Yom Kippur fast

[Israel Chai]

Since they put sucrose in cigarettes, among other things "safe" for eating (but certainly not for smoking), is it a violation of the fast to smoke "tobacco products"?

[muman613]

Since they put sucrose in cigarettes, among other things "safe" for eating (but certainly not for smoking), is it a violation of the fast to smoke "tobacco products"?

Uh.... Heck Yes...

Since Yom Kippur is similar to Shabbat and it has all the prohibitions of Shabbat {no lighting fires, no driving, no working, no carrying, etc.} besides the prohibitions special for this day {no bathing, no wearing leather, no intimate relations, no eating or drinking}...

So basically it is prohibited to smoke on Yom Kippur...

[muman613]

Yom Kippur is similar to a Yom Tov but on Yomim Tovim we are commanded to eat in order to be joyful. On Yom Kippur we fast not to be sad but to be like angels..

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/708510/jewish/Laws-of-Yom-Tov.htm

Note: For the purposes of this article, "Yom Tov" refers to the following biblical holidays: Rosh Hashanah, first two1 days of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, first two and last two days of Passover, and both days of Shavuot. See our Holidays section for more information on these holidays.

Rejoicing

The primary obligation of Yom Tov is expressed in the Torah:2 "And you shall rejoice in your festival...and you shall only be happy."3 This biblical obligation to rejoice is exclusive to Yom Tov—on Shabbat we are only required to honor the day and engage in pleasurable activities.

Here are the basic Yom Tov guidelines outlined by our sages:

* We enjoy two meals on every day of Yom Tov—one at night and another during the daytime.4 It is a mitzvah to enjoy meat and wine5 during the course of each meal (the kiddush wine is not enough6).

* It is customary to have a greater variety of food on Yom Tov than on Shabbat. Similarly, the Yom Tov wardrobe is traditionally more elegant than the Shabbat one.

* Men are obligated to purchase for their wives a new piece of clothing or jewelry in honor of Yom Tov. Children should be given sweets or a new toy.

* "When he eats and drinks [on Yom Tov], he is obligated to feed the foreigner, orphan and widow, together with other indigent paupers... One who locks the doors of his courtyard, however, and eats and drinks together with his children and wife, and does not feed and give drink to the poor and embittered—this is not the joy of a mitzvah, but the joy of his stomach..."7

Permitted and Forbidden Activities

The Short Version:

Almost everything that is forbidden on Shabbat is forbidden on Yom Tov. Using electrical appliances, going to work, handling money, writing—are all forbidden. The major differences between the two are cooking and baking, lighting a fire from a pre-existing flame, and carrying in the public domain. All these are permitted – albeit with certain restrictions that will be outlined below – on Yom Tov.

The Long Version:

The laws of Yom Tov are almost the same as the laws of Shabbat—with one major exception: on Yom Tov it is permissible to do many activities necessary for food preparation. This includes activities that are prohibited on Shabbat such as kneading, baking, and cooking. In the words of the Torah: "No work shall be done on [Yom Tov], but what is eaten by any soul, that alone may be performed for you."8 Using electrical appliances is still forbidden for reasons that will be explained later on.

In addition, the sages taught that "since these labors are permissible for the purpose [of preparing food], they are also permissible for [other] purposes."

Thus lighting fires is (biblically) permissible, as is carrying in the public domain, even if these activities have nothing to do with food preparation—because these activities can also facilitate food preparation.

Exceptions:

