Gifts on the Fast of Esther
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
go to original →
Question
Is it permissible to send gifts on the Fast of Esther?
Answer
Hello,
There is no issue with giving a gift on the Fast of Esther.
In other fasts, it is also not prohibited, but it does not fit the mourning aspect of a fast day. However, on the Fast of Esther, there is no 'mourning' at all; rather, it is a day of prayer and salvation.
[I answered based on my understanding that the question pertains to giving a gift on a fast day, considering the mourning aspect. If the question is about something else, please send it again].
Source
Mishnah Berurah, Siman 686, S"K 2
They fast on the 13th of Adar because in the days of Mordechai and Esther, they gathered on the 13th of Adar to fight and defend themselves, and they needed to pray and plead for God's help to avenge their enemies. We find that on the day of battle, they fasted, as our sages said that Moses on the day he fought with Amalek fasted, and therefore certainly in the days of Mordechai they fasted on that day. Hence, all of Israel adopted the custom to fast on the 13th of Adar, and it is called the Fast of Esther to remember that the Almighty sees and hears every person in their distress when they fast and return to God with all their heart, as was done in those days: