Bismillah
This is the continuation of yesterday's post on fasting :0)
Major Fast Days in Judaism: Fasts on these day are from sunset to sunset the following day
- Yom Kippur: the Day of Attonement
- Tisha B'Av: a day that Jew's remember the tragedies that have befallen them, such as the destruction of the temple
Minor Fast Days: Fasts on these days are from sunrise to sunset
- The Fast of Gedaliah: to mourn the righteous king
- The Fast of the 10th of Tevet: In observance of the destruction of the 1st temple and the holocaust
- The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz: commemorates the scaling of the walls before the destruction of the 2nd temple, and also the day that the tablets of the 10 commandments were destroyed
- The Fast of Esther, which takes place immediately before Purim: commemorates the 3 day fast in the story of Purim
Other optional occasions for fasting:
- before your wedding
- when you need to seek repentance
- groups may fast to avert impending catastrophe
- before battle
Why do Jews Fast:
- for atonement of sins
- to commemorate a solemn event, or to show gratitude
- to mourn
- in order to realize how dependent are we upon God for our sustenance and survival
How Jews fast like Muslims:
- Often fasts occur from sunrise to sunset and include abstaining from food and drink and on the Major fasts from sexual intercourse as well
- Mondays and Thursdays are considered recommended days for voluntary fasting (While in the early Christian church, Wednesdays and Fridays are good fasting days)
- Specific days are prescribed for fasting
How Jewish Fasting is different than that in Islam:
- There are some fasts which are 24 hours while in Islam, all fasts are from sunrise to sunset
- During the Major fasts, it is not permitted to clean yourself (brush your teeth, bathe, use lotion or perfume) for that 24 hours
- Jews have special dietary rules for Passover: this would be considered "fasting" in the Christian sense, but is not considered fasting in the Jewish or Islamic sense
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