Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Shlita released a p’sak halacha on Sunday that soldiers involved in the fighting in Gaza [and elsewhere] may not fast on 10 Teves, which falls on Tuesday.
The Rav explained he received many queries from hesder soldiers and reservists called to service, prompting him to remind combatants that they are forbidden to fast for it may weaken them and/or compromise their abilities, even minimally.
The Rav explains the battlefield is categorized a “pikuach nefesh” and as such, not only is a soldier permitted to eat, he is compelled to eat and drink and may not fast.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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8 Responses
Would the same psak be given on Yom Kipur?
A few years ago there was the psak when the 2nd Lebabon war when they needed to fight on Tisha B’ Av in July of 2006.
3 – The psak might be made not to fast on YK, but it wouldn’t be the same. 10 Teves is mid’rabonon, Yom Kippur is mid’oraiso. The question also needs to be determined if it is a milchemes mitzvah or a milchemes r’shus, or, as per Rambam, a milchemes chovah. In any case, 10 teves is an easier call.
if memory serves me right, the chassam sofer writes that asarah b’teves would be docheh (oneg) shabbos (if it would fall on shabbos),and in fact is the only fast that can fall out on friday.a/o know about this? therfore i wonder what basis there would be for such a p’sak from the esteemed rav. can anybody shed some light
It is a well-established halacha that anyone in combat, or who might have to fight or flee, is not allowed to fast. That is why the 13th of Adar is called Taanis Esther: everyone else was either fighting or in danger of having to fight, and therefore was not allowed to fast, but Esther was safe in the palace, so she was the only Jew who fasted for the rest of her people’s safety.
To #1 and #3: As we all know, Pikuach Nefesh overrides virtually every Mitzvah in the Torah, which includes Yom Kippur. My understanding is that, during the Yom Kippur war, those who fought were permitted to eat, and that in the times of Chazal, soldiers would fast BEFORE battle, not during battle.
Whether the current war is technically a Milchemes Mitzvah or not does not appear to be relevant; the soldiers are required to put their lives on the line and, assuming that fasting increases the risk of serious injury or death, such risk would not be permitted.
#5 – I don’t know of a חתם סופר, but I know of a בית יוסף in (הלכות תשעה באב (סימן תק”נ that brings the אבודרהם that if עשרה בטבת was on שבת we would need to fast on שבת.
Just to clarify though, the date 10 Teveth can’t fall on Shabbos. Of all the fast days, it is the only one whose regular date can’t fall on Shabbos and can fall on Friday (in which case, we complete the fast).