A: You may only eat on the morning of a fast day until alos amud hashachar if you planned to do so before retiring for the night. L’chatchilah, you should stipulate verbally that you’re planning to eat in the morning after waking up, but bedi’eved, as long as you clearly intended to do so, you may eat. (If you plan on washing for bread, you may do so only if you begin the meal at least half an hour before alos amud hashachar.) Drinking, however, is permitted even if you didn’t clearly stipulate to do so, as long as you normally drink something in the morning when you wake up. If mistakenly you miscalculated and ate or drank past alos, you still must continue fasting the rest of the day.
Q: After a year in seminary with girls from all over the globe, I’ve been surprised at the myriad “minhagim” that girls have for fasting, especially the minor fasts. Shouldn’t all girls at least aim to fast every fast?
A: According to Shulchan Aruch, there is no difference between men and women, or boys and girls, when it comes to the obligation of fasting, minor or major fasts. There are, however, some communities whose custom is that women and girls don’t fast on the minor fasts. Members of those communities should follow the guidance of their poskim for the practical halachah. But those who aren’t members of those communities need to follow the standard halachic ruling, which requires all healthy adults to fast, unless they have a specific situation that makes it too difficult, and they have clear permission from a posek that exempts them from fasting. (Women who aren’t fasting may still say Selichos and Avinu Malkeinu, but they may not say aneinu.) Girls below the age of 12 (and boys below the age of 13) shouldn’t fast at all, even if the fast is right before their bas or bar mitzvah.
A: Brushing your teeth on a minor fast day is permitted if otherwise you will be distressed (tzaar). On Tishah B’Av, it’s permitted only if otherwise you will be in great distress (tzaar gadol). On Yom Kippur it’s not permitted at all. The same halachah applies for mouthwash or rinsing out the mouth with water. But placing a mint breath strip in your mouth that yields a flavor that is then swallowed is forbidden. Vaping is forbidden as well.
A: Spray deodorants and anti-perspirants are permitted on all fast days except Yom Kippur.
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