Most of today's daf TB Taanit 12 discusses the ins and outs of a fast that an individual accepts upon himself. The Gemara only gives one example why a person would want to fast when the community is not joining in. If somebody has a bad dream, a person would want to fast in response or to counteract his bad dream. “Rabba bar Meḥasseya said that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya said that Rav said: A fast is effective to neutralize a bad dream like fire is effective for burning chaff. Rav Ḥisda said: The fast is effective specifically on that day that one dreamed. And Rav Yosef said: And one suffering from a bad dream is permitted to fast even on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: What is the remedy for one who has denigrated Shabbat by fasting? Let him sit in observance of another fast, on another day, to atone for his fast on Shabbat. ” (Sefaria.org translation)
The Ritba comments in great length on the topic of a fast for a bad dream. He explains when a person dreams a bad dream so that he becomes anxious, it is a sign from Heaven to repent and change his ways. The fast begins immediately on the day he wakes up lest he delays the fast and his anxiety and fears dissipate and he won't contemplate repentance. He is allowed to fast on Shabbat even though that is generally prohibited. Eating on Shabbat is an part of the mitzvah of making Shabbat enjoyable (oneg Shabbat). If the dream makes the person so distressed he can't enjoy the food he is eating on Shabbat, the fast takes precedence over eating.
We moderns understands dreams differently since Freud's analysis. I don't know anybody who fasts because of a bad dream.Some studies have shown that intermittent fasting may have some health benefits; however, most people don't fast as one of the steps to show regret and to do teshuva, repentance with the exception of Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. I thought that you might be interested in the purpose and conception of fasting in the ancient near East through the rabbinic.
“In the ancient Near East, prayer and fasting were advocated as a means to have one's requests fulfilled by the gods (Ahikar, Armenian version, 2:49, from where, it appears, the idea was derived in Tobit, short version, 2:8; cf. also Test. Patr., Ben. 1:4). The Bible emphasizes that the fast is not an end in itself but only a means through which man can humble his heart and repent for his sins; his repentance must manifest itself in his deeds (Joel 2:13; Jonah 3:8). The idea is especially stressed in Isaiah (58:3ff.) where the contrast is made between a fast which is not accompanied by any real repentance, and which is therefore unacceptable to God, and the true fast which leads to God's merciful forgiveness: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the fetters of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free… Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him… Then shalt thou call, and the Lord will answer."
The Second Temple period literature also stressed that a fast without sincere repentance is valueless and senseless (Test. Patr., Ash. 2:8; 4:3; cf. ibid., Joseph 3:5 – in addition to the fast, Joseph gave his food to the poor and the sick). In the Second Temple period fasting was also seen as an "ascetic exercise" which serves to purify man and bring him closer to God. This appears to have been the original significance of the fasts of the members of the ma'amadot (Ta'an. 4:2–3 (supplement); cf. Theophrastus on the Jews who fasted during the offering of the sacrifices, and Philo on the Day of Atonement). This conception of fasting closely resembles the concept of complete abstinence and asceticism whose purpose is to induce ecstasy and apocalyptic visions and is found not only in the apocalyptic literature of the Second Temple period (the Qumran sect seems to have held a "fast" day of which little is known), but also among certain circles of talmudic rabbis, especially after the destruction of the Temple. This "philosophy" led to an exaggerated propagation of fasting which, in turn, aroused a sharp counteraction in general rabbinic literature; the rabbis condemned ascetic women, especially widows and "fasting maids" (TJ, Sot. 3:4, 19a). R. Yose even went further and declared: "The individual has no right to afflict himself by fasting, lest he become a burden on the community which will then have to provide for him" (Tosef. Ta'an. 2:12); as did Samuel , according to whose opinion "Whoever fasts is called a sinner" (Ta'an. 11a). ” (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/fasting-and-fast-days#4)
No comments:
Post a Comment