TAANIT ESTHER: Why Do We Fast Today?

כל עבדי המלך ועם מדינות המלך יודעים אשר כל איש ואשה אשר יבוא אל המלך אל החצר הפנימית אשר לא יקרא אחת דתו להמית

When Queen Esther was informed of Haman’s decree, the Persian prime minister, in order to eliminate the Jewish people, she decided to speak to King Ahashverosh and persuade him to reverse that royal edict. But this mission was not simple. Rabbi Moshe Almosnino explains that Esther did not know if Ahashverosh and Haman thought alike, and both wanted to carry out this genocide, or if the king had been tricked by Haman to write that terrible edict. Esther, then, decided to invite the king along with Haman to a banquet (5: 4) to obtain the information she needed: if she discovered that Ahashverosh was in complicity with Haman, she would try to dissuade Haman. And if she discovered that Ahashverosh had been deceived by Haman, then he would expose Haman before Ahashverosh, hoping to gain the favor of the king. This was undoubtedly a high-risk mission.

But there was a previous step to this mission, which was even MORE risky: Esther had to speak to the King. We probably think that for Esther this was the easiest part of her mission, since she was the Queen, and lived in the palace. But in the Persian Empire no one could approach the king without being invited. Why? Because it was the king’s exclusive prerogative to summon his subjects, including the queen. And Esther had not been called by the king for a month (4:11). The only option left to Esther was to appear directly before the king. But this, which also seems simple, was very risky! If someone entered the area of maximum security of the king (hatser hapenimit) without being called by the king had to be executed before reaching the king. Let me explain: The Persian kings had next to them their “Praetorian guard” armed with long axes, ready to execute on the spot any person who might threaten the physical integrity of the king. The Persian emperors were obsessed with their personal safety, and with good reason. Ahashverosh himself ended up being killed by one of his own bodyguards, Artabano. The Persian law (dat) established that anyone entering the security zone of Ahashverosh should be executed immediately (4:11), unless the king himself, once he detected that person’s presence, stop his guards before execution and extended his scepter as a sign of royal pardon. This rule also affected the queen. Since not few times the Queens were part of the plot to assassinate the king.

Esther also knew that this king, Ahashverosh, had already dethroned (and perhaps executed) the previous queen, Vashty (1:19) and that he would not hesitate to get rid of her if he thought it was necessary.

In other words, “approaching the king” to talk to him and ask for a hearing was a suicide mission. Esther, with good reason, feared for her life and for the success of her delicate mission: to save her people from genocide, but she had no other choice. There was no one else who could do anything to access the king and try to stop Haman’s decree.

To save her people, Esther decided to risk her life (4:16) and she embarked on a suicide mission. But before that, Esther asked all the Yehudim to fast with her and for the success of her mission for three days (tsumu ‘alai, 4:16) on the 13th, 14th and 15th of Nisan. Fasting, along with Tefila, is what our Tora and our rabbis instructed us to do in difficult circumstances. At the request of Esther, all Jews fasted for three consecutive days and prayed for the success of Esther. As we all know, with the help of HaShem, Esther’s “mission Impossible” was successful.

Eleven months later, on the 13th of Adar, a day like today, when the Yehudim had to fight and defend themselves against the enemies who sought to eliminate them, they also prayed to HaShem and fasted for the success of their mission. The custom of fasting before battle is very old, and according to our Sages it goes back to the wars waged by Moshe Rabbenu. Why fasting before the battle? To demonstrate and declare our belief that victory in the battle does not come from our physical strength but from the help of HaShem, our God.

In memory of the fasting days mentioned in the Megilla (דברי הצומות וזעקתן) we observe today the fast of Esther. The fast concludes at nightfall, after reading Megillat Esther.

SEGULOT: The Benefits of Physical Activity, According to Maimonides

הויאל והיות הגוף בריא ושלם, מדרכי ה ‘הוא, שהרי אי אפשר שיבין או

יידע והוא חולה צריך אדם להרחיק עצמו מדברים המאבדין את הגוף

ולהנהיג עצמו בדברים המברים המחלימים

In the fourth chapter of MT, Hilkhot De’ot, Maimonides says that maintaining a strong and healthy body helps to prevent diseases, allowing us to serve HaShem with all our strength. “Being that maintaining a healthy and sound body is part of our service to God, since one can not understand or have knowledge of the Creator if he is ill, therefore, one must avoid everything that damages the body and get accustomed to what it is healthy and helps the body to get stronger. “ Hilkhot De’ot, 4: 1

In the same chapter, halakha 14, the celebrated rabbi and physician, explains the importance of regular physical activity.

