This year, the Fast of Esther (Ta’anis Esther) will take place on Monday, March 2nd.
As is known, the fast day called the “Fast of Esther” was instituted in honor of the three-day fast declared by Queen Esther in the days of King Achashverosh (Artaxerxes), when the events described in Megillas Esther were unfolding.
Fast times (for Dnipro): March 2, from 4:42 AM to 5:57 PM.
The famous code of Jewish practical law, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (in chapter 141 – “Laws of Reading the Megillah”), says the following about this custom:
“In the days of Mordechai and Esther, the Jews gathered together on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar to defend their lives and take vengeance upon their enemies, and they needed to pray for mercy from G-d, blessed be His Name, that He should help them. And, as we know, when the Jews went to war, they would fast so that G-d would help them. Also, our teacher Moses, peace be upon him, fasted on the day the Jews fought with the Amalekites.
If so, then certainly in the days of Mordechai and Esther as well, the Jews fasted on the thirteenth of Adar; therefore, all Jews have taken upon themselves the obligation to observe a public fast on this day, which they named the ‘Fast of Esther,’ to remind ourselves that the Creator, blessed be His Name, sees and hears the prayer of every person in their time of distress, if they will fast and return to serving G-d with all their heart, as our ancestors did in those days.
Nevertheless, this fast is not as obligatory as the four public fasts mentioned in the Scriptures (see chapter 121); therefore, one may permit those who need it not to fast on this day, for example, pregnant and nursing women, or even someone whose eyes hurt a little – if they suffer greatly from the fast, they may refrain from fasting. The same applies to a woman within thirty days after childbirth (A woman after childbirth should not fast, even if she is not suffering. Regarding pregnant and nursing women who do not suffer from the fast, our Sages disagree, and it depends on local custom).
Also, a bridegroom during the seven days of his wedding feast should not fast. And all the aforementioned individuals will have to ‘repay’ the missed fast later.
But ordinary, healthy people should not separate themselves from the community (and neglect the public fast). Even if a person is traveling and fasting is difficult for them, nevertheless, they are obligated to fast.”
Much has been written about the meaning and symbolism of the Fast of Esther. Here is what the “Lechaim” journal wrote in an article by Evgeny Levin, “The Fast on the Eve of the Holiday.”
“Some believe that Jews fast on this day because it was at this time that Mordechai and Esther declared a fast in the Persian capital of Shushan. This, however, is incorrect. According to the Talmud, Esther fasted from the 13th to the 15th of Nissan, that is, during the holiday of Pesach (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a). Therefore, fasting on the same day as the Persian Jews in the time of Achashverosh is simply impossible from a Halachic standpoint.
The first indication in classical Jewish literature of the custom to fast on the eve of Purim appears in tractate Sofrim (one of the so-called ‘minor tractates’ of the Talmud). According to the anonymous author, on the eve of Purim, the Sages of the Land of Israel observed a three-day fast – in memory of Esther, who prayed for three consecutive days before going to King Achashverosh (Esther 4:15). However, unlike the queen, they did not fast for three full days, but observed three day-fasts, meaning only during daylight hours – since spending 72 hours without food and drink in a hot climate is dangerous to health or even life (Sofrim 21:1).
By the Geonic period, the three-day fast had been replaced by a one-day fast. However, by this time not only the Sages but all other Jews observed the fast.
In Jewish literature, there are two explanations for why we fast specifically on the 13th of Adar. According to the Rambam, this fast was established in memory of the three-day fast of Mordechai and Esther before the queen’s visit to Achashverosh: ‘The entire Jewish people follow the custom of fasting on the 13th of Adar, in memory of the fast in the days of Haman, as it is said: “that they should keep these days of Purim at their appointed times, as Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their descendants, matters of the fastings and their cry” (Esther 9:31)’ (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Fasts 5:5).
The Rambam’s logic in this case is quite clear. In the Book of Esther, it literally says not ‘days of a fast’ but ‘days of fasts’ (tzomot). Therefore, the Rambam reasoned, it refers not to a one-day fast but to a multi-day fast. And the only multi-day fast directly mentioned in the Book of Esther is the fast of the 14th–16th of Nissan.
