Asara B’Teives - Fasting Into Shabbos

QUESTION: This year the fast of Asara B’Teives will be on Friday. Must we fast until tzeis ha’kochavim (night fall when stars are visible), or should we make Kiddush early to avoid fasting on Shabbos?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Eiruvin 41a) relates that one year, Tisha B’Av fell out on Friday (this can no longer happen, due to our set calendar). Late in the afternoon, they brought Rebbi Akiva an egg and he ate it, to show his students that one may not enter Shabbos in a state of fasting. Rebbi Yossi said that one completes the fast. The Gemara concludes that the Halacha follows the ruling of Rebbi Yossi.

However, there is a disagreement among Rishonim as to the meaning of Rebbi Yossi’s words. The Mordechai (Eiruvin 41a) cites the opinion of the R”I, that Rebbi Yossi also agrees that one may end the fast early. His argument was only that he holds that one is permitted to continue fasting into the night even though it is Shabbos. Yet, if one wants to break the fast early, it is permissible to do so. However, many Rishonim (including the Tosfos Shantz, Rashba, Ritva and Ran) explain that Rebbi Yossi requires finishing the fast even though it is Shabbos. This is also the ruling of Shulchan Aruch (OC 249:4). The Rema however differentiates between a public fast and a private fast. On a public fast such as Asara B’Teives one must complete the fast until tzeis ha’kochavim. However, regarding a private fast, one may break the fast after being mekabel Shabbos (accepting Shabbos), which takes place during maariv, even if one makes early Shabbos.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.