to ask. Doctors aren’t always willing to cooperate, particularly outside Israel, but you can guide the patient on how to ask and obtain the information. Often there are other problems along with the diabetes. So with type 1 diabetes, or with someone taking insulin, those are generally the considerations. As for type 2, which is very common, particularly at older ages—among people who may also have eaten a lot of sugar, and so on, though it is of course often hereditary—we’re apparently talking

57:28 Speaker 2 in many cases about situations that are not the most dangerous. If a person is being treated with medication and isn’t taking insulin, or in the very rare case that they take insulin but their condition is stable and they don’t have frequent hypoglycemia—hypoglycemia, meaning low blood sugar, is generally more of a concern with type 1, though it can happen to them too. When it doesn’t happen frequently, it is very rare for someone taking insulin to have that stability. So generally, the person should consult their doctor about how to get through the fast as easily as possible. The doctor might say, “Eat this way before the fast; prepare this way; take your medication at this time.” There is also a principle in the Shulchan Aruch: when someone consumes something unfit for consumption, or whose taste has been spoiled, there is a rabbinic prohibition if it is not for medical purposes. But the prohibition itself is only rabbinic. So sometimes a person needs to take medication—an important medication for blood pressure, for example, or for other conditions. It can be taken without water. If they need a little something to swallow it with, that can be made very bitter, and they can swallow it that way. There are ways of adding a lot of cocoa, or steeping tea bags again and again until the liquid is very bitter, using only a small amount. Then we are dealing with matters that are only rabbinically prohibited. But in short, when type 2 diabetes is under control—if, G-d forbid, it isn’t under control, some people’s readings keep going up to 250 whenever they test, and stay high. Obviously, we can’t expect them to fast until that’s resolved; it isn’t something that can be brought under control just before Yom Kippur. And if someone has been experiencing hypoglycemia for a while, as of course often happens, we certainly won’t have such people fast on Yom Kippur in the usual way. But someone whose condition is stable on medication, without insulin—

59:19 Speaker 2 Now, some rabbis will also tell a person with type 2 diabetes who takes insulin but is fairly stable how to take the insulin before Yom Tov, how to adjust the dosage in preparation for the fast, exactly when to take it, and so on. Other rabbis are very concerned as soon as insulin is involved. I know that people hearing this are sometimes surprised. They feel, “I didn’t know that, and I take insulin all the time. I inject insulin every day, and I’ve always managed to fast. I managed to fast on Tisha B’Av. I managed to fast on eight Yom Kippurs. What do you mean? Of course I don’t want to…” We’re playing with fire. These are people putting themselves at risk. Plenty of people have also fasted during the first three days after giving birth, and nothing happened to them. That proves nothing. We do not take risks, even where there are multiple doubts, when a life may be at stake. So it’s important to know that diabetes has the distinctions we’ve discussed. There are differences of opinion, and every rabbi can read all the opinions on the subject and the medical articles about it. There is simply a great deal of material on it. That’s regarding diabetes. I wanted to start with it because, unfortunately, it really is a common illness, and we get questions about it every year as Yom Kippur approaches. There is also, G-d forbid, the dreaded disease. People with a very dangerous illness who are undergoing chemotherapy or other very serious treatments obviously do not fast. They should consult someone about how they should eat. But there are people with conditions that are not necessarily as serious—for example, a fever. Someone develops a fever in the middle of Yom Kippur. Now, with COVID, this can happen quite often to some people: it develops into a fever of 39 degrees or higher. It’s important to know that they are at risk. The reason a person is not at risk every time they have a high fever is that they take medication and eat a little, and so on. If someone has a fever of 38, even 38.5, we will certainly sometimes bring it down with Acamol. If they need to take something small without drinking, they do so; if they need a little to help swallow it, they can do as I mentioned, and bring down the fever. But at 39 degrees or higher, many doctors and rabbis will not take that risk. It is a high fever, after all. Many people will be alarmed even to hear this: “What? Thirty-nine? That happens, but it’s fine.” Still, there are risks. Everyone should, of course, consult their own rabbis and follow the guidance they have received. But a fever that high is dangerous. Sometimes even a fever below 39—say, above 38—comes with other symptoms. The person is very weak, has diarrhea, and so on. These are also situations for which the halachic authorities give instructions to stop fasting and eat in measured amounts. Of course, each case needs careful consideration.

