Torah Reading: Be'halot'cha

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A Meaningful Fast

by Mrs. Lori Palatnik

Why do we fast on Yom Kippur?

Published: September 21, 2009

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Visitor Comments: 10

(10) Anonymous, September 12, 2010 10:50 PM

Very thought provoking. I never thought about it this way before!

(9) Claude, January 3, 2010 11:21 AM

Opened my eyes and mind

Thanks Lori for you enlightening video on fasting. I'm not Jewish, I have learnt a little on the health benefits of fasting ie detoxification, weight control, breaking of addictions etc and I watched your video as I was at the end of the first day of a ten day water only fast which I was finding difficult to endure and on the verge of breaking. It had't occurred to me to consider this as a time for repentance and as a way of getting myself on track spiritually. I now have greater motivation to endure the fast and I am now hoping to achieve more than just physical wellness but something else, a spiritual awareness which I have mostly neglected until now. When I chose to do this fast, I looked at it as some thing I decided to do but I'm realising that there is more at play here than my decision.

(8) Devora, September 30, 2009 10:46 AM

Amen!

Thansk you for the beautiful bracha, may you nd yours lso be blessed!

(7) SUZI CLARK, September 28, 2009 11:24 PM

A wise and beautiful explanation of why we fast.

Thank you Lori. This was a short and sweet explanation in such a meaningful way, of why we fast. Now I know I can hold out another 35 minutes without passing out.

(6) Anonymous, September 27, 2009 4:43 AM

amazingly said!!

(5) al, September 27, 2009 3:42 AM

What 'easy' might really mean

It's nice to talk about how the fast should be 'meaningful' rather than 'easy', but the fact of the matter is, when the fast gets too hard, many people start looking at the clock and concentrating on how hungry they are, and at that point, it pretty much ceases to be meaningful. Wishing all a fast that is easy enough to allow the day to be meaningful!

(4) Sara, September 26, 2009 8:13 PM

Keep 'em coming.

Like always, Lori - wonderful and meaningful video. Your light truly shines.

(3) Matityahu, September 26, 2009 6:48 PM

Chazak uvaruch (correct hebrew to a woman?)

As a ger who was involved with the Reform circle before I decided to become Jewish, I hated the address, "have an easy fast." After all, if H" commands us to "afflict our souls", I thought, why are we saying this to each other?" Are we wishing to each other to slide by the commandment the best we could slide by? So when I became a Jew, I said to my Orthodox rabbi, "I hate the idea of wishing others an easy fast....what can I say beside that?" His response, "Have a meaningful fast." and this is what I always used.

(2) Rosen, September 22, 2009 1:36 AM

constructive fasting

Thanks again, Lori!...By paraphrasing an earlier Aish video on "Misery", I remember one of the important things said, which I'll paraphrase is that contructive regret is more important than (paralyzing) guilt. So, it's good to hear that Yom Kippur is really more about constructive regret and atonement, preferably while fasting, than it is for induced guilt trips.

(1) Iris Groober Moskovitz, September 21, 2009 8:29 PM

A gut gebenched yor.

Lori, as usual, manages to get the message across loud and clear. May we all be zoche to a meaningful Yom Kippur, and meaningful and spiritual year. May we all have gezunt, parnassah and brochos in abundance.

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About the Author

Mrs. Lori Palatnik

More by this Author >

Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio, and is the author of "Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-By-Step," "Remember My Soul - What to do in Memory of a Loved One," and co-author of "Gossip: 10 Pathways to Eliminate It From Your Life and Transform Your Soul." She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington D.C. area, with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik. Lori is the Founder of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings over 1,000 women to Israel each year from ten different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage. She is the busy mother of five children, ages 24 to 14; and her son, Zev, just finished serving as a sharpshooter in the IDF. Her weekly video blog, "Lori Almost Live" is a popular feature on aish.com, viewed by over 50,000 people each month.

Follow Lori on Twitter, @LoriAlmostLive

May 25, 2013 / 16 Sivan 5773

A Meaningful Fast

Why do we fast on Yom Kippur?

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