While it is permissible to do activities even if the purpose is not food-preparation related, there still must be some constructive purpose. Thus, carrying, for example, if done for no reason, is forbidden. One wishing to take a baby for a walk in a stroller should check to make sure there is nothing unnecessary in the stroller's basket.
Food preparation is permissible only if the food is intended for that day—not for afterwards, not even for the next day of Yom Tov.9 Thus one must be careful to wait until nighttime before heating up food for the evening meal of the second night of Yom Tov.10 Nevertheless, it is permissible to prepare a large quantity with the intention of eating the leftovers on the following day—provided that all the food is being prepared and cooked in one utensil.
Similarly, carrying in the public domain is permitted only if it somehow conveys benefit for that day. It would be forbidden to carry a house key to the synagogue in the afternoon in order to be able to enter the house that night.
The sages forbade doing any activity on Yom Tov if it could have been done before Yom Tov—with no adverse affect on the quality of the food.11 Since most foods would lose freshness if prepared before Yom Tov, it is permitted to bake and cook most food items on Yom Tov. Examples of activities that can be done before Yom Tov without any adverse effects: making cheese or butter, chopping wood for a fire, cooking fruit preserves, trapping an animal for slaughter, fishing or sifting flour.
For this reason, we may only light a fire from a pre-existing flame.12 Kindling a new flame, by striking a match for example, is still forbidden13—it could be done before Yom Tov.14
Carrying in the public domain is an exception to this rule—it is permitted to carry something on Yom Tov even if it could have been done beforehand. This exception was put in place in order to increase the joy of Yom Tov, "untie the person's hands", and allow him to transport objects as he wishes.
While it is permitted to prepare food on Yom Tov, it is not permitted to prepare food implements. Thus, sharpening a knife on Yom Tov is not allowed. Such activity is only allowed if it was not possible to do so before Yom Tov (whether due to the fact that one was unaware that it needed to be done beforehand, or because of a situation that arose on Yom Tov itself).
The laws of Yom Tov are complex and detailed. The following covers only the more common applications of Yom Tov law.

Extinguishing Fire

Extinguishing a fire is forbidden.15 For this reason, it is permissible to turn the flame up but not down on the stove.16 On most electric stove-tops, raising the temperature "ignites" a current in an additional coil, which would be the equivalent of igniting a new flame, and therefore even raising the flame is prohibited. Modern-day halachic authorities debate whether it is permitted to lower the flame on the stove for the purpose of preventing the food from burning, or to allow it to cook properly. Most allow it, while others say that you should remove the food from the flame, light another burner and place the food upon it.

Muktzeh

Objects that may not be used on Shabbat are called "muktzeh." Such objects may not be handled or moved on Shabbat. Common examples are pens, wallets, candlesticks, and matches. The rules of muktzeh apply to Yom Tov as well, with the obvious exception of objects that serve a function that is forbidden on Shabbat but permitted on Yom Tov. Thus, transporting candlesticks, or even a lit candle, is forbidden on Shabbat but allowed on Yom Tov.

Electricity

Using electricity, whether turning a light or electrical appliance on or off, is forbidden.17

Hot Water

Heating water is a form of cooking. Using the hot water tap is prohibited on Shabbat because it causes cold water to enter the heating tank and become "cooked." On Yom Tov, it is permissible use the hot water tap to wash dishes, hands, or any other part of the body. Bathing or showering the entire body in hot water remains forbidden.

Squeezing

Squeezing fruit to extract their juice is forbidden on Yom Tov just as it is on Shabbat (see Food Preparation on Shabbat).18

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/cgi-bin/calendar?holiday=tishrei602

In addition to the prohibition of work, as on the Sabbath, there are five activities specifically prohibited on Yom Kippur:

* eating and drinking,
* anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions,
* marital relations,
* washing (for pleasure), and
* wearing leather shoes.

[muman613]

Basically it is not a 'violation of the fast' to smoke on Yom Kippur, but it is a violation of Yom Kippurs prohibitions.

[Israel Chai]

Uh.... Heck Yes...

Since Yom Kippur is a Yom Tov it has all the prohibitions of Shabbat {no lighting fires, no driving, no working, no carrying, etc.} besides the prohibitions special for this day {no bathing, no wearing leather, no intimate relations, no eating or drinking}...

So basically it is prohibited to smoke on Yom Kippur...

Ok well I'm working at a sales job tomorrow, so everyone better pray for me, because locked up only my walls suffer. I've taken quite a few shots to the head in my life, and I'm a control freak, and literally tried my best to get addicted to cigarettes when I was 14, so a single day and the kyokushin/American karate/judo/boxing/Tae-kwon-do comes out and works with my anger.

I know I said being Jewish was hard or something to the effect before, but the Kahane parashats are really making me want to try, “As a muddied fountain and a polluted spring, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Prov. 25:26) For all the good I try to do (and I just wrote a new article in a new magazine, hopefully this helps me save the world...) it's like focusing on getting more chickens because a fox is eating them. Surely, it is good to do good, but focusing on not being bad, would you say that is more important, if you already are?

