# Fast of Esther

The Fast of Esther (Hebrew: תַּעֲנִית אֶסְתֵּר, romanized: Ta'anit Ester) is a fast in Judaism observed on the eve of Purim. The fast commemorates two communal fasts undertaken by the Persian Jewish community of Shushan in the Book of Esther to pray for salvation from annihilation due to an evil decree that had been instigated by Haman, the king's royal vizier, an antisemitic enemy from the Amalekite nation.
Unlike other fasts, the Fast of Esther is a Jewish custom. It is not mentioned in the Talmud, but it is mentioned in the Midrash and other later sources from the days of the Geonim. Therefore, it is considered less severe than the other fasts.
Esther asked Mordecai to have the Jews fast and pray on her behalf for three days and three nights before she approached her husband, King Ahasuerus, to beg for the life of her people. Another is presumed to have occurred on the 13th of Adar, the day before the Jews fought a battle to defend against their enemies, who had been given irrevocable permission to murder Jews for one day a year on the 14th of that month, which is now a Jewish holiday of Purim on account of their victory.
Before approaching the king unbidden at risk of her life, Esther told Mordechai:
   Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

## Laws and customs

The fast is from dawn to nightfall. Usually, one should not eat or drink after the fast until one has heard the evening Megillah, though if one is weak, one may have a snack.
It is a common misconception that this fast dates back to Esther's time. The book of Esther 9:31 recounts, "They had established for themselves and their descendants the matters of the fasts and their cry", but this refers instead to the fasts mentioned in the book of Zechariah 8:19.
The first mention of the Fast of Esther is as a minhag that is referenced in the Geonic period. A 2010 study examines the origin of the fast and the reason for its arising in the Gaonic period.
The fast is observed on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (when the year has two Adars, it is observed only in the second Adar). If the date of the Fast of Esther falls on Shabbat, the fast is instead observed on the preceding Thursday. As the Fast of Esther is not one of the four public fasts ordained in the Tanakh, the laws concerning its observance are more lenient: pregnant people, nursing people, and those with illnesses precluding fasting are not required to observe it.

## Fasting in the Book of Esther

It is generally accepted in the rabbinic tradition that the original three-day "Fast of Esther" mentioned in chapter 4 of Book of Esther occurred on the 14th, 15th, and 16th days of Nisan, these being the eve and first two days of Passover. While halacha usually forbids fasting on Passover, it is believed that Esther reasoned it would be better to fast on one Pesach lest they all be destroyed and thus never be able to observe the holiday in the future. However, due to the customary prohibition of fasting on Passover, the "Fast of Esther" instead became attached to the eve of Purim, the 13th of Adar.
The 13th of Adar was a fast day for the warriors while going out to battle, as it had been customary to fast during battle to gain divine favor.

## Date in the Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar dates correlated with 13 Adar, from dawn until nightfall, for 2021–2026 are:
| Hebrew year | Gregorian Date |
| 5781 | 25 February 2021 |
| 5782 | 16 March 2022 |
| 5783 | 6 March 2023 |
| 5784 | 21 March 2024 |
| 5785 | 13 March 2025 |
| 5786 | 2 March 2026 |