Top Rabbi Warns Against Fasting on Yom Kippur if Health is at Risk

The Chief Rabbi of Yerucham, Rabbi Yitzchak Shilo, has issued a special directive ahead of Yom Kippur, urging individuals with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, and nursing mothers to consult with both a doctor and a rabbi knowledgeable in fasting laws before deciding to fast. He emphasized that compromising health for the sake of fasting is forbidden.

"Yom Kippur is approaching. It is a holy day," Rabbi Shilo stated. He explained that while healthy individuals are commanded to fast, those whose health could be endangered by fasting are religiously obligated not to. He issued a stern warning: "Whoever is forbidden to fast and chooses to fast anyway is like a murderer who sheds blood... He is not performing a mitzvah but committing a sin. He is not desired by God but is an abomination."

The rabbi called on anyone with health concerns to seek professional advice in advance, rather than waiting until Yom Kippur itself. "All people whose health is a concern must ask a doctor about their permission to fast on Yom Kippur and consult a prominent rabbi knowledgeable in these laws to receive instructions on how they should act."

Rabbi Shilo also addressed the possibility of consuming small amounts of food or drink during the fast, depending on the individual's condition and rabbinical guidance. He noted that in some cases, minimal consumption is permitted and even considered part of maintaining the fast, advising against unnecessary stringency. However, he stressed that individuals should not make these decisions independently, whether to permit or restrict, but must consult both medical and rabbinical authorities. He also clarified that even those permitted to eat or drink are still bound by the other prohibitions of Yom Kippur, such as refraining from work.