By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com The Tzom Gedaliah fast begins at 5:27 AM dawn degrees or at 5:36 AM dawn fixed minutes in NYC (All fasts other than Yom Kippur and Tishah B’Av begin at alos hashachar – dawn). According to R’ Moshe Feinstein , One who finds fasting difficult may eat at – 7:16 PM One who does not find fasting difficult should wait until the time for מוצאי שבת at – 7:23 PM in NYC. Tzom Gedaliah is a fast day that commemorates a tragic time in our people’s history, one that the Gemorah (RH 18b) equates with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash itself – a jarring thought. After the destruction of the first Bais HaMikdosh, the Babylonians left a group of Jews in Eretz Yisrael. Gedaliah, the governor of that group and the leader of Klal Yisroel at the time, refused to take protective measures against Yishmael, when he was warned by Yochanan Ben Korayach of Yishmael Ben Nesanya’s malevolent intent (Yirmiyahu 40:16). The consequences were quite grave indeed. Gedaliah and all his men were brutally murdered (Yirmiyahu 41:2).Gedaliah was actually murdered on Rosh HaShana, but it was set aside to the day after Rosh haShana because of the Yom Tov. Gedaliah Ben Achikam was one of the Gedolei HaDor of his generation. It is a perhaps little known fact, but he was also a Navi. Indeed the Gemorah (Rosh HaShana 18b) explains that Hashem Himself (Zechariah 8:19) equates the death of this great Tzaddik with the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash! Rarely if ever do we find such testimony as to the stature of any individual. Hashem himself is his character witness. If one had in mind that one was going to rise before dawn to eat, one may do so. In regard to rising before dawn, there is a difference between men and women. Men may only eat more than a k’bayah of mezonos if they began more than 30 minutes before dawn. Otherwise, they may only eat less than a k’bayah (2.2 fluid ounces of the food) (MB 89:27). Women have no such restriction, according to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l (Note in Ishei Yisrael 13:71). WHO SHOULD FAST? All healthy adults should fast, including women (SA OC 550:1). A girl who is 12 years or older must fast, as must a boy who is 13 years of age or older. The minhag of some women to avoid fasting during the three fasts is incorrect and should be discontinued, as it is against Shulchan Aruch. The Mishnah Berurah (550:5) rules that children who have reached the age of chinuch for mourning should only eat simple foods so that they can participate in the mourning. A sick person should not fast (MB 550:4, 5) even if he is not a choleh sh’yesh bo sakanah. In other words, as long as he or she is noticeably sick, there is no need to fast. Nonetheless, that person should not engage in extravagant eating but should only eat moderately. PREGNANT OR NURSING A pregnant or nursing woman does not have to fast (OC SA 554:5) on the three fasts; only on the fourth, Tishah B’Av. Although the Rema writes that it is the custom for a pregnant woman who has no difficulties fasting to fast, it […]

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