1:01:12 Speaker 2 For Yom Kippur. There are people with, G-d forbid, serious illnesses—very dangerous illnesses—who are undergoing chemotherapy and other very serious treatments. Of course, these people do not fast, and they need to consult about how they should eat. But there are also people with conditions that may not seem so serious—for example, a fever. A person develops a fever in the middle of Yom Kippur. Now, with COVID, this can happen to some people: it develops into a fever of 39 degrees Celsius or higher. A person needs to know that this puts him at risk. The reason someone with a high fever is not necessarily in danger every time is that he takes medication, eats a little, and so on. So if someone has a fever of 38, or even 38.5, we will sometimes certainly bring it down with Acamol. If he needs to take something small [unclear], without drinking, he takes it; and if he needs a little more, then, as I mentioned, we bring the fever down. But at 39 degrees or higher, many, many doctors and rabbonim will not take a chance. It is a high fever, after all. Many people may be alarmed even to hear that—“What do you mean, 39?” It happens, but still, there are risks. Of course, everyone should consult their own rabbonim and follow the instructions they have received. A fever that high is dangerous. Sometimes even a fever below 39 can be dangerous: it is 38-plus and accompanied by other symptoms. The person has severe weakness, diarrhea, and other things. These, too, are circumstances for which the poskim give guidance to stop fasting and eat in measured amounts. Of course, the matter needs to be discussed with a rav.

1:03:23 Speaker 2 There is also diarrhea. There is what you might call loose stool, and then there is diarrhea that is really watery and comes in large quantities. A person can be in serious danger from that, sometimes even without a fever. Dehydration is a serious danger, and sometimes drinking slowly is not enough. That reminds me that I need to complete an important point about drinking. We said that if we set the amount to drink at between thirty and forty, as we mentioned earlier, then the interval is every nine minutes, to take the Raavad’s opinion into account. But of course, when necessary, that interval can be shortened. One can use the other poskim’s measure for the time it takes to eat a pras, which we mentioned as about seven minutes. And if someone really needs to drink much more—three liters—then spacing it out too much may mean they cannot drink what they need over the course of the day. In that case, one can certainly go as far as the Rambam’s view: the time it takes to drink a revi’is. Drinking every two minutes would, of course, allow a person to drink everything they need. Why two minutes? Because there is also a minority opinion that the time it takes to eat a pras is two minutes. The time it takes to drink a revi’is is plainly shorter than that. That is self-evident: even with a short pause in the middle, it takes less than two minutes. Still, there is a very good reason to say two minutes: that way I also satisfy the opinion of the Ksav Sofer. He says it is two minutes, so I satisfy his opinion as well; and at the very least, if not, I have ruled according to the Rambam, whose view allows this leniency. There is the well-known responsum of the She’eiris Yehudah, the Alter Rebbe’s brother, in section 15, I think, where he asked about what the Alter Rebbe ruled

1:05:26 Speaker 2 in chapter 8, section 6, of Hilchos Birchos Hanehenin. There, he seems to rule firmly—even in a case of doubt about brachos—in accordance with the Raavad’s opinion: when drinking hot tea, if one drinks it within the time it takes to eat a pras, it still counts as a revi’is and one may recite a concluding bracha. But there are answers to this: there the discussion is about a revi’is, while here it is about melo lugmav. These points are well known. Now, let’s return to the examples we were discussing. There is fever. As I said, there is also diarrhea—real, watery diarrhea. Dehydration in that situation is very dangerous. Sometimes one can drink at shorter intervals, even every two minutes, and sometimes that will be enough. But if a person feels not merely that dehydration is a concern, but that he is becoming dehydrated—he feels he is heading toward serious dehydration—then any doctor, even one standing right there, may tell him he needs to drink quickly. Or take a woman who is close to giving birth and suddenly has contractions. Sometimes fasting really can bring on contractions. She may be able to lie down and rest and see whether they pass. But if they do not pass, and they grow stronger, and she feels that... then clearly, telling her to drink little by little would be dangerous. She may need to drink and regain her strength quickly. So whenever a doctor recommends it, and when the situation makes it clear that a person needs to eat and not just eat in measured amounts, then of course that is what must be done. Unfortunately, there are various conditions we hear about around us, such as kidney stones. Kidney stones, too, can be very dangerous—the inflammation they can cause and the pain. It is important to know that, according to people who have experienced it, the pain can sometimes be extremely intense, comparable to labor pains, or even worse, according to some doctors. And one should know that sometimes, when pain is very, very

