Halakhic guidelines for the Fast of the 10th of Tevet
Halakhic guidelines for the Fast of the 10th of Tevet

On Asarah B’Teves in the year 3336, the wicked Nevuchadnetzar, king of Babylonia, laid siege to Yerushalayim, which ultimately culminated in the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash (Temple). To commemorate that infamous day, the Nevi’im (Prophets)[1] instituted the ta’anis tzibbur(communal fast day) of Asarah B’Teves. This Thursday, December 28th, is Asarah B’Teves. In this article we will discuss some of the halachos relative to the fast of Asarah B’Teves.

1) The fast begins at alos hashachar (daybreak)[2] and ends at tzeis hakochavim (halachic nightfall). Please check your local synagogue for times.

2) Although the fast does not begin until alos hashachar, once one sleeps a shenas keva (regular/substantial sleep)[6] on the preceding night (Wednesday night), the fast is considered to have begun unless one made a t’nai (i.e., one stipulated) verbally[7] before going to sleep that one does not wish the fast to begin until morning.[8] Thus, one who wishes to wake up before alos hashachar to eat before the fast begins must make at’nai before going to sleep on Wednesday night. (See note).[9] 

3) Even if one made a t’nai, one may not begin to eat a bread meal or otherwise significant meal after one half-hour before alos hashachar.[10] 

4) All healthy men and women, as well as boys and girls over the age ofbar- and bas-mitzvah, are obligated to fast.[11] On may not eat or drink even minute amounts.[12] Nevertheless, if one did eat less than ak’zayis[13] or drink less than m’lo lugmav,[14] one has not broken one’s fast and may say Aneinu[15] and receive an aliyah (see below, #10-13).[16]

One who ate more than a k’zayis or drank more than m’lo lugmav when not permitted by halakha (see below) is considered to have broken one’s fast but may still not eat during or drink during the rest of the fast.[17]Children under the age of bar- and bas-mitzvah should not fast – even part of the day.[18] However, once children are old enough to understand the concept of a ta’anis tzibbur, their parents should train them – because of the mitzvah of chinuch – to not indulge in the eating of sweets and the like.[19] 

5) One who is ill (see note),[20] and pregnant or nursing women who do not feel well, need not fast.[21] A nursing woman who feels fine but is concerned her milk supply will be affected should not fast.[22]  A postpartum woman who is not nursing need not fast during the first thirty days following childbirth.[23] If she had a cesarean section and still feels weak after 30 days have passed, she need not fast, since she is considered ill. 

6) Those over bar- and bas-mitzvah who are not fasting due to health reason may eat and drink regularly, but should not indulge in the eating of sweets and the like.[24] 

7) One who must take a pill during the fast should swallow it without water. See note.[25] 

8) The special prohibitions of Yom Kippur (bathing, anointing oneself, and wearing shoes) do not apply to Asarah B’Teves.[26] Nevertheless, it is meritorious to not bathe one’s body in hot water on Asarah B’Teves(unless it falls on Erev  Shabbos);[27] there is no reason whatsoever to refrain from washing one’s hands, face, and feet in hot water (even when it falls during the week).[28] 

9) One should not brush one’s teeth or rinse out one’s mouth on the fast.[29] If one is very disturbed by the foul taste in one’s mouth upon awaking, one may brush or rinse out one’s mouth if one is careful to tilt down one’s head to ensure that one does not swallow any water.[30] 

10) In Sh’moneh Esrei of Minchah we insert the prayer of Aneinu in theb’rachah of Shema  Koleinu.[31] If one forgot to say it and already said the words Baruch Attah Hashem at the end of the b’rachah, one should not attempt to correct oneself there. Rather, one should insert Aneinu at the end of Elokai,  Neztor, before the second Yihyu L’ratzon.[32]

11) One who is not fasting for whatever reason may not say Aneinu in Sh’moneh Esrei of Minchah, even if one had been fasting earlier in the day (see note).[33] If one is still fasting, one may say Aneinu in Sh’moneh Esrei, even if one intends to subsequently break one’s fast for whatever reason.[34] 

12) One who is not fasting for whatever reason may not receive an aliyah[35] on the fast day –at Shacharis or at Minchah.[36] If he is called to receive an aliyah during Shacharis and the fast is on Monday orThursday,[37] he should take the aliyah; but during Minchah, or duringShacharis when the fast is on a different day of the week, he should decline the aliyah.[38]

