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Jewish Fasting Practices and Traditions Explained

Fasting in Jewish tradition, as recorded in the Old Testament, was primarily a practice of self-affliction and humility before God, with various occasions and purposes [4]. The Mosaic Law explicitly mandated only one annual fast: the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) [1, 3]. This fast required Israelites to "afflict their souls" from the evening of the ninth day until the evening of the tenth day of the seventh month, abstaining from food and work [7]. This day is referred to simply as "the fast" in the New Testament [3].

Beyond this single Mosaic requirement, other fasts developed over time. During the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish people instituted four additional annual fasts, as indicated in Zechariah 7:1-7 and 8:19 [1, 3]. These fasts commemorated significant events related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple [3]:

These fasts were observed to express national humiliation and to seek divine favor, often accompanied by the blowing of trumpets in times of public danger [1].

In addition to these prescribed fasts, individuals and communities would undertake voluntary fasts for various reasons. These included:

Fasting was often accompanied by prayer and confession of sin [4]. Ezra 8:23 describes a fast proclaimed to seek God's protection for a journey, stating, "So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty" [4]. Daniel 9:3 also shows Daniel seeking God through prayer and fasting [4].

By the time of Jesus, pious Jews had expanded their fasting practices beyond the Mosaic requirement. Many observed fasts twice a week, typically on Mondays and Thursdays [8, 9]. This practice is reflected in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, where the Pharisee boasts, "I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get" (Luke 18:12) [8]. While this was a sign of piety, Jesus critiqued the outward display of fasting, instructing his followers to fast in secret, anointing their heads and washing their faces so that their fasting would be known only to God [12, Matthew 6:16-18].

The prophets, particularly Isaiah, emphasized that true fasting was not merely an outward act of self-deprivation but an inward transformation leading to justice and compassion [6, 12]. Isaiah 58:6-7 describes the fast that God desires: "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" [6]. This passage highlights that genuine fasting should create an "awareness of injustice and oppression" and motivate individuals to help the needy [6]. The people in Isaiah's time were criticized for fasting while continuing in their sins, focusing on pleasing themselves rather than God [12].

Fasting, therefore, was not considered a means of righteousness in itself, but rather a "spiritual discipline for cultivating intimacy with God" [5]. It was a time for self-deprivation to focus on God and to please Him [12]. However, the spirit of fasting, as explained in Isaiah 58:6-7, was also about social justice and caring for the vulnerable [6]. The emphasis was on the internal disposition and the resulting actions, rather than the mere physical act of abstaining from food [11].

Sources

  1. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Fasts — + One fast only was appointed by the Mosaic law, that on the day of atonement. There is no mention of any other periodical fast in the Old Testament except in (Zechariah 7:1-7; 8:19) From these passages it appears that the Jews, during their captivity, observed four annual fasts,--in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. + Public fasts were occasionally proclaimed to express national humiliation and to supplicate divine favor. In the case of public danger the proclamation appears to have been accompanied with the blowing of trumpets. (Joel 2:1-15) (See ”
  2. Esther ““Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” -- Esther 4:16”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fast — The sole fast required by the law of Moses was that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Lev. 23:26-32. It is called "the fast" (Acts 27:9). The only other mention of a periodical fast in the Old Testament is in Zech. 7:1-7; 8:19, from which it appears that during their captivity the Jews observed four annual fasts. (1.) The fast of the fourth month, kept on the seventeenth day of Tammuz, the anniversary of the capture of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; to commemorate also the incident recorded Ex. 32:19. (Comp. Jer. 52:6, 7.) (2.) The fast of the fifth month, ke”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fasting — Spirit of, explained -- Isa 58:6,7. Not to be made a subject of display -- Mt 6:16-18. Should be to God -- Zec 7:5; Mt 6:18. For the chastening of the soul -- Ps 69:10. For the humbling of the soul -- Ps 35:13. Observed on occasions of Judgments of God. -- Joe 1:14; 2:12. Public calamities. -- 2Sa 1:12. Afflictions of the Church. -- Lu 5:33-35. Afflictions of others. -- Ps 35:13; Da 6:18. Private afflictions. -- 2Sa 12:16. Approaching danger. -- Es 4:16. Ordination of ministers. -- Ac 13:3; 14:23. Accompanied by Prayer. -- Ezr 8:23; Da 9:3. Confession of si”
  5. Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 5:33: 5:33 John the Baptist’s disciples: Most rabbis had students who learned from them and served them (see also Acts 19:1-7). • fast and pray regularly: Many pious Jews fasted two days a week (Luke 18:12). Fasting was associated with spiritual preparation (Esth 4:16) and repentance (2 Sam 12:22; Joel 1:14; Jon 3:5). Fasting is not a means of righteousness (Isa 58:4-5; Jer 14:12) but a spiritual discipline for cultivating intimacy with God. Fasting is often linked with prayer and spiritual retreat. • Why are your disciples always eating and drinking? The point was that t”
  6. Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 58:6: 58:6-7 True fasting creates an awareness of injustice and oppression and prompts the practitioner to reach out to help the needy in their struggles (see 42:7; Matt 25:35-36; Jas 1:27).”
  7. Leviticus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Leviticus 16:29: General directions for the yearly celebration of the day of atonement. - It was to be kept on the tenth day of the seventh month, as an "everlasting statute" (see at Exo 12:14). On that day the Israelites were to "afflict their souls," i.e., to fast, according to Lev 23:32, from the evening of the 9th till the evening of the 10th day. Every kind of work was to be suspended as on the Sabbath (Exo 20:10), by both natives and foreigners (see Exo 12:49), because this day was a high Sabbath (Exo 31:15). Both fasting and sabbatical rest are enjoined again in Lev ”
  8. Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 18:12: 18:12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income: Fasting and tithing were signs of piety in Judaism. The law required fasting only once a year (Lev 16:29-31), but pious Jews in Jesus’ day fasted twice a week (see also Luke 5:33; 11:41-42).”
  9. Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 18:12: I fast twice in the week,.... Not "on the sabbath", as the words may be literally rendered, and as they are in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; for the sabbath was not a fasting, but a feasting day with the Jews; for they were obliged to eat three meals, or feasts, on a sabbath day, one in the morning, another at evening, and another at the time of the meat offering: even the poorest man in Israel, who was maintained by alms, was obliged to keep these three feasts (f). It was forbidden a man to fast, until the sixth hour, on a sabbath day; that is, till noon (g”
  10. Esther (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Esther 4:15: This pressing monition produced its result. Esther returned answer to Mordochai: "Go, gather together all the Jews that are found in Susa, and fast ye for me: I also and my maidens will fast; and so will I go to the king against the law; and if I perish, I perish." Esther resolves to go to the king unsummoned, but begs Mordochai and all the Jews to unite in a three days' fast, during which she and her maidens will also fast, to seek by earnest humiliation God's gracious assistance in the step she proposes to take, for the purpose of averting the threatened dest”
  11. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 6:17: But thou, when thou fastest,.... Christ allows of fasting, but what is of a quite different kind from that of the Jews; which lay not in an outward abstinence from food, and other conveniences of life, and refreshments of nature; but in an abstinence from sin, in acknowledgment and confession of it; and in the exercise of faith and hope in God, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin; wherefore cheerfulness, and a free use of the creatures, without an abuse of them, best became such persons. Anoint thine head, and wash thy face; directly contrary to the ”
  12. Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 58:3: 58:3 Fasting should be a time of self-deprivation in order to focus on God and pleasing him (Lev 16:29; see Zech 7:5). However, these people were only interested in pleasing themselves and continuing in their sins.”
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