1:07:39 Speaker 2 severe, there may also be a concern that it could bring on a cardiac event or another medical event. These are not minor matters, nor are the inflammation and the other risks involved. Now, some people had a small stone a few years ago. They did not even need surgery; they drank fluids and took some medication to widen the passages in the body so the stone could pass more easily. Afterward, they were told, “From now on, drink plenty.” Generally, years have passed and everything has been fine. Such a person should certainly drink plenty in the days leading up to Yom Kippur so that he has plenty of fluids, and fasting on Yom Kippur will not cause him any harm. Sometimes a person gets stones every few years, especially if he is not careful about drinking. But some people really do have attacks caused by stones. They have stones and have been given medication, but that does not always solve it. Sometimes surgery or a procedure to break up the stones is needed; they will not pass on their own, and they are not simple stones. And the hospital cannot always give them an appointment right away. Sometimes a person is in a great deal of pain and goes to the emergency room. They give him something to stabilize the situation and something to relieve the pain, and so on, but in the end they usually schedule him for surgery. Of course, these people must drink, and they need to drink a lot—two to three liters a day. So we will need to use the measured amounts of water we discussed, sometimes at shorter intervals, to make sure they drink it all. Each person can do the math: if, for example, he drinks every seven minutes, how much water will that give him, in light of what the doctor says he needs to drink? Then he will at least be following the view of the Tzemach Tzedek, as cited by the son of

1:09:33 Speaker 2 the Tzemach Tzedek. Or there is the six-minute view, or one of the other views, or he can even use the Rambam’s measure of the time it takes to drink a revi’is, and so on. And of course, as I mentioned, when a person only needs to drink, not eat, to remove himself from danger, he has no permission to eat. He should not say, “Since I’m already drinking, I can eat too.” So with kidney stones, the permission will often be to drink, not to eat. There is also epilepsy. If, G-d forbid, a person has epilepsy, specialists actually say that fasting can sometimes help delay seizures. So often, if a person has it, he will of course speak with his neurologist, who will set the dosage he needs. The doctor may tell him to take his medication before the fast, and he will take it. He really does need to take his medication on time. Sometimes he can take it during the fast as well, in the ways we discussed, and get through the fast. Of course, if he has a seizure, then clearly he needs to eat and drink as the doctors direct. During a seizure he is at risk, and there is of course permission to eat. Sometimes people with epilepsy become anxious just from being told to take medication. It is known that high levels of stress can trigger a seizure for them and put them in real danger. Epilepsy poses risks within the body, and there is also the risk of injury—falling against an object. These are not trivial matters; we are talking about risks. So sometimes the neurologist will advise a person not to fast because, for that particular person, it sends him into a panic.

1:11:28 Speaker 2 And it could put him at risk. Often, when his attack is very severe, that is why we must always tell him to speak with his doctor and not decide on his own what his condition is. We really need to arrange these things well in advance. Sometimes parents call about a child only the day before, and then it may be impossible to reach the neurologist. So a rabbi needs to teach his community in advance: whenever you have a medical issue or are concerned about something, consult ahead of time so there is enough time to reach the neurologist—or the person’s own doctor. There is also the question of blood pressure. With blood pressure, too, one must be in touch with the doctor. It depends on the person’s condition. Often, when someone’s blood pressure is under control and monitored with medication, they simply need to take the medication when required, according to the doctor’s instructions. Sometimes a person with high blood pressure can get through the Yom Kippur fast just fine. But each person must be considered individually. Sometimes there are additional problems connected with the blood pressure, so one must speak with the doctor who knows the person and hear what the doctor recommends. Then the person comes back to the rabbi, who can look more closely into the problem. Sometimes there really are complications. Heart problems, for example: people who underwent catheterization during the year leading up to Yom Kippur will generally be told not to fast. There are people who have undergone bypass surgery. Fasting can also cause blood clotting and so on, so they, too, are told not to fast. For people who have had a heart attack within the past three months, fasting is very dangerous.

