The Fast of Behav (תענית בה"ב) refers to a tradition of

Ashkenazic Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

Jews to fast on the Monday, Thursday, and then following Monday after the holidays of

Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tishre ...

and

Pesach Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...

. While today very few people fast, many Ashkenazic communities recite the

Selichot Selichot ( he, סְלִיחוֹת, səlīḥōt, singular: , ''səlīḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy ar ...

for these days. Practically, the fasts are observed in the months of

Cheshvan Marcheshvan ( he, מַרְחֶשְׁוָן, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ; from Akkadian language, Akkadian , literally, 'eighth month'), sometimes shortened to Cheshvan (, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew ...

and

Iyar Iyar ( he, אִייָר or , Standard ''ʾĪyyar'' Tiberian ''ʾĪyyār''; from akk, 𒌗 𒄞 itiayari " rosette; blossom") is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the second month of the Jewish religious year (w ...

, so as not to fast in the happy months of

Tishrei Tishrei () or Tishri (; he, ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year ...

and

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...

Source and practices

The Masekhet Soferim (Chapter 21) says that there were "students" who fasted on a Monday, Thursday, and following Monday in the month of

. However, it is clear that this was a private practice which was not publicized. The Tur cites the custom of Ashkenazic and French Jewry to fast in

and

. In later generations, this custom spread to some Sephardic communities.Kneset Hagedola
492
/ref> Some explain that the reason for the fasts is in case one sinned over the long

holidays, and others say that it should be for an atonement before the raining and harvest seasons. The days of Monday and Thursday were chosen because they are considered days of extra mercy from Heaven. According to the

Mishnah Berurah The ''Mishnah Berurah'' ( he, משנה ברורה "Clear Teaching") is a work of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (Poland, 1838–1933, also known as ''Chofetz Chaim''). It is a commentary on ''Orach Chayim'', the first section ...

(492:3), the fasts should always be on the first Monday, Thursday, and following Monday, following the first Sabbath in

and

. However, some communities have the custom to delay the fasts in

until the end of the month. Since

Shavuot (''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'') , nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks" , observedby = Jews and Samaritans , type = Jewish and Samaritan , begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan i ...

is only one day (or two days in the Diaspora), there is less of a concern that one sinned, and there was no widespread custom to fast after Shavuot. Nevertheless, there have been individuals who fasted on a Monday, Thursday and Monday after Shavuot. Traditionally, on the Sabbath preceding these fasts, a special

Mi Shebeirach A is a Jewish prayer used to request a blessing from God. Dating to the 10th or 11th century CE, prayers are used for a wide variety of purposes. In contemporary Judaism, a serves as the main prayer of healing, particularly among liberal Je ...

is recited for those who intend to fast. Most communities recite this Mi Shebeirach before returning the Sefer Torah to the

Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...

, but some (generally Western European communities) add it as an additional line to the Mi Shebeirach recited for the community (after

Yekum Purkan Yekum Purkan (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: יְקוּם פֻּרְקָן, lit. “may deliverance arise” or “may salvation arise”), is the name of two Aramaic prayers recited in the Ashkenazi Jewish liturgy immediately after the public reading o ...

). One who responds "Amen" to this blessing does not need to accept the fast upon oneself at the

Mincha Mincha ( he, מִנחַה, pronounced as ; sometimes spelled ''Minchah'' or ''Minḥa'') is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. Etymology The name ''Mincha'', meaning "present", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrif ...

of the proceeding day. While today few people fast, there are many communities which recite the special

prayers on the mornings of these fasts.They can be found on page 816 of the Artscroll Siddur. A reminder also sometime appeared in an advertisement in the Yiddish Forward, se
October 10, 1950

External Links

*Rabbi Ari Enkin
The Fast of Behab
on OUTorah.

References

{{Reflist Hebrew names of Jewish holy days Jewish fast days