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Siman 617 – Individuals Who are Not Required to Fast

These notes are intended solely to aid in the learning process and should not be considered authoritative halachic conclusions
Please do not rely on these notes l’maaseh

וChelek 6

  1. In general, pregnant and nursing women must complete the fast on Yom Kippur. (ShA )
  1. A nursing woman does not fast if she has an infant who will be in danger because of it. (BeH “ubaros”)
  1. Any healthy person that feels that he will be in danger if he doesn’t eat, may take the food himself and eat it – whether Yom Kippur or any other issur. The following halachos in siman 617 – 618 are for people potentially feeding those that require food. (MB )
  1. A pregnant woman or any person who smells food which causes a craving that changes the appearance of his/her face is in danger. Follow the following steps. If the earlier one calms the person do not go on to the next step. 1. Whisper into his/her ear that today is Yom Kippur.
    1. Drip some drops of the gravy into his/her mouth.
    2. Give smaller-than-the-shiur quantities of gravy to eat.
    3. Give smaller-that-the-shiur quantities of the (e.g.) meat itself to eat. (ShA , – MB , )
  1. A Yoleddes is in danger from the onset of labour until 72 hours after birth and should be fed. Some are machmir to feed her in smaller-than-the-shiur quantities. (ShA – MB , , )
  1. A miscarriage causes the status of a yoleddes. (BeH “yoleddes”)
  1. From after 72 hours until 7 complete days, she will not fast unless other women or a doctor claims that she can fast and she herself does not know if she needs to eat or not (or she keeps quiet). (MB , )
  1. After 7 days a yoleddes has a status of healthy and therefore should not be given food even if she claims that she needs it as a result of her giving birth. But if she claims that she is ill, and because of her illness she needs food, we feed her like any other choleh – see upcoming siman.. (Sha4 – MB )