1:13:25 Speaker 2 So these are things we really need to consider. Unfortunately, we rabbis hear about these illnesses a great deal, and we have to bear in mind that a person with heart disease may sometimes mislead us: “I feel very well. That heart attack happened because I was exhausted and under financial pressure.” We must not buy those explanations. It was a recent heart attack. The same applies to people who have had a stroke within the past year; that, too, can prevent them from fasting. Someone may say, “No, it happened because I didn’t take my medication on time.” Often we are dealing with people whose fear of Heaven makes them concerned only about Yom Kippur, not about the danger to their health. But someone who has had a stroke or something similar needs to know that during the following year there are still risks. These are not minor matters. Even if he says, “It only happened because I wasn’t careful about taking my medication, and after what happened—when I nearly saw death—I’ve decided to be extremely careful now,” we must not buy those arguments. We need to be stringent about the laws of preserving life. As we mentioned, there is also a very common situation: people who were severely overweight and underwent stomach-reduction surgery, what is called sleeve surgery, or one of the many other kinds of procedures. Here, too, doctors disagree, as do rabbis, including leading rabbis. Some do not see a risk even soon after surgery, while many others are concerned. Once three months have passed and the person is doing well, even if he eats only small amounts and is losing weight—which itself poses some degree of risk—generally, if

1:15:20 Speaker 2 everything is in order, the fast should go safely, though sometimes it can be a little difficult. Sometimes one needs to take certain things beforehand and prepare properly, so it is important to know how to prepare. But sometimes it should go fine. With other fasts, the guidance sometimes extends beyond three months for everyone. For the Yom Kippur fast, of course, some doctors say a person only needs to drink. So each person should ask their doctor and consult a rabbi about it. But that is the general approach I have received. I researched this subject extensively because in recent years these questions from people who have undergone these procedures keep coming in large numbers. I spoke with highly qualified doctors, both at Shaare Zedek, where these procedures are performed, and at Maayanei Hayeshua, as well as elsewhere. Even though one sometimes finds doctors who say fasting is fine, and a family doctor may say, “It’s all right; it’s not the end of the world,” I still hear that, in their opinion, fasting during the first three months is truly dangerous, or at least carries a risk. In such matters, even a possible risk is enough to permit eating in measured amounts. Of course, unfortunately, as long as we have not seen the true and complete Geulah with our physical eyes, here below ten handbreadths, there are many more cases involving common illnesses. But I do not want this class to run too long. As the saying goes, “Give instruction to the wise, and he will become wiser.” There is much more to say, but we have mentioned a few of the issues rabbis unfortunately encounter around the fasts, particularly the Yom Kippur fast. And we hope Moshiach will come. Usually, when we speak of Moshiach’s coming, we say we will skip the fasts of Tisha B’Av and the other fasts, which will become days of joy and celebration. Now, with Yom

1:17:24 Speaker 2 Kippur, one cannot say it will turn into a feast. It remains a holy day, and even when the Geulah comes, we will fast on Yom Kippur. But we find in Moed Katan an instance when, as Shlomo built the Beis Hamikdash, Hashem ultimately agreed with his judgment, and they did not fast on Yom Kippur during the dedication of the First Beis Hamikdash. So it depends on when the Geulah comes. With Hashem’s help, we hope it will come today; and even if it tarries, as the Rambam says, Moshiach may yet rule on the matter, and we will follow his ruling. May we truly merit atonement and forgiveness, and may Hashem send away coronavirus and all the negative things of this year. “A year that is poor at its beginning becomes rich at its end.” What does “rich at its end” mean? Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the Rebbe’s father, says in a letter that “at its end” does not mean at the end of 5781. “At its end” means at the shofar blasts. Another important principle concerns the law of a minor. The Mishnah on page 82 of tractate Yoma says that when a child reaches around eleven, one can begin accustoming the child to the Yom Kippur fast. The Gemara discusses this and how to understand the Mishnah. Sometimes it says twelve, sometimes eleven; it depends on the child’s strength. But there is a concept of beginning two years beforehand, for a girl at eleven and a boy at eleven, and having them complete a full fast. That is not yet the practical ruling; I am just mentioning the Mishnah. In the Gemara there is a discussion between Rav Nachman and Rabbi Yochanan about whether they really must fast the entire day, or whether, before bar mitzvah, there is no such thing as a full fast, only fasting for part of the day. That is Rabbi Yochanan’s view. In Shulchan Aruch, section 616, the practical ruling follows Rav Nachman’s view. The Alter Rebbe also says that the practical ruling is that they do.

