604 - תרד סדר ערב יום כיפור ובו ז' סעיפים

604 - Order of Erev Yom Kippur - 7 Subsections

1 "And you shall afflict your souls on the ninth of the month," etc. (Vayikra 23:32). And do they fast on the ninth?! Is it not that they fast only on the tenth?

For it is said: "On the tenth of the month you shall afflict your souls" (Vayikra 16:29). And it is said: "from evening to evening," etc. (Vayikra 23:32)?

Rather, the meaning of the verse is — prepare yourselves on the ninth for the affliction of the tenth. That you should eat and drink on the ninth so that you will be able to fast on the tenth.

And this is from the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Israel. That He commanded them to fast only one day in the year. And for their benefit, to atone for their sins. And He commanded them to eat and drink first, so that the affliction should not harm them.

And why did Scripture express the eating in the language of affliction, and not say explicitly that they should eat and drink on the ninth?

To tell you: that one who eats and drinks on the ninth, Scripture regards him as though he had fasted on it on account of the commandment of the Holy One, blessed be He, who commanded to fast on it.

For the reward of one who eats and drinks on account of the commandment of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the reward of one who fasts on account of the commandment of the Holy One, blessed be He.

But this one who eats and drinks on the ninth — his reward is very great, as though he had fasted (on the ninth and on the tenth), on account of the commandment of the Holy One, blessed be He, who commanded to fast (on both of them).

For since Yom Kippur itself cannot be honored with food and drink, in the manner that other Yamim Tovim are honored — it must be honored on the day before it.

Therefore, it is forbidden to fast on it, even a ta'anis chalom. Even though it is permitted to fast a ta'anis chalom even on Shabbos and Yom Tov — nevertheless, on erev Yom Kippur, where the eating is considered like affliction, as explained — one should not fast on it. Rather he should eat and drink, and it will be reckoned for him as though he had fasted over his dream.

Nevertheless, one who wishes to fast over his dream until the seudah hamafsekes — one should not protest against him.

Because erev Yom Kippur is not like Shabbos, about which it is said: "And you shall call the Shabbos a delight" (Yeshayahu 58:13). And therefore it is forbidden to fast on it even one hour for the sake of a fast — if it is not a ta'anis chalom. As is written in siman 288.

But on erev Yom Kippur, about which "delight" was not said, but rather that it is a mitzvah to eat on it. And if he ate once during the day — he has fulfilled his obligation.

2 And if he transgressed and erred and fasted the whole day — he must fast another fast after Yom Kippur — to atone for what he fasted on erev Yom Kippur.

But if he fasted only until the seudah hamafsekes — he need not fast after Yom Kippur.

3 If he vowed to fast on it — see siman 570.

4 Even though by law erev Yom Kippur is permitted in eulogizing, since it is not a Yom Tov at all, and it has no distinction other than that it is a mitzvah to eat on it — nevertheless, the practice is to make it a Yom Tov. And we do not eulogize on it, except for a scholar in his presence. Or on the day that the report of his death arrived, which is like in his presence. As is written in siman 547. See there.

And likewise, we do not say "Tziduk HaDin" except for a scholar in his presence.

And likewise, we do not say tachanun on it.

And also we do not say many selichos before dawn as on other days.

And there are places that practice to increase in selichos. Because they consider it a Yom Tov only from dawn onward, but not at night. And it all follows the custom.

5 One who practices not to eat meat on all weekdays except on a day on which tachanun is not said — it is permitted for him to eat meat even on the night of erev Yom Kippur, and all the more so during the day.

In what case is this said? In places where they do not say many selichos at night, for they consider the night also a Yom Tov. But in places where they increase in selichos, who do not consider the night a Yom Tov — one should not eat meat at night.

And even in places where they do not increase in selichos on it — he should not eat meat before the emergence of the stars of the night of erev Yom Kippur, even though he prayed Maariv while it was still day. Because they consider it a Yom Tov only from actual night. For behold they say tachanun after the Mincha prayer of the 8th of Tishrei.

And on other days on which tachanun is not said, we do not say tachanun even at the Mincha before them.

From this it follows that erev Yom Kippur is regarded as a Yom Tov only from the emergence of the stars onward.

6 We do not say: "Lamnatzeach Ya'ancha," etc. (Tehillim chapter 20). Because it is not a day of distress.

And we do not say on it: "Mizmor L'Todah," for the reason explained in siman 51. See there.

7 We do not say on it: "Avinu Malkeinu." Neither at the Shacharis prayer nor at Mincha.

And there are places that practice, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos — when we do not say "Avinu Malkeinu" on it, as will be explained in siman 619 — then they say it on erev Yom Kippur at Shacharis.