Tzom Gedaliah: Why Do We Fast and Who Is Exempt?

Two daily halachot from BeHalacha U’BeAggadah, based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory.

The Fast of Gedaliah: Why Do We Fast?

On the third of Tishrei, Gedaliah ben Achikam was assassinated. His death extinguished the last remaining hope of the Jewish community that had stayed in the Land of Israel after the destruction of the First Temple.

The Rambam explains the purpose of these fast days:

“All of Israel fasts on these days because of the tragedies that occurred on them, in order to awaken the heart and open the paths of teshuvah. They serve as a reminder of our wrongdoing and of the deeds of our ancestors, whose actions were like our own and ultimately brought these troubles upon them and upon us. By remembering these events, we are moved to improve our ways.”

The fast is therefore not merely about mourning a historical tragedy. Its deeper purpose is to awaken reflection, repentance, and change.

Who Is Required to Fast, and Who Is Exempt?

Both men and women are obligated to fast on Tzom Gedaliah.

A pregnant woman who is at least three months into her pregnancy is exempt. Even before that point, if she is suffering from vomiting, pain, or significant weakness, she is exempt from fasting.

A woman who has given birth or suffered a miscarriage is exempt from fasting during the first 30 days afterward. From 30 days until 24 months after birth, a nursing mother should not fast. If she is not nursing, she should begin the fast, but if she becomes weak, she may eat.

A sick person is exempt from fasting. The same applies to someone who has recovered from an illness but remains weak and there is concern that fasting could cause a relapse.

Elderly people who are frail and suffer significantly from fasting are also exempt.

A boy under the age of 13 years and one day, and a girl under the age of 12, are exempt. Even if they wish to fast, they should be discouraged from doing so.

Daily Quote

“It is known that one of the questions a person is asked on the Day of Judgment is: ‘Did you await salvation?’ (Shabbat 31a). This is something entrusted to the heart. It is not enough to say with one’s mouth that one awaits salvation; a person must truly await salvation with a whole heart and complete faith.

“Just as every day brings a person closer to death, so too every day brings the Redemption closer. Even if it delays, we must wait for it, because it will certainly come, without any doubt.

“And one must not wait only for the general Redemption. In every kind of trouble that may come upon a person, he should await the salvation of Hashem in the blink of an eye.”

— Pele Yoetz

What Does the Quote Mean?

The Pele Yoetz reminds us that waiting for redemption should be real and internal, not merely something we say.

He cites the well-known question from the Talmud in Shabbat: “Did you await salvation?” The fact that this is one of the questions associated with a person’s ultimate judgment shows how central hope and expectation are to Jewish faith.

According to the Pele Yoetz, awaiting redemption is “a matter entrusted to the heart.” In other words, it is not enough to say that we believe Mashiach will come. A person should genuinely carry that expectation within himself, with complete faith and sincerity.

Just as each passing day brings a person closer to the end of his earthly life, each day also brings the world closer to redemption. Even if the process seems delayed, a Jew is called upon to continue waiting with confidence that it will come.

The teaching goes further. The Pele Yoetz says that this mindset should not apply only to the future Redemption of the Jewish people as a whole.

A person should learn to await Hashem’s salvation in his own private struggles. When facing pain, uncertainty, financial difficulty, illness, fear, or any other distress, a Jew should not assume that the present situation must continue indefinitely. He should remain open to the possibility that Hashem’s help can come suddenly, “in the blink of an eye.”

That kind of hope is not passive, but is an expression of faith that even when we cannot yet see the solution, the situation can still change.