Another explanation was proposed by the famous Spanish rabbi Abudarham-David ben Yosef (late 14th century, Seville, Spain). In his opinion, the fast on the eve of Purim could not have been established in memory of Queen Esther’s fast – because, firstly, unlike her, we fast only one day, not three full days, and secondly, that fast, as already mentioned, was in the month of Nissan, during the holiday of Pesach. Therefore, reasoned Abudarham-David, the fast of the 13th of Adar must have a different origin: ‘This fast was established in accordance with the following words of Scripture: “But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar” (Esther 9:18).’ ‘Assembled’ – for a communal fast.’
The idea of fasting on the eve of battle might seem strange. However, one must remember that according to the Book of Esther, Haman, the primary enemy of the Jews, was a descendant of the last Amalekite king, Agag (Esther 3:1). And according to Jewish tradition, during the first war with the Amalekites, which occurred shortly after the Exodus (when the Amalekites attacked the Jews without provocation), Moses, Joshua, and other Jewish leaders also fasted – to emphasize that they relied not so much on military might but on help from Above (see, for example, Rashi on Shemot 17:8).
In Jewish literature, there are many objections to this explanation. The main one is that the fast of the 13th of Adar is not mentioned in the Book of Esther, so the assumption that the Jews fasted on that day is nothing more than a conjecture. Nevertheless, this very rationale is the one that entered the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: ‘In the days of Mordechai and Esther, the Jews gathered together on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar to defend their lives and take vengeance upon their enemies, and they needed to pray for mercy from the Holy One, blessed be He, that He should help them. And as we know, when the Jews went to war, they would fast so that the Almighty would help them. Also, our teacher Moses, peace be upon him, fasted on the day the Jews fought with the Amalekites. If so, then certainly in the days of Mordechai and Esther as well, the Jews fasted on the thirteenth of Adar; therefore, all Jews have taken upon themselves the obligation to observe a public fast on this day’ (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 141:1).
The explanation proposed by Abudarham-David contains a very important lesson. Queen Esther fasted at a time when Haman wielded unlimited influence in the state, and it seemed that the Jews had no hope of salvation. In such a situation, it is completely natural for a person to turn to the Almighty for help. However, on the 13th of Adar, the situation was fundamentally different. Haman had already been executed, Mordechai had become prime minister, the king had commanded ‘the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces’ not to hinder the Jews from taking revenge on their enemies, and ‘the fear of the Jews had fallen upon’ many non-Jews. It seemed that victory was assured. Yet Abudarham-David reminds us: even in such a favorable situation, a Jew should not rely solely on themselves – one must ask the Almighty for help and intercession. (In parentheses, we note that this can be useful not only from a religious but also from a psychological perspective, as it helps avoid the excessive self-confidence that has often led to defeat.)
A few words about the laws and customs of Ta’anis Esther, the Fast of Esther. Since this fast is not mentioned in the Scriptures, its laws are much more lenient than on other mournful days. In particular, pregnant and nursing women are exempt, as are the sick and even those who find fasting difficult due to strenuous work (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 141:2).
In medieval Provence and Germany, many Jews complained that it was difficult for them to endure Ta’anis Esther. To ‘make it easier for them,’ the local rabbis (the Ra’avad and Rabbi Moshe Isserlin, respectively) permitted beginning the Megillah reading before nightfall. This decision proved unexpectedly relevant in the 20th century when, in 1947, the British imposed a curfew in Jerusalem, threatening to shoot anyone who left their home after dark. Remembering the medieval precedent, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who was asked what to do, permitted reading the Megillah while it was still light.
Usually, if a fast falls on Shabbos, it is postponed to the next day. However, with Ta’anis Esther this is impossible because the 14th of Adar is the holiday of Purim. Therefore, if the 13th of Adar falls on Shabbos, since one cannot fast on that day, the fast is moved to the preceding Thursday, the 11th of Adar.
In many communities, it is customary to give a special charity (tzedakah) on the Fast of Esther – three coins of half the local currency unit. This custom recalls the half-shekel – a special ‘tax’ for the Temple, which was collected starting from Rosh Chodesh Adar. How to act correctly in a case where half the currency unit is negligibly small should be clarified with the local rabbi.
Despite Ta’anis Esther being a fast day, already during the Minchah prayer, many come to the synagogue in festive, Shabbos clothing. The explanation for this custom is simple: many who come for Minchah remain in the synagogue until the beginning of the Purim holiday and, naturally, want to greet it in festive attire.
