If the rain did not come as expected in the fall, on the seventeenth of Marcheshvan, special individuals begin to fast on Monday, Thursday and following Monday. They fast only since morning till evening, and they are allowed to bathe and to work. If at the beginning of Kislev, about two weeks later, there are still no rains, the Court decrees three fasts, now already for the community.
Who are those unique individuals? – These are the Sages, but for this purpose, anybody can deem himself a Sage since it only brings suffering for him, and not any honor. Furthermore, if one fasts expecting that his fasting will remove particular trouble, and the crisis indeed goes away, he still needs to complete his fast. One should not separate himself from the community in bad times, hoping that it will be good for him individually, but instead, suffer together with all – and then he will be privileged to see the deliverance.
In general, should one fast? Shmuel said he is called a “sinner,” but Rabbi Elazar said he is called “Holy.” Both base their opinion on the Nazirite, and there is no contradiction: it depends on the intention of the person and on whether he can study while fasting.
Art: The Fasting of St. Charles By Daniele Crespi
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