13) The rulings presented in the preceding paragraph also apply to one who is still fasting but intends – for whatever reason – to break his fast before it ends,[39] with one leniency: If he is called to receive an aliyah and he is embarrassed to admit that he plans to break his fast, he need not decline the aliyah (even at Minchah, and at Shacharis when it is notMonday or Thursday), since he is still fasting at that time.[40]

Notes:

[1] See Zecharyah 8:19 and Gemara Rosh Hashanah 28b. 
[2] Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 564:1. The Bi’ur halakha (89:1 s.v. v’im hispaleil) points out that daybreak is not the time at which the “Morning Star” is visible; that star is visible considerably before daybreak. 
Notes 3-5 are geography dependent and are therefore omitted.
[6] Generally assumed to mean at least one-half hour in bed. See S.A. O.C. 4:15-16; Mishnah Berurah4:34; and Bi’ur halakha s.v. David
[7] Ohr L’tziyon vol. 3, 31:2. 
[8] S.A. O.C. 564:1 with Rema
[9] According to some Poskim (halachic authorities) the same ruling applies to drinking. Others, however, are more lenient. L’chatchilah (initially/preferably) one should be sure to make a t’nai to allow drinking as well. B’dieved (post facto), if one did not make a t’nai and one is accustomed to drink upon awaking, one may be lenient and drink until alos hashachar
[10] Due to the obligation to daven (pray) before one eats. See M.B. 89:27; Rav Chaim Kanievsky (cited in Ishei Yisrael, Appendix, Responsum #86). 
[11] S.A. O.C. 550:1. 
[12] M.B. 567:3. 
[13] An olive size amount of food; approximately the equivalent of 1 fluid ounce. 
[14] A cheek-full; approximately the equivalent of 1.35 fluid ounce. 
[15] Saying the standard text; see note 33. 
[16] M.B. 568:5. 
[17] S.A. O.C. 568:15. 
[18] M.B. 550:5. See also Dirshu Mishnah Berurah (ad loc.), who cites Halichos Shlomo and Orchos Rabeinu that the custom to have children fast the three fast before their bar- and bas-mitzvah is a baseless custom. 
[19] M.B. ibid. 
[20] One who when fasting feels weaker than the general population when fasting, and one who is weak by nature, is considered ill for this purpose and need not fast, even if one is not unhealthy enough to be considered a choleh (ill person) to allow refu’ah (healing) on Shabbos(Igros Moshe O.C 44:114). 
[21] S.A. O.C. 554:6; Rema O.C. 550:1; M.B. 550:3. The Mishnah Berurah, following the earlierPoskim differentiates between during the first trimester of pregnancy and afterwards, and rules that pregnant women may be lenient only after the first trimester has passed, unless they are in great discomfort. Contemporary Poskim note that nowadays pregnant women during the first trimester are often very uncomfortable and nauseated and, therefore, generally need not fast. It follows then that a woman who performed a pregnancy test and discovered she is pregnant but does not feel any discomfort must fast. 
[22] See Dirshu Mishnah Berurah 550:5 n.e. end of note 9. 
[23] S.A. O.C. 554:6. 
[24] M.B. 550:5. 
[25] One can do so as follows: One sits and leans one’s head back, and places the pill on the back of the tongue. At the point that one starts to gag, the pill can be swallowed easily. If one can absolutely not swallow a pill without water, one may swallow a pill with a small amount (less than 1.35 ounce) of water. 
[26] S.A. O.C. 550:2. 
[27] M.B. 550:6. See also Sha’ar Hatziyun 550:8. 
[28] Sha’ar Hatziyun 550:8. 
[29] S.A. O.C. 567:3. 
[30] M.B. 567:11. 
[31] S.A. O.C. 565:1. 
[32] S.A. O.C. 565:2; M.B. 565:7. 
[33] Bi’ur halakha 565:1 s.v. bein yachid. This ruling applies to one who was not required to fast. However, one who was required to fast and mistakenly ate or drank – and is thus required to finish the day fasting – may say Aneinu; in such a case, instead of saying the words b’yom tzom ta’aniseinu (on the day of our fast), one says b’yom tzom hata’anis hazeh (on this fast day) – M.B. 568:3, as explained by Sheivet Halevi (8:131). 
[34] Rema O.C. 562:1; M.B. 562:7. 
[35] Be called up to the Torah
[36] S.A. O.C. 566:6. 
[37] Such that there would Torah Reading even had it not been a fast day. 
[38] M.B. 566:19. 
[39] M.B. 566:20.