In conclusion, another event that occurred on the 13th of Adar. According to Megillas Ta’anis, it was on this day that Yehudah Maccabee achieved one of his most famous victories – over the army of the Syrian commander Nicanor. Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Greeks – 20,000 against 6,000 – the Jews ‘killed more than nine thousand of the enemies, and left an even larger part of Nicanor’s army wounded and disabled, and forced them all to flee’ (II Maccabees 8:24). Therefore, in the Second Temple era, the 13th of Adar was considered one of the days on which a public fast is not ordained.
After all the political achievements of the Hasmoneans were lost, the reason to consider the 13th of Adar a festive day also disappeared. However, in the future, this day will again become a day of joy and gladness. As the Rambam writes: ‘All fasts will be nullified in the days of the Messiah, and they will become days of joy and gladness’ (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Fasts 5:19). True, the Rambam here refers to the fasts mentioned in the Scriptures – the 10th of Teves, the 17th of Tammuz, the 9th of Av, and the 3rd of Tishrei. But who knows – perhaps this law will also apply to Ta’anis Esther.”
There are other opinions about the meaning and spiritual significance of this fast. We offer our readers an essay by Rabbi Uri Kalyuzhny on this topic:
“When people talk about a fast, many (myself, for example) associate it with people sitting on the ground in mournful postures, with weeping and wailing. This feeling is certainly inspired by famous images associated with the 9th of Av – the day when we all truly mourn for the destroyed Temple, the exile, and, along with it, all our other troubles.
That is why every year, as Ta’anit (the Fast of) Esther approaches, I feel a certain bewilderment: ‘What is there to mourn here?’ After all, the Purim story ended well, and, generally speaking, as is known, the Sages said that with the beginning of the month of Adar, we should increase in joy. What place is there for weeping and prayer here? Let’s try to figure it out.
Ta’anit Esther is very different from other Jewish fasts. It is not explicitly mentioned in the Talmud at all. Only the day of the 13th of Adar is somehow called ‘the day of gathering of all.’ And much later commentators explain that in the year the events of the Megillah took place, on the 13th of Adar, that decisive day when the Jews gathered and destroyed their enemies, was declared a day of fasting, and all those who could not go out with conventional weapons gathered in the synagogue and turned to the traditional Jewish weapon – prayer. And the Almighty helped – we won. And somehow from that year, the custom of fasting and prayer on the 13th of Adar arose.
It seems that the defining characteristic of this day is that ‘everyone gathers,’ as it is written in the Talmud, and the fast is merely a mechanism that brings people together.
I myself witnessed this – in the company where I work, there are many religious people. On ordinary days, everyone prays at different times, in several places. Only on the fast day, because of the Torah reading, does everyone gather in one place. And on the previous fast – the 10th of Tevet – the Minyan for the evening prayer numbered several hundred people.
However, we are still far from a full understanding. For example, why is this fast called the Fast of Esther? The chronology of events in the Megillah is roughly as follows:
At the beginning of the month of Nissan, Haman received permission to annihilate the Jews. He immediately cast lots, and it fell to him that this event should be scheduled for almost a year later, on the 13th of Adar. Immediately, secret letters were sent throughout the kingdom about preparing a ‘state-sponsored pogrom.’
The Jews learned of this secret almost immediately, and already on the eve of the holiday of Pesach, Mordechai came to Queen Esther and demanded that she intercede for her people. Esther agreed (at the risk of her life) but demanded that ‘all Jews be gathered’ and a three-day fast be declared. This fast fell on the first three days of Pesach. Then, as is known, very interesting events occurred, and as a result, 11 months later, instead of a pogrom of the Jews, a brilliant defeat of their enemies took place.
However, despite the fact that the dates of the fast declared by Esther and the fast we observe do not coincide, common features begin to emerge. So began Haman’s accusation against the Jews: ‘There is a certain people, scattered and divided.’ So said Esther to Mordechai: ‘Go, gather all the Jews.’
Our people have three main types of weapons: national unity, Torah, and closeness to G-d. Unfortunately, when Jews are in exile, we lack closeness to the Almighty. They apparently did not excel in Torah knowledge either at that time. When they also lost national unity, our eternal enemy, Haman, understood that his time had come. But, thank G-d, they managed to unite quickly. And then we were able to win. This experience – the necessity of unity – has remained with us in the form of Ta’anit Esther. It is the starting point for all the holidays to come. And on Purim itself – gifts to the poor, sending festive portions to neighbors and acquaintances, the meal where good friends gather – all this is meant to strengthen our unity.
Of course, we cannot stop there – we must strengthen our connection to Torah, draw closer to G-d – but we must start from this.”
