[Avodah] Fasting on YK

[Micha Berger]

Just a reminder, that the discussion started with the leniency taken
in some communities WRT women fasting the minor fast days -- not YK or
9 beAv. It began on or shortly after 10 beTeves.

There, I don't think it's arguable that this is some new leniency, not
is it specific to Chassidos -- Litvisher women tended to take the
other days pretty lightly as well.

We got from there to the possibility that perhaps the leniency evolved
in error, from women who spent so many of their fasts either pregnant
or nursing.

But the notion of a blanket heter for pregnant women not to fast for
10 beTeves seems very plausible to me.

As for extending this to YK... It smacks much of our Torah and science
discussions -- RMS already raised nishtaneh hateva. (He proposed one
meaning, but we needn't agree on the meaning to acknowledge the
validity of applying NhT here.)

Perhaps relevant... Once upon a time, people didn't count on 3 square
meals a day. Fasting was therefore closer to the norm, and truly
caused depression rather than the pain many of us experience. I don't
know about other people, but for me, fasting on YK is a distraction
from teshivah, tefillah, distress over higher issues.

It could very well be that for simple sociological reasons, missing a
day of food hits a pregnant woman harder today than it did a century
ago.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
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