Torah.org Home Subscribe Services Support Us
 
Print Version

Email this article to a friend

Chapter 121:10
Laws of Public Fast Days

10. It is forbidden to rinse one's mouth in the morning on all public fast days (1). Regarding a build up of saliva: if one can spit it out, one should. If this is impossible, one may swallow it, even on Yom Kippur, because one's intent is not to enjoy it (2).

It is forbidden to taste food on a communal fast day, even if one later spits it out. In contrast, one may taste food and spit it out during a personal fast that one voluntarily accepts upon oneself (3). Similarly, rinsing one's mouth is permitted on such a fast.

FOOTNOTES:

(1) If one is experiencing discomfort ("tza'ar"), there is room to permit ("yeish lehatir") rinsing out one's mouth, as long as one is careful to lean forward so that no water is swallowed. This is true even on Tisha'B'Av, if one is experiencing extreme discomfort ("tza'ar gadol"). However, on Yom Kippur, one should be stringent, and not rinse out one's mouth even if one is experiencing extreme discomfort (Mishna Berura 567:11).

(2) The Mishna Berura does not even mention that one should try to spit out the saliva (Ibid. 13).

(3) It is assumed that when an individual accepts a fast upon himself, he commits himself to refrain only from actual eating and drinking, and not from simply tasting food. The obligation for a communal fast is not dependent on an individual's conscious acceptance ("kabalah"), and therefore, one cannot claim that there was no commitment to refrain from tasting food.

Back  Paragraph 9  Table of Contents  Paragraph 11 Next 

Halacha-Yomi, Copyright (c) 2002 Project Genesis, Inc.

Please Support TORAH.ORG
Print Version       Email this article to a friend

 

ARTICLES ON MISHPATIM:

View Complete List

Another Time - Another Place
Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann - 5761

Those in a Thankless Role Deserve A Thank-You
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - 5766

Head and Shoulders Above the Rest
Rabbi Pinchas Avruch - 5763

> Position Impositions
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky - 5759

This Is Also Torah
Shlomo Katz - 5762

The Complete Body Of Mitzvos
Rabbi Pinchas Winston - 5761

Frumster - Orthodox Jewish Dating

Help!
Rabbi Yisroel Ciner - 5760

Might Through Justice
Shlomo Katz - 5770

Setting Norms
Rabbi Aron Tendler - 5762

> Jewish Slavery?
Rabbi Aron Tendler - 5758

A Request
Rabbi Yehudah Prero - 5768

The Perfect Blend
Rabbi Dovid Green - 5761

The Nitty Gritty of Torah
Rabbi Pinchas Winston - 5760

The Higher Standard
Rabbi Yaakov Menken - 5764

To the Letter of the Law
Rabbi Raymond Beyda - 5767

Table With A Torah View
Rabbi Pinchas Winston - 5763



Project Genesis

Torah.org Home


Torah Portion

Jewish Law

Ethics

Texts

Learn the Basics

Seasons

Features

TORAHAUDIO

Ask The Rabbi

Knowledge Base




Help

About Us

Contact Us



Free Book on Geulah!




Torah.org Home
Torah.org HomeCapalon.com Copyright Information