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Careful and prepare for Yom Kippur

Have you ever done a water fast before?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 80.0%

  • no

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Total voters
    10
IshChayil

IshChayil

Seasoned Member
Real Person*
Male
Yom Kippur starts friday night just before sundown; this is a full fast, meaning no food or liquid, no water, etc.

Please be careful if this is your first year; make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day BEFORE the fast since water is not allowed on this fast.
Since you'll be doing no water Friday night and Saturday until night time, it's important important to remember to hydrate the day before.
Best not to glug a lot at the last minute before dark but let your body absorb it throughout the day.
young children, elderly, and sick / pregnant and some nursing moms are exempt from the fast.

my doctor wife is bugging me about this today so I figured it's worth sharing for everyone.
I'm sure most here are used to fasting, but fasting from all liquids is a bit hard to get used to if you aren't used to it Sundown to Sundown.

May Abba grant you an easy fast and let's reflect on His precious blood this Yom Kippur!
Gut Yontif! G'mar Hatima Tova b'5778
 
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So I was just reading the scripture on this last night since windblown is nursing I was looking to see if this fast is universal or one of those things that only applies to men.

I was very shocked and more than a little angry to realize that no fast is commanded. We're told to afflict our souls. I'm very willing to allow that a complete fast is a great way to afflict yourself but it isn't a command that I can see. Am I missing something?

I am going to fast everything but possibly some water. I will allow windblown a partial fast and the kids will be restricted to water and plain food but it seems to me that I need to figure out what afflicting my soul means.
 
ZecAustin said:
So I was just reading the scripture on this last night since windblown is nursing I was looking to see if this fast is universal or one of those things that only applies to men.

I was very shocked and more than a little angry to realize that no fast is commanded. We're told to afflict our souls. I'm very willing to allow that a complete fast is a great way to afflict yourself but it isn't a command that I can see. Am I missing something?

I am going to fast everything but possibly some water. I will allow windblown a partial fast and the kids will be restricted to water and plain food but it seems to me that I need to figure out what afflicting my soul means.
Click to expand...
I think you were "shocked and angry" because you started with the Jewish tradition and then looked for it in scripture, rather than starting with scripture and then looking at the tradition to give further suggestions on the practicalities. There is no fast commanded - however a fast is the most obvious way to implement the scripture.

As far as I can see in my concordance-reading (@IshChayil can correct my understanding of the language where needed), we are to afflict our nephesh - ie our physical living body (the English translation of "soul" makes it confusing, making it sound more intangible when the Hebrew is very physical). The word "afflict" appears to have both the more obvious meaning of harshly treat, and be also associated with a root meaning to closely examine. So I take it to mean we are to spend this day deliberately avoiding anything that would give us physical pleasure, and rather carefully examining ourselves to determine where we may be in sin and may need forgiveness and improvement.

Avoiding physical pleasure therefore most obviously includes avoiding food and sex, and could include other things also (anything that would distract you from self-examination and God). However the scripture does not include any firm rules on what this may involve. Jewish tradition includes the practices outlined above by @IshChayil, which are a completely valid interpretation of how to observe this - but not necessarily the only way.

Our situation is similar. Sarah is nursing, and I have many young children who really can't practically fast for a day. So I fasted for the full day (food only, I don't see a need to fast from water, dehydration would get in the way of scriptural study), the older kids skipped breakfast and were then allowed to choose for themselves how long through the day they would keep it up (a fast is not sincerely done for God if it is forced). Sarah and the younger children ate very simple food that would not be especially enjoyable, just something to ensure we didn't have anyone fainting, or crying all day and getting in the way of the scriptural study and prayer that we really wanted to focus on.

Hopefully those ideas are useful for someone.
 
ZecAustin said:
So I was just reading the scripture on this last night since windblown is nursing I was looking to see if this fast is universal or one of those things that only applies to men.

I was very shocked and more than a little angry to realize that no fast is commanded. We're told to afflict our souls. I'm very willing to allow that a complete fast is a great way to afflict yourself but it isn't a command that I can see. Am I missing something?

I am going to fast everything but possibly some water. I will allow windblown a partial fast and the kids will be restricted to water and plain food but it seems to me that I need to figure out what afflicting my soul means.
Click to expand...

Isaiah 58 is the Yom kippur chapter.
 
FollowingHim said:
I think you were "shocked and angry" because you started with the Jewish tradition and then looked for it in scripture, rather than starting with scripture and then looking at the tradition to give further suggestions on the practicalities. There is no fast commanded - however a fast is the most obvious way to implement the scripture.

