[Avodah] fasting/tfila/tshuva

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Saul Newman asked:

> it is clear that the chiyuv of YK is such that given the ability
> to either pray or fast [ ie one will eg be reduced to spending
> the fast laying in bed], one must fast.
> while clearly this is the chiyuv hayom,  what has the individual
> accomplished when he has spent  the time conceivably incoherent,
> neither confessing his sins , nor  inspired to tshuva. is
> somehow the koach of this inui nefesh a replacement for tshuva?

Two answers:

(1) No, the inui is not a replacement for tshuva. But it is difficult for me to imagine that the person you describe would be totally unable to do any teshuva/praying whatsoever. I imagine that he would certainly be able to do at least a small amount of praying and tshuva at the very beginning of Yom Kippur, before he begins to be hungry. Thus, your question -- which is framed as an "either/or" situation -- does not really exist. The actual choices are (a) doing a totally proper fast accompanied by a minimal amount of teshuva/prayer, or (b) violating the fast in order to spend most or all of the day in teshuva and prayer. When framed in this manner, it is simple to me that "a" is proper and "b" is not.

(2) You ask what this person has accomplished. I've seen many divrei Torah explain that this was precisely Yonah's error: Asking what his mission to Ninveh would accomplish. He knew it would make the Jews look very bad, and tried to avoid his mission. And so, they say, a message of Sefer Yonah is to just do what we've been told, and not try to second-guess Hashem about the ramifications. I would add that we must not act recklessly, and that considering the ramifications is indeed a good thing, and it will help us decide which route is better when *both* are within halacha. But if one is within halacha and the other is not, then that is when worrying about the ramifications becomes improper. For a practical example, see paragraph (1), above.

Akiva Miller

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