[muman613]

Here is some information which may be helpful to put the coming day of Trembling into perspective:


http://www.torah.org/learning/rabbiwein/5768/yomkippur.html?print=1

Rabbi Wein
Yom Kippur
Uniquely Jewish

Yom Kippur is the most uniquely Jewish day of the calendar year. By this I mean that all of our other wonderful holidays have been copied, adapted and sometimes just plain co-opted by other faiths. New Year, freedom festivals, Pentecost, Easter, Mardi Gras, etc. are all well known in other faiths and celebrated in secular society as well. But a day of holiness, of abstinence, of spirituality, of communion with one’s self and one’s Creator, wholly devoted to lofty ideas and the realm of the spirit is to my knowledge unknown outside of Judaism.

Even though the Torah calls the prohibitions imposed upon us by the day of Yom Kippur, such as fasting, not washing, etc., as being “afflictions,” Rambam changes the whole tone of the matter in his wondrous work “Mishneh Torah.” There he entitles the section on Yom Kippur as being “Shevitat Assor” – the great day of rest that occurs on the tenth day of Tishrei. It is not so much that we are “afflicted” on the day of Yom Kippur as we are at rest for a day from all worldly needs such as eating, washing, etc.

Yom Kippur is not a day of pain and sadness, which are the hallmarks of Tisha B’av, but rather a day of serenity and inner yearning for the better part of us to assert itself. One of the great lessons of Yom Kippur is that inner serenity is achievable only by a degree of separation from the worldly pursuits that press constantly upon us. To truly live well in this world, one must always distance one’s self, no matter how slightly, from that very same world.

Another powerful but really very obvious lesson of Yom Kippur is the blessed consequences of the ability to repent and forgive. All of this is easier said than done. Personal hurts done to us by others leave deep and painful scars. So forgiveness, in the truest sense of the word, becomes painful and emotionally wrenching. Nevertheless, forgiving others is really the chief means at our disposal of cleansing our souls and our inner selves. It removes the corroding bitterness that changes for the worse our personalities and nature.

Brooding over past hurts only intensifies the pain that those hurts originally caused. Forgiveness allows one to move on in life and not dwell on past events and constantly relive pain and embarrassment. We are not “a turn the other cheek” people and there are certainly circumstances that do not warrant forgiveness. But in the main, forgiveness is a positive step in helping build our spiritual self and in ennobling our character.

Repentance is also a difficult concept to actualize. To say that “I was wrong” or that “I am truly sorry” are difficult words to get out of our mouths. And, paradoxically enough, these words are far easier to say to God, so to speak, than they are to a fellow human being. In fact, the closer we are to the person – a relative, a friend, partner, business associate, employer, employee – who was wronged by our words or deeds, the more difficult the apology becomes. Yet, God’s forgiveness of us, so to speak, hinges upon our ability to forgive others as well.

A person who is unforgiving and overly exacting in interpersonal relationships will be treated by Heaven in the same fashion. So Yom Kippur demands of us contriteness, a lowering of ego and a serenity of spirit that can encompass all around us as well.

Shabbat Shalom, Gmar Chatima Tova and an easy, restful and spiritually uplifting Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Berel Wein

[muman613]

Ok well I'm working at a sales job tomorrow, so everyone better pray for me, because locked up only my walls suffer. I've taken quite a few shots to the head in my life, and I'm a control freak, and literally tried my best to get addicted to cigarettes when I was 14, so a single day and the kyokushin/American karate/judo/boxing/Tae-kwon-do comes out and works with my anger.

I know I said being Jewish was hard or something to the effect before, but the Kahane parashats are really making me want to try, “As a muddied fountain and a polluted spring, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Prov. 25:26) For all the good I try to do (and I just wrote a new article in a new magazine, hopefully this helps me save the world...) it's like focusing on getting more chickens because a fox is eating them. Surely, it is good to do good, but focusing on not being bad, would you say that is more important, if you already are?

LKZ,

As long as you try hard and make progress you are doing good. You will not be able to do everything which is commanded right away, but do not be upset about it. Do your best, feel good about what you have accomplished, and strive to do better next time...

[Israel Chai]

Thanks dude, always you help me even though I do nothing really for you. I pray you that you be blessed.

[muman613]

Shalom LKZ,

I do what I do because I believe that all of us have the potential to be more than we think we can be. I appreciate your blessing...

Here is a description of how 'afflicting' ourselves makes us angelic...


http://www.images.ouradio.org/torah/article/the_abcs_of_yom_kippur#.UGFUOIrKmlg

ANGEL FOR A DAY

What are "angels?" Angels are completely spiritual beings, whose sole focus is to serve their Creator.

