Relational tables

The seven primary fasts from התורה Ha-Tora and התלמוד Ha-Talmud

• The calendar has seven primary fast dates: יום הכיפורים Yom Ha-Kipurim (Yom Kippur) along with four associated with the destruction of בית המקדש Beit Ha-Mikdaş and two associated with the holidays פסח Pesaḥ and פורים Purim.

• יום הכיפורים Yom Ha-Kipurim

  • The most significant fast, it is a twenty five hour period with no food or water, and where no /melahot (labors) are allowed to be performed.

• ארבע תעניות Arba Táaniót

  • There are four fasts mentioned in התלמוד Ha-Talmud related to the two destructions of בית המקדש Beit Ha-Mikdaş (the Holy Temple). For this reason, they are also known as תעניות החורבן Táaniót Ha-Ḥurban (Fasts of the Destruction). The exact dates observed were connected to established fasts around these dates.

  • Zom Tamuz (17 Tamuz)

  • Tisa Be-Av (Av 09) — full twenty five hour fast

  • Zom Gedalia (Tisre 03)

  • Asara Be-Tevet (Tevet 10)

• Additional fasts

  • Taanit Bechorim

  • Taanit Ester

תענית צדיקים Táanit Ẓadikim (Fast of the Righteous)

• There are various lists describing a fast known as a תענית צדיקים táanit ẓadikim (fast of the righteous). The most authoritatative such list is from שלחן ארוך Şulḥan Aruḥ. Another authoraitative list is in הלכות גדולות Halaḥot Gedolot.

  • These lists are generally in agreement, but some dates that are present in one, are not present in another. In addition, some events are given for different dates. Although the events are more or less the same, other sources also have similar areas of overlap and of variation in the exact dates.

• The convention now is to call some or all of these lists of fast days מגילת תענית בתרא Megilat Táanit Batra (Later Scroll of Fasts). This label refers to several texts, so-called because they came to be understood as a kind of appendix to מגילת תענית Megilat Táanit. The first known list emerged in the fifth to sixth centuries ᴄᴇ, and today the list known from the שלחן ארוך Şulḥan Aruḥ is the most authoritative. However, even in שלחן ארוך Şulḥan Aruḥ it was emphasized that these fasts were no longer necessary to observe.

• The lists tend to have several features, notably that they ensure there is at least one fast per month. This may have had broader reasons for cultural development, especially with the rise of Christianity where fasting was very common.

• Fast of Miriam (Nisan 10)

• Fast of Aharon (Av 01)

• Fast of Moses (Adar 07)

• Fast of Yehoshua (Nisan 26)

• Fast of Samuel (Iyar 28)

תעניות ציבור Táanit Zibur (Community fasts)

• …

תענית יחיד Táanit yachid

• (one from Rambam)

מגילת תענית
Megilat Táanit
≝ Fasting Scroll

• מגילת תענית Megilat Táanit sets aside several dates to commemorate wheever a dispute had gone in favor of the Pharisees, the forefathers of modern יהדות Yahadut.

• א׳ בניסן Nisan 01 through ז׳ בניסן Nisan 07

• ח׳ בניסן Nisan 08 until the end of פסח Pesaḥ

• Nisan 24 is mentioned, but did not appear in the scroll itself.

• ד׳ בתמוז Tamuz 04 [or Tamuz 10??]

• כ״ד באב Av 24

• כ״ז בחשוון Ḥeşvan 27

• כ״ח בטבת Tevet 28

ספר זרבבל
Sefer Zerubavel

≝ Book of Zerubavel

• כ״ד בחשוון Ḥeşvan XXIV


  The first prophecy of Zerubavel.

• י״א באדר Adar XI

  Prophecy of Zerubavel.

• י״ד בניסן Nisan XIV

  The date that המשיח Ha-Maşiaḥ will arrive.

• כ״א בניסן Nisan XXI

  Resurrection of יהודים Yehudim who perished in ים סוף Yam Suf (the Red Sea).

• אייר Iyar

  The opponents of משה Moşe gather together.

• י״ח באייר Iyar XVIII
  
An earthquake strikes the world.

• ג׳ בסיוון Sivan III

  Resurrection of יהודים Yehudim who died in the desert.

• י״ח בסיוון Sivan XVIII
  An earthquake strikes ארץ ישראל Ereẓ Yisrael.

• תמוז Tamuz
  הר הזיתים Har Ha-Zeitim will split open and non-Jewish places of worship will collapse.

• אב Av
  The third of a series of battles between יהודים Yehudim and non-Jews in ארץ ישראל Ereẓ Yisrael, and victorious יהודים Yehudim will celebrate.

ד׳ש״ע ᴀᴍ 4370 (610 ᴄᴇ)

• Uprising at Antioch → אלול Elul

ד׳שע״ד ᴀᴍ 4374 (614 ᴄᴇ)

• Sassanian Empire begins siege of ירושלים Yeruşalayim → ל׳ בניסן Nisan XXX

• Sassanian Empire takes ירושלים Yeruşalayim → כ״א באייר Iyar XXI

ד׳שע״ה ᴀᴍ 4375 (615 ᴄᴇ)

• יהודים Yehudim defeated at Tyre → ט״ז באייר Iyar XVI

ד׳ש״צ ᴀᴍ 4390 (630 ᴄᴇ)

• Byzantine Empire returns, and massacres יהודים Yehudim → ב׳ בניסן Nisan II

עשרת הרוגי מלכות
Eseret Ha-Rugei Malḥut

≝ Ten Royal Martyrs

• כ״ה בסיוון Sivan 25

  • ר׳ שמעון בן גמליאל R. Şim'on Ben Gamliel

  • ר׳ ישמעאל בן אלישע כהן גדול R. Yishmael Ben Elisha, Kohen Gadol (high priest)

  • ר׳ חנינא סגן הכהנים R. Hanina, sigan ha-Kohanim (deputy of the priests)

• י׳ בתשר

  • ר׳ עקיבא R. Akiva