Fasting on Rosh Hashana?!

(8) They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading. (9) Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. (10) He further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in the LORD is the source of your strength.” (11) The Levites were quieting the people, saying, “Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.” (12) Then all the people went to eat and drink and send portions and make great merriment, for they understood the things they were told.

What do we do on Rosh Hashanah? We eat and drink and are merry, and it is forbidden to fast at all. Now, Rav Neturnai Gaon [Sura, 9th c.] wrote that we cannot sit and fast on the first day, since it is [a festival] from the Torah, but on the second day one may, since these ten days are different from all others, and our rabbis would sit and fast, even on Shabbat. But my father Abraham wrote that this is very odd... Better are the words of Rav Hay Gaon [Pumbedita, 939-1038] who wrote that it is better not to fast on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, since the early leaders of Israel said "Go, eat sweet food and drink sweet drinks... Also, Rabbi Isaac ibn Giat [Cordova, 1038-1089] wrote that these days are called days of repentance, not days of fasting! And the Talmud teaches this day is for sounding the shofar, not for fasting.

This is agreed upon and written by the Rosh, the Mordechi, the Hagahot Maimoniot, and Rabbeinu Nachshon brought several proofs for forbidding this... However, I have found in the book Sefer Aguda that nonetheless, one should not eat one's fill, so that one does not become light-headed, and the fear of God should remain... And it seems to me that those who do regularly fast on the second day and want to change their practice should come before a Beit Din and absolve their vow... since there is some validity to their practice. Also, I saw it written in the Book of Agur [Naples, d.1493] that there is an ancient tradition that anyone who fasts on Rosh Hashana and then changes their practice will die within a year... And [some say that] anyone who has a terrible dream on Rosh Hashana and fasts in order to cancel its effect, they should fast every year after that.

[Baghdad, 1870 - 1939]. I have seen it seen in the name of the Ritva [Seville, 1250-1330] that there are those who say that since Rosh Hashanah is the day of judgement, if one feels that they need to fast in order to repent, they absolutely may, even on Shabbat... this only applies to pious individuals, but others should not, since they would be mitigating the importance of the Rosh Hashana festival, and this is also the opinion of the rabbis of France. However, I disagree with this, and think that there are other opportunities that week to fast instead.... And even though the Maharshal's father [Poznań, 1510-1573] would not eat fish, and the Magid Mishneh [Catalan, 1283-1360] wrote not to eat meat and drink wine on Rosh Hashanah... nobody agrees with these opinions.

[Poland, 1635-1682] One who fasts doesn't need to be studying Torah throughout the day of Rosh Hashana, because through fasting they are already dedicated to God. And there is some pleasure in doing so, in the case of cancelling a bad dream... and those who fast are forbidden to cook for others.

There is a custom to fast on the eve of Rosh Hashana. The RAMA [Kraków, 1530-1572] adds: And those that are exacting are accustomed to fast every one of the ten days. And such is correct to do... If there is a circumcision on the eve of Rosh Hashana, one may eat. And according to the Maharil [Mainz, 1365-1427], most people, even if they fast, eat on the eve of Rosh Hashana before daybreak; because the non-Jews have a custom to fast on the eve of their holidays.

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What people are like the people of Israel? In the normal world, someone who knows they will be judged wears black clothes and is wrapped in black and lengthens their beard, because they do not know how their judgement will end. But the people of Israel are different. They wear white and wrap in white, and cut their hair nicely, and eat and drink and rejoice, knowing that the Holy One will perform miracles for them.

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Avinu Malkeinu, make this hour an hour of mercy and a time of acceptance before you!

I will hint at some secrets to you. Pay attention. Perhaps you will understand them.

The day of Rosh Ha-Shanah is therefore greater than all of them. Now, even though it is the Day of Judgment it is prohibited to fast on it. The Book of Ezra shows that this is the case.