Reply To: Hilchos Pesach

Also, I didn’t add this in to my essay, but I am adding this on.

On the Ateres Zekeinim:

*This is not a permission, rather this is a PROHIBITION of fasting PRIVATELY for a yahrtzeit before Pesach,

and the assumed reason is that when the Bach, the Beis Yosef, the Be’er Heitev, the Mikra Sofrim, the Nachalas

Yaakov, and the Prisha on the Tur say that we don’t say Tachanun for the whole month of Nisan because 1/2

or more is holy, therefore the rest is as well. Kal va’Chomer the part that is actually holy and not caused to be

holy by the other days, you should not fast on, EVEN privately. But however if you go by the opinion of the

Chayei Odom (see below), who says that even private fasts and yahrtzeits are not to be observed during the

whole month of Nisan, this is a leniency, and is not accepted.

The Chayei Odom disagrees with the Magen Avrohom, the Taz, and the Ateres Zekeinim, saying that even a private fast is prohibited, also fasting for a yartzeit is forbidden. Kal va’Chomer remembering in public is an issur. The Chayei Odom is not the rov opinion, and so you might as well fast privately during Nisan and not disobey the halacha. But if you would like to be machmir upon yourself and not fast, even privately, or even for a yartzeit, it is halachically permissible and there is no problem.

🙂

Thanks, David