Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Yom Kippur & Fast Days


Introduction

The Jewish calendar has six fast days, which have different levels of stringency.

Yom Kippur

The strictest fast, and the only one required by biblical law, is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for sins. On Yom Kippur both eating and drinking are absolutely prohibited for a little more than 24 hours, from sunset on one day until after nightfall the next day. This fast include four additional prohibitions:

  • bathing or any washing for pleasure
  • applying oil and other pleasurable anointment to the skin
  • sexual relations
  • leather footwear

Tisha B’Av

Next in stringency is the Ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av), the fast that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. This rabbinically-ordained fast is parallel to Yom Kippur in that eating and drinking are prohibited for a little over 24 hours the four additional prohibitions are also proscribed.

“Minor” Fast Days

Three additional “minor” fasts (the 10th of Tevet, the 17th of Tammuz, and Tzom Gedaliah) mark other events connected with the destruction of the Temples. The Fast of Esther falls on the day before Purim and commemorates the fighting between the Jews and their enemies. These fasts are less rigorous: eating and drinking are prohibited but only from before dawn until nightfall, and the other prohibitions do not apply.

Mikveh Immersion after a Fast

Mikveh immersion the night after a fast day presents unique challenges. Here, we provide an overview of the relevant halachot and offer some practical tips.

Halacha strongly encourages immersion at the scheduled time. Still, in situations where this is overwhelming or very difficult, a couple can agree to postpone mikveh until the following night.

Mikveh immersion is prohibited just two nights a year: on Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. A woman whose mikveh night falls on one of these fasts needs to postpone immersion to the following night. This means that, the night after the fast, about twice as many women as usual will be using the mikveh. One should plan accordingly, and be prepared for delays.

As in any situation where mikveh is delayed, a woman should change to colored underwear when she has completed her shivah neki’im. There is no need to do any further bedikot before mikveh.

On Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, mikveh preparation is prohibited. Halachically, a woman can choose to prepare either before or after the fast. Many women will find that they can do a more relaxed and unhurried preparation the day before. A woman who prepares a day in advance needs to refresh her preparations after the fast. She should shower, comb her hair, clean her teeth, and remove any chatzitzot.

Even though bathing and trimming nails are normally restricted both before and immediately after Tisha B’Av, a woman should prepare normally for mikveh (without spending extra time luxuriating in the bath). There is debate among halachic authorities as to whether a woman may remove body hair, so it is best to ask an individual question.

A woman should check in advance what the opening hours of the mikveh will be after the fast. A woman who has fasted should eat and drink something before going to mikveh, and then clean her teeth before immersion.

A woman may perform all mikveh preparations as usual on a minor fast day. Our site’s Rabbinic Supervisor, Rav Kenneth Auman, permits brushing teeth on minor fast days, taking care to spit out water or toothpaste without swallowing.

One should check in advance whether the opening hours of the mikveh will be affected by the fast day. A woman who has fasted should eat and drink something before going to mikveh, and then clean her teeth before immersion.

Two minor fasts can present special logistical challenges: Ta’anit Esther when it falls just before Purim, and Asara b’Tevet when it falls on Friday.

In most years and locations, Purim begins immediately at the end of Ta’anit Esther. A woman will need to work out the logistics of hearing the megilla, breaking her fast, and getting to mikveh. Since this affects the entire community, mikveh hours will be adjusted as necessary. As always, one should check in advance.

Some elements of Purim costumes can be a chatzitzah, and one should leave those for after mikveh.

The only fast day that can fall on erev Shabbat is Asara b’Tevet, which is always observed on the correct calendar date. In this situation, mikveh night can fall out on a Friday night at the end of the fast.

The fast ends at nightfall, after Shabbat has begun, so a woman needs to hear or recite kiddush before breaking her fast.

Sephardi halachic authorities often permit immersion on Friday night as of shekiah (halachic sunset). A Sephardi woman who lives near the mikveh can thus immerse just after shekiah and arrive home around nightfall.

Ashkenazi rulings typically, however, do not permit immersion prior to nightfall. Some Ashkenazi women may have little difficulty immersing as usual as of nightfall, even if this extends the fast a bit.

For some Ashkenazi women, though, extending the fast until after immersion may prove challenging (and may delay the household’s Shabbat meal). Sephardi women who live farther from the mikveh could face similar difficulties.

In a community where a mikveh attendant is able to open the mikveh for a “second shift,” women could arrange to immerse later in the night, after the Shabbat meal. Rav Kenneth Auman follows the view that a woman in this situation would still be permitted to eat meat at the Shabbat meal, as long as she cleans her teeth well prior to immersion.

If immersion later that night is not possible, Rav Auman would consider this to be a pressing need, so that a woman would be permitted to either:

  • Immerse as of shekiah (even if this is not her usual custom), taking care not to see her husband prior to nightfall, or
  • Break her fast before immersion. She would make kiddush for herself at nightfall, eat—even just mezonot—following kiddush, and then clean her teeth and immerse.

Please see these pages for general information on Shabbat immersion:

Shabbat & Yom Tov Mikveh

Mikveh & Makeup on Shabbat & Yom Tov

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Fertility Treatments

Please see these pages for discussions of fasting while pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or undergoing fertility treatments:

Pregnancy, Childbirth, & Fasting

Breastfeeding & Fasting

Fertility Treatments & Fasting


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All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional.


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