As far as I can see in my concordance-reading (@IshChayil can correct my understanding of the language where needed), we are to afflict our nephesh - ie our physical living body (the English translation of "soul" makes it confusing, making it sound more intangible when the Hebrew is very physical). The word "afflict" appears to have both the more obvious meaning of harshly treat, and be also associated with a root meaning to closely examine. So I take it to mean we are to spend this day deliberately avoiding anything that would give us physical pleasure, and rather carefully examining ourselves to determine where we may be in sin and may need forgiveness and improvement.

Avoiding physical pleasure therefore most obviously includes avoiding food and sex, and could include other things also (anything that would distract you from self-examination and God). However the scripture does not include any firm rules on what this may involve. Jewish tradition includes the practices outlined above by @IshChayil, which are a completely valid interpretation of how to observe this - but not necessarily the only way.

Our situation is similar. Sarah is nursing, and I have many young children who really can't practically fast for a day. So I fasted for the full day (food only, I don't see a need to fast from water, dehydration would get in the way of scriptural study), the older kids skipped breakfast and were then allowed to choose for themselves how long through the day they would keep it up (a fast is not sincerely done for God if it is forced). Sarah and the younger children ate very simple food that would not be especially enjoyable, just something to ensure we didn't have anyone fainting, or crying all day and getting in the way of the scriptural study and prayer that we really wanted to focus on.

Hopefully those ideas are useful for someone.
Click to expand...
It was interesting reading your post because it follows almost exactly the gemara (Rabbinical commentary on the mishnah)!
Yes, I sometimes translate "nefesh" as "life force" to make it clear to folks it's not really what we think of as "soul" in english; so exactly as you render the question: "How does one afflict his life force"?
The sages agree with you that we should deprive ourselves of pleasure. There's even a disagreement in the gemara between 2 sages; 1 says you can not sit on wet clay because it will cool your body and that's a comfort; the other says you can sit on wet clay if the measure of moisture is not such that it will leave water on you. There are various discussions in the talmud about bathing / washing / etc. but it invariably comes down to exactly as you surmised "does this bring pleasure to my body .. ie. my life force".

I think the rationale behind forbidding water goes something like this: there are several fast days throughout the year and this day is to be holier therefore afflict the soul more!!! no soup/water for you! I think you could make a pretty strong argument that 1 day without food is not much of an affliction, but since 3 days without water certainly brings death, 1 day is certainly an affliction of the "life force". For me it's kind of neat to know also that Jews all over the world are suffering in like manner asking forgiveness for the nation.

I did similarly to you for my young daughter; no super yummy food. Usually shabbat is the day she gets sweets and such so I explained "this is a shabbaton" so Adonai wants us to think how we've been bad and want to be better. One of my wives was going to faint in the last hour of the fast so she ate (she's breast feeding). I think it makes sense to use good judgement.
Sorry @ZecAustin I banged out this post fast as we were prepping; I should have mentioned this is the Jewish interpretation of "inuy nefesh" (afflicting the life force). Also to be fair, we know that Jews have been observing a no water fast at least for a few centuries before the birth of Yeshua.

For grafted-in folks/tribeless Israelites it makes sense to me to determine what you think is an affliction for you; let the ruach guide.
Maybe next year I'll hammer my hand to a wall :p
 
Ohhhh snap...

Zec be all like, "Am I missing something?"

Then Sir Veritas be all like, ...

"'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭3-4‬ ESV)
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭13-14‬ ESV)

#epicmicdrop
 
Well I ended up doing the complete fast, no food no water. It's not really that hard. I secluded myself away from everyone most of the day. If it hadn't been for my caffeine withdrawals it wouldn't gave been bad at all. Thankfully the heat broke. Just yesterday it was 90 and things would have been very different (we don't air condition).

So like most things, now that it's over I'm glad I did it. I'm not sure how much I afflicted my life force. I tried to focus on my sin nature and need for a savior but mostly I just slept which probably defeated the purpose a little.

There was an eruption of opposition on Friday night though that pretty much convinced me that I was at least moving in the right direction.
 
rustywest4 said:
Ohhhh snap...

Zec be all like, "Am I missing something?"

Then Sir Veritas be all like, ...

"'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭3-4‬ ESV)
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭13-14‬ ESV)

#epicmicdrop
Click to expand...

Oh, my! You give me way too much credit Rusty! Just trying to help out.
 
I get mildly hypoglycemic and find that fasting is great torture.
I made it all day while drinking water. Other family members did better.
 
Hey guys, if any of you did the water fast for the first time, be sure to update your poll vote!
(not disparaging anyone who didn't feel the need to go that far...I'm just interested)
 
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