12 Sep FASTING ON EREV ROSH HASHANAH

The custom of most
people is to fast on
Erev Rosh Hashanah.
What is the source
and reason for this?
Does it apply to
everyone? Until what
time in the day does
one have to fast? If one
fasted most years and
now he cannot do so
anymore, does he have
to undo his practice by hataras nedarim? Are
people lenient today in regard to this fast?
These and other questions relating to this fast
will be discussed below.
Source
The poskim quote a midrash which says that
“great people of the generation” fast on Erev
Rosh Hashanah. In doing so one gets one-third
of his sins forgiven. The custom is that all fast
and not just great people.
The Aruch Hashulchan says that it is not
showing off if a simple person fasts on Erev
Rosh Hashanah since all people want part of
their sins forgiven. Others explain that Erev
Rosh Hashanah is the last day of the year. If
one does teshuvah on the last day of the year it

is like he did teshuvah all year. Therefore, the
custom is to fast as a sign of teshuvah on Erev
Rosh Hashanah.
Age
This fast applies to those who have reached
bar and bas mitzvah.
Until When
The custom of many is that the fast only lasts
until chatzos. Others have the custom to fast
until minchah gedolah, which is a half hour
after chatzos. According to this custom, one
davens Minchah and then eats.
Bris
If there is a bris on Erev Rosh Hashanah, then
all invited to the bris may eat. This includes
the mohel, sandek, and ba’al bris.
Weak
If one is weak and cannot fast, he may eat and
does not need to do a hataras nedarim. The
reason is that it can be assumed that when
he originally started this custom, he never
intended to fast if he is not well.
Vayichal etc.
Vayichal is not leined on this fast.

One who is fasting and
davens Minchah recites
aneinu, but the shatz does not
recite it.
Eating before Alos

The custom of the non-
Jews was to fast before

daybreak on their holidays.
Therefore, if we were not
to eat beforehand it would
be going in the ways of the
non-Jews. However, this is
not practiced these days;
therefore, one may eat before
alos hashachar on Erev Rosh Hashanah. One
may eat before alos even without declaring his
intentions on the previous night.
Lenient
The fact is that not everyone has the custom
to fast on Erev Rosh Hashanah. The primary
reason is that we are weaker today than in
earlier years.
Some explain that we eat in the morning
before the fast, and the Arizal says that one
may not eat after chatzos. Therefore, it is
better not to fast.

Against Those Being Lenient
Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l
questioned how is it possible for one not to
fast on Erev Rosh Hashanah, as the Shulchan
Aruch rules that one fasts on Erev Rosh
Hashanah.
Custom to Fast but Changes Mind
If one has the custom to fast on Erev Rosh
Hashanah and now wishes not to fast for this
year, there is no need to be matir his neder.
However, if he wishes to do so for the future
then he needs to be matir his neder.