Express Fast | Rabbi Daniel Kirsch | Beit Midrash

Shabbat and Holidays
The Minor Fasts' Halachot

קטגוריה משנית

Cindy peered over Marvin’s shoulder, as he scrolled down the page.
"There are a few good options," Marvin muttered. "I’m not sure which flight to go with."
"You’re right, Marvin," Cindy concurred. "They’re all about the same price, without too much of a layover. Just wondering, when do you have to be there, exactly?"
"The conference starts Tuesday afternoon," Marvin explained. "If I get in Monday afternoon, I’ll have enough time to get to the hotel in Jerusalem, unpack, and get a good night’s sleep, before the conference."
Cindy stared at the screen, lost in thought. There was something scheduled for the week of the conference. She was sure of it. Cindy walked over to the fridge, and flipped the calendar to the June page. And then it hit her.
"Marvin, that Sunday, two days before the conference, is a fast day, the 17th of Tamuz!" Cindy exclaimed. "It’s perfect, go a day early, and you can fly during the fast!"
Marvin was startled for a moment. "Cindy, I know the rubber omelets on the plane aren’t great, but I don’t know if that’s enough of a reason to fast while flying!"
"That’s not what I meant, Marvin!"
"Oh, you mean so I won’t accidentally carry a bottle of water that contains more than 3.4 fluid ounces, onto the plane," Marvin nodded. "It makes sense, but it’s really not such a big deal. So you get pulled onto a different line, and they take the water bottle away."
"Marvin, I was thinking of something else."
"You’re right, you’re right. You mean so that when the guy in front of me reclines his seat, the meal on the seatback tray won’t end up on my lap!" Marvin was pleased with his analysis.
"Marvin, those are all great reasons," Cindy agreed. "Really, what I was thinking is that you’re flying east. If you go on a fast day, you’ll skip over a few time zones, and you’ll end the fast about six hours earlier than you would if you were to stay in New York. So you’ll get to break your fast before you get too hungry!"
"Cindy, you’re brilliant!" Marvin enthused. "I’m just wondering. Am I allowed to fly a day early, just to have a shorter fast?"
Answer of Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, shlita:
Generally speaking, it is not proper to shorten a fast in this manner, for no reason at all. However, one who finds it very difficult to fast is allowed to act in this manner, and there is nothing wrong with doing so.
An additional consideration, in this case, is that flying to Israel is actually a mitzva, and therefore it is encouraged to fly there a day early!

The Minor Fasts' Halachot