Hilkhot De’ot 4, Halakha 14

“There is another principle with regards to physical well-being: As long as one exercises, exerts himself greatly, and does not eat to the point of satiation … he will not suffer sickness and he will grow in strength….”

This Halakha, written more than 800 years ago, sounds very familiar to our modern ears, and allows us to appreciate that our Rabbis had long known the basic principles of preventive medicine.

Maimonides also wrote, Hilkhot De’ot 4 Halakha 15

“… whoever feels idle and does not exercise, … even if he eats the proper foods and is careful to follow the rules of medicine, he will suffer pain [and disease] … and his physical strength will diminish.

I would like to share with the readers other advices from Maimonides, less known, where he also refers to the importance of physical activity. I will quote below the words of Maimonides from David J. Zulberg’s book, “The Life Transforming Diet”, a modern book of medical advice based entirely on the medical principles of HaRambam.

“Hippocrates [a renowned Greek physician, 460 – 370 BC, considered the Father of Modern Medicine] taught that exercise is the cornerstone of the preservation of health and the prevention of most illness. There is nothing that can substitute for exercise in any way” (p. 99)

“Without exercise diet alone is not sufficient for the preservation of health, and eventually medical treatment will be needed” (p. 100)

“…someone who is used to physical activity, even if he has a sick body or is old, is able to tolerate [illness and recover from it] better than a healthy person who is not used to physical activity” (p. 102)

This text is from a letter Maimonides sent to one of this patients

“As to what you mentioned, that you feel weak after exercises, the cause of this is the omission of regular exercises. If you resume exercising gradually, little by little, you will gain…strength and vitality…” (p. 102)

SEGULA FOR A GOOD HEALTH: Do not overeat, and do physical activity regularly.

The fast of Gedalia

Today is the fast of Gedalia, a fast-day instituted by the Rabbis to remember the assassination of Gedalia Ben Ahiqam, the governor of Israel during the days of Nebukhadnetzar, King of Babylonia. The fast is observed on the 3rd of Tishri, the day after Rosh haShana. This year, because Rosh haShana was followed by Shabbat, we fast today, the 4th of Tishri.

When Nebukhadnetzar destroyed the Temple (586 BCE) and exiled the Jews to Babylonia, he allowed a few Jews (mainly poor farmers) to remain in Israel and work the land. He appointed Gedalia Ben Ahiqam as their governor. Many of the exiled Jews were planning to return shortly from Babylon to Israel to work the land under the auspices of the king of Babylonia, hoping that eventually the Babylonian King (or his successor) would allow all the Jews to reestablish again in their land.

A Jew from Davidic descendant, Yishma’el Ben Netania, was opposed to the appointment of Gedalia because he did not belong to the Davidic dynasty. And he conspired to assassinate him. Simultaneously, Ba’alis, the King of Amon (=today Jordan) knew that a Babylonian appointed governor, Gedalia, would mean an easier access for the Babylonian to conquer Amon. Ba’alis then encouraged Yishma’el Ben Netania to assassinate Gedalia. In the seventh month (Tishri) Yishma’el and a group of men came to Gedalia in the town of Mitzpa where they were cordially welcomed with the honors due to descendent of Davidic dynasty. Gedalia had been warned of his guests murderous intent, but he refused to believe his informants, convinced that a Jew would never kill another Jew and compromise their hopes for redemption. However, Yishma’el and his men murdered Gedalia together with the Jews who had joined him in Mitzpa and numbers of Babylonians whom Nebukhadnetzar had left with Gedalia. Fearing the vengeance of the Babylonian king, the few Jews that were left in Israel to work the land fled to Egypt. And Israel remained virtually without Jews. Thus, the exile of the people of Israel from its land reached its highest peak. And the hopes for returning to the land vanished.

In remembrance of this tragedy our Sages instituted the Fast of Gedalia.

The fast is observed today from daybreak till nightfall ( 7.37 pm , NYT).

Who is exempted from fasting today?

Minors: boys under 13 and girls under 12 years old are completely exempt from fasting.

Nursing women: According to the Sephardic Minhag, after giving birth women are exempted from fasting for 24 months, even if they are not actually nursing their baby.

Pregnant women are exempt from fasting today.

A person who feels ill, or who experiences symptoms of flu or fever, or a person with a chronic disease, such as diabetes, should not fast today.

Elders should consult with their physicians if the fast will not affect their health. If it will, they are exempted (and in some cases, prohibited) from fasting