[Avodah] Commemorative Fast Days

[Akiva Miller]

It is common knowledge that crying is generally a sign of great sadness. It
is equally well-known, I think, that occasionally, crying can also signify
other extreme emotions, including extreme happiness. I suspect that fasting
is similar. We usually fast as a sign of affliction, to spur us to do
teshuva. But sometimes, fasting can be a tool for other purposes. For
example, this is what The Book Of Our Heritage (written by Eliyahu Kitov,
translated by Rav Nachman Bulman) writes in Vol 2 pg 205:

"The fast of the first born on the fourteenth of Nisan is a reminder of the
fact that the firstborn of Israel humbled themselves before G-d and
accepted the yoke of G-d's Sovereignty. The abstention from food and drink,
is a sign of a heart subdued before G-d."

It is interesting to note that if a firstborn did not attend a seudas
mitzva, and actually fast on that day, then he would include Anenu at
mincha. (So says MB 470:2, about 5 lines from the end.)

My question concerns the whole paragraph of Anenu in general, but most
particularly the phrase "kee v'tzara gedolah anachnu - for we are in big
trouble". Exactly which tzara are the bechorim referring to when/if they
say this? I can easily understand saying Anenu on other fast days, because
even "if" there is no immediate crisis (I put "if" in quotes because one
could argue that we DO live in a crisis), there is still the tzara of being
in galus, and we daven for that with particular fervor on the fast days.
But I don't see that as relevant to Erev Pesach, or at least, no more
relevant than on any other regular non-taanis day of the year.

Actually, I thought of this question yesterday, at mincha on Taanis Esther.
My understanding is that, like Taanis Bechorim, this fast is also "merely"
a remembrance, and not for any current tzara. At least, that's my vague
recollection of Taanis Esther. But I can't point to any sources, and that's
why this post focuses on Taanis Bechorim. But if anyone can offer ideas,
I'd be grateful.

Akiva Miller
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