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Fasting Purim urgent

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Rabbi David Sperling

Adar 13, 5781
Question
Hi, This is one of my first Purim fasts....I’m quite scared of it....I had a rabbi tell me once that the mitzvah of being happy on Purim surpasses fasting, so to not worry about the fasting as much for now, he actually gave me a suggestion not to fast when I asked him about it 2 years ago, but I haven’t written to him this year. I read that if a person made a mental note that they will stop eating they will be breaking their fast even if they eat before it starts. I thought in my head, oh ok this is my last meal before the fast, but I’ll probably keep drinking, at dinner. It is now late at night here about an hour before the fast and I wanted to add cream to my hot chocolate, which is a drink I do drink often, and I was afraid adding cream counts as food. The fat content in the cream often calms my anxiety down (my dietitian has me on a high fat diet for anxiety reasons, and it’s working really well. Please note I have BH no eating disorders or anything, I’m considered by my dietitian a healthy person to fast, but my anxiety really does freak out by fasting). If you see this in time, may I add the cream in or does it break the mental note prohibition? Thank you so much,
Answer
Shalom, I’m not sure if this will reach you in time, but none the less. If the time for the fast to begin has not yet come you may still eat. May I remind you that the fast of Ester is a very minor fast, and you should break your fast if you feel sick or weak or any other major discomfort. May you be blessed with a happy Purim
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