The minor fasts: Gedaliah, 10 Tevet, Esther and 17 Tammuz צוֹמוֹת

The prophet Zechariah mentions the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. The Talmud explains them: on the 17th of Tammuz the walls of Jerusalem were breached; on the 9th of Av the Temple was destroyed; on the 3rd of Tishrei Gedaliah ben Achikam, the last Jewish governor after the destruction, was murdered; and on the 10th of Tevet the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began. The Fast of Esther, on the 13th of Adar, recalls the fast of the Jews of Shushan before Esther went to the king.

The purpose of these days, writes the Rambam, is to awaken the heart to repentance by remembering the past. Zechariah’s promise that they will one day become days of joy gives them a note of hope.

• Ashkenazim read a haftarah at Minchah on fast days; Sephardim generally do not, except on Tisha B’Av.
• The Three Weeks of mourning begin on the 17th of Tammuz, with different customs among Sephardim and Ashkenazim (see Tisha B’Av).
• In Israel, the 10th of Tevet is also the general memorial day (Yom HaKaddish HaKlali) for victims of the Holocaust whose date of death is unknown.

Dates follow the Diaspora schedule. Jewish days begin at sundown: a holiday starts in the evening before its first day and ends at nightfall.

Israel and the Diaspora

The minor fasts fall on the same days in Israel and the Diaspora.

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Candle-lighting and havdalah times for Shabbat and Yom Tov in 94 cities, computed for your location: Shabbat & holiday candle-lighting times

Jewish holidays 2026

• Tzom Kal (צום קל) – “An easy fast”.

When does a minor fast begin and end?

At dawn (about 72 or 90 minutes before sunrise, according to custom) and at nightfall. The exact times depend on your city.

Can I brush my teeth on a minor fast?

Many authorities allow brushing without toothpaste and without swallowing water; customs vary, so ask your rabbi.

Who does not need to fast?

Pregnant and nursing women, people who are ill, and children. Anyone for whom the fast is difficult for health reasons should ask a rabbi.

Why is the 10th of Tevet fasted even on Friday?

The 10th of Tevet can fall on a Friday, and unlike the other fasts it is then observed on Friday itself, because the Book of Ezekiel speaks of “this very day”.

Is the Fast of Esther a fast of mourning?

No. It recalls the fast of Esther and the Jews of Shushan before the Purim miracle, and it leads into the joy of Purim.

• Zechariah 8:19

  כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת צוֹם הָרְבִיעִי וְצוֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי וְצוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְצוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה וּלְמֹעֲדִים טוֹבִים וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַשָּׁלוֹם אֱהָבוּ

  The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become days of joy – the source of the fasts of mourning.

• Esther 4:16

  לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּשׁוּשָׁן וְצוּמוּ עָלַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְלוּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים לַיְלָה וָיוֹם גַּם־אֲנִי וְנַעֲרֹתַי אָצוּם כֵּן וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־כַדָּת וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי

  Esther asks the Jews of Shushan to fast for her – recalled by the Fast of Esther.

• Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 18b

  What happened on each of the four fast days.

• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 549–550, 686

  The laws of the public fasts and of the Fast of Esther.

Hebrew verses: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) via the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. The explanations on this page are our own, not translations.

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For learning and general information only. Customs differ between communities; for halachic questions ask your rabbi.