(3.) By a festive meal (סעודת פורים). Comp. Esth. ix. During the Morning Service the account of the war with Amalek is read from Exod. xvii. 8–16. [[412]]
The 15th of Adar is called Shushan Purim, because the Jews in Shushan continued to fight against the enemy on the 14th of Adar, and kept Purim on the 15th. The 13th of Adar, being the day appointed for the slaughter of the Jews, is now kept as a fast-day, and is called תענית אסתר “the Fast of Esther.”
The Four Fasts.
There are four days kept as fast-days in commemoration of events connected with the fall of Jerusalem. They are called in the Bible (Zech. viii. 19) “the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth.” These days are the anniversaries of the commencement of the siege of Jerusalem (10th of Tebeth), of the breach made in the wall (17th of Tammuz), of the destruction of the Temple (9th of Ab), and of the murder of Gedaliah (3rd of Tishri). The 9th of Ab is kept as a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of the Temple. According to Tradition, both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on the same day.
The Lesson from the Pentateuch read in the Morning and in the Afternoon Services on the fast-days is Exod. xxxii. 11–14 and xxxiv. 1–10. On the 9th of Ab this section is read in the afternoon only; the Morning Lesson being Deut. iv. 25–40 and Jer. viii. 13 to ix. 23; in the Afternoon Service on all fasts Isa. lv. 6 to lvi. 8 is read as haphtarah.
Note 1.—These fasts begin with daybreak, except the fast of the 9th of Ab, which commences with the previous evening and lasts twenty-four hours, and is in all respects like that of the [[413]]Day of Atonement. During the day the Lamentations of Jeremiah, various elegies called קינות, “Lamentations,” and the Book of Job are read. On the Fast of Ab, as a sign of mourning, talith and tefillin are not worn during the Morning Service. They are, however, put on for the Afternoon Service.
2. The Sabbath preceding the Fast of Ab is called שבת חזון, and the Sabbath following, שבת נחמו because the Haphtaroth on these Sabbaths (ch. i. and ch. xl. of Isaiah) begin respectively with the words חזון and נחמו; the one containing rebukes and threats, the other a message of comfort.
Besides these historical fasts, there are voluntary fasts observed by some as an expression of deep-felt piety; e.g., the three fasts of שני חמישי ושני of Monday, Thursday, and Monday, kept after the festive seasons of Passover and Tabernacles, in imitation of Job, who after the days of feasting sanctified his sons, and brought special sacrifices (Job i.). To this class of fasts may be reckoned the day before New-moon, called יום כפור קטן on which in some congregations the Afternoon Service is enlarged by propitiatory prayers.