1:19:25 Speaker 2 They need to fast, but if they’re weak, then they should stop, in accordance with Rabbi Yochanan’s view, and fast for only part of the day. But at the end of that section, it already says that— And by the way, regarding the other fasts, there’s a well-known idea mentioned in several later works and holy books about getting a child accustomed to fasting for three fasts beforehand. But that isn’t a law given at Sinai, and there are many rabbis, including Chabad rabbis, who don’t recommend experimenting with difficult fasts like Tisha B’Av or long fasts like Yom Kippur. We’ll discuss Yom Kippur, though. As for the other fasts, the Alter Rebbe writes explicitly there that if a child is not yet thirteen, we are certainly lenient. He also discusses the case of a child who has not yet developed two hairs. But certainly, if he is not bar mitzvah, he does not need to fast. Regarding Yom Kippur, at the end he cites those who are lenient while children are not yet of bar or bas mitzvah age, on the grounds that nowadays they study Torah and Torah study weakens a person, and also that weakness has descended upon the world. So although he initially writes that we are stringent, following Rav Nachman’s view, it is fairly common today not to have them fast the entire fast. Sometimes a child really insists that he wants to, and then you have to weigh it up. But generally, a child who is not bar mitzvah does not need to be made to fast all the way to the end. Until midday? For part of the fast? Yes. But weakness has descended upon the world, and that’s what I’ve heard from several—not all—prominent rabbis in our community: they generally try to be lenient about a full fast. As for part of the fast, what’s called a partial-day fast, the Gemara there speaks

1:21:25 Speaker 2 about an eight- or nine-year-old. The Shulchan Aruch mentions age nine, and the Rambam also says there is an obligation to train a child at age nine. The wording in the Shulchan Aruch, and in the Rambam too, is not “an obligation to train him by rabbinic law”; it is simply training. There is a well-known statement by Rabbeinu Manoach that when the Sages require training a child, they mean training him in every detail. So a partial-day fast is not described as an obligation to train him by rabbinic law. But when it comes to a full fast at age eleven and so on, that is where the wording “by rabbinic law” appears. Now, as for a partial-day fast, there is at least that concept. The Shulchan Aruch and the Alter Rebbe say that at age nine, children fast for part of the day. Usually, if they ate very well at the meal before the fast, they can get through the night easily. And even if they sometimes eat at eight or nine in the morning, they can delay that a little. That’s what it means to move mealtimes back a little. This is what Chazal and the Shulchan Aruch suggest for a nine-year-old. Before age nine, the Alter Rebbe says that even if they want to, we generally don’t let them do it; below age nine, there is no concept of a partial-day fast. The well-known Eshel Avraham of Butchatch says that since the Gemara does also mention age eight—it depends on whether the child is weak and so on—generally, at age eight you can at least let him fast until morning, if he ate well before the fast. That is not obligatory. One can rule as the Alter Rebbe writes explicitly: below age nine, there is no need. Still, for those who want to, there is indeed a custom to undertake a little of the fast, at least overnight. Of course, if the child complains and wants

1:23:15 Speaker 2 to drink during the night because he is thirsty, then certainly one can be lenient. At age eight, at least, one can certainly be lenient. And with Hashem’s help, may we all be blessed with good health and strength, with a good inscription and sealing, and with the true and complete Geulah, immediately, right now.