On Yom Kippur, every Jew becomes like an angel. As the Maharal of Prague explains:

"All of the mitzvot that G-d commanded us on [Yom Kippur] are designed to remove, as much as possible, a person's relationship to physicality, until he is completely like an angel."

Just as angels (so to speak) stand upright, so too we spend most of Yom Kippur standing in the synagogue. And just as angels (so to speak) wear white, so too we are accustomed to wear white on Yom Kippur. Just as angels do not eat or drink, so too, we do not eat or drink.

FIVE ASPECTS

There are five areas of physical involvement which we remove ourselves from on Yom Kippur. They are:


Eating and Drinking
Washing
Applying oils or lotions to the skin
Marital Relations
Wearing Leather Shoes

Throughout the year, many people spend their days focusing on almost nothing else besides food, sex, work, superficial material possessions (symbolized by shoes) and superficial pleasures (symbolized by anointing). On Yom Kippur, we restore our priorities to what really counts in life.

As Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writes:

"On Yom Kippur, the power of the evil inclination is muted. Therefore, one's yearning for spiritual elevation reasserts itself, after having lain dormant as a result of sin's deadening effect on the soul. This rejuvenation of purpose entitles a person to special consideration and forgiveness."

TESHUVA AND FORGIVENESS

Following the Golden Calf, Moses pleaded with G-d to forgive the people. Finally on Yom Kippur, atonement was achieved and Moses brought the second set of Tablets down from Mount Sinai.

From that day forward, every Yom Kippur has carried with it a special power to cleanse the mistakes of Jews (both individually and collectively) and to wipe the slate clean.

Though while Yom Kippur atones for transgressions against G-d, this does not include wrongs committed against other human beings. It is therefore the universal Jewish custom – some time before Yom Kippur -- to apologize and seek forgiveness from any friends, relative, or acquaintances whom we may have harmed or insulted over the past year.

THE FAST ITSELF

The Yom Kippur fast begins at sundown, and extends 25 hours until the following nightfall.

The afternoon before Yom Kippur, it is a special mitzvah to eat a festive meal.

As far as making your fast easier in general, try to pace your intake throughout the previous day by eating something every two hours. At the festive meal itself, eat a moderate portion of food so as not to speed up the digestion process. Also, don't drink any coffee or coke, because caffeine is a diuretic. Heavy coffee drinkers can also avoid the dreaded headache by slowly reducing the amount of coffee consumption over the week leading up to Yom Kippur.

After a meal we generally get thirstier, so when you complete the festive meal, leave some extra time before sundown to drink. Also, drinking lukewarm water with some sugar in it can help make you less thirsty during the fast.

IN CASE OF ILLNESS

If someone is ill, and a doctor is of the opinion that fasting might pose a life-danger, then the patient should eat or drink small amounts.

The patient should try to eat only about 60 cc., and wait nine minutes before eating again. Once nine minutes have passed, he can eat this small amount again, and so on throughout the day.

With drinking, he should try to drink less than what the Talmud calls "melo lugmav" -- the amount that would fill a person's puffed-out cheek. While this amount will vary from person to person, it is approximately 80 cc., and he should wait nine minutes before drinking again.

How does consuming small amounts make a difference? In Jewish law, an act of "eating" is defined as "consuming a certain quantity within a certain period of time." Otherwise, it's not eating, it's "nibbling" -- which although it's also prohibited on Yom Kippur, there is room to be lenient when one's health is at stake.

The reason for all these technicalities is because eating on Yom Kippur is regarded as one of the most serious prohibitions in the Torah. So while there are leniencies in certain situations, we still try to minimize it.

Note that eating and drinking are treated as independent acts, meaning that the patient can eat and drink together during those nine minutes, and the amounts are not combined.

Having said all this, if these small amounts prove insufficient, the patient may even eat and drink regularly. In such a case, a person does not say Kiddush before eating, but does recite "Grace After Meals," inserting the "ya'aleh veyavo" paragraph.

Now what about a case where the patient's opinion conflicts with that of the doctor? If the patient is certain he needs to eat to prevent a danger to health, then we rely on his word, even if the doctor disagrees. And in the opposite scenario -- if the patient refuses to eat despite doctors' warnings -- then we persuade the patient to eat, since it is possible that his judgment is impaired due to illness.

Wishing you an easy fast and a meaningful Yom Kippur!

[Israel Chai]

To you as well!