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A Sick Person on Yom Kippur

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

Posted on 09/05/21

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

The Shulchan Aruch 612:10 says if a person was sick and ate on Yom Kippur and now is able to make a Bracha Achrona, he must mention Yom Kippur in Yaaleh Veyavo in the bracha of Bonei Yerushalayim. This is based on the Tur in the name of the Rosh that says since the person was allowed to eat, Yom Kippur is considered a regular Yom Tov. The Taz argues with this position and says that it is different than Yom Tov, because on Yom Tov one has a chiyuv to eat, whereas on Yom Kippur one does not have a chiyuv to eat. The question we can ask on the Taz is the following. On Rosh Chodesh a person is not obligated to eat, but if one did eat, he must mention Rosh Chodesh in his bracha. Why is this different than Yom Kippur? We can differentiate between Rosh Chodesh and Yom Kippur in that on Rosh Chodesh a person does not need to eat bread, but there is a mitzvah to eat. There is a mitzvah kiyumis if one eats bread, as we see in Shulchan Aruch 419:1Lekatchila one has a mitzvah to eat bread on Rosh Chodesh, therefore one would have to mention Rosh Chodesh in bentching. However, on Yom Kippur, where there is an issur to eat and if one needs to eat because he is sick, it will not require him to mention Yom Kippur in bentching. The Magen Avraham in 419:10 concurs and says that one should not say Yaaleh Veyavo in bentching on Yom Kippur. The Shibulei Haleket in 312 explains that Chazal made it as if it is a weekday for the person who has to eat on Yom Kippur, and he is required to eat so he can stay healthy, therefore he cannot mention Yom Kippur in bentching. Conversely, Chazal forbade fasting on Rosh Chodesh, so the eating is a mitzvah. One must therefore mention Rosh Chodesh in bentching


Does the Choleh have a chiyuv of lechem mishna? The Magen Avraham in 419 brings in the name of the Knesses Hagdola that one would be required to have lechem Mishna, but the Magen Avraham himself argues and says that Chazal were not mesaken lechem mishna on Yom Kippur. The Machtzis Hashekel explains that the reason we are required to have lechem mishna is a zecher for the Mohn and on Yom Kippur Mohn did not come down. The day before Yom Kippur they did not receive a double portion for Yom Kippur since they could not eat; hence, there is no inyan of lechem mishna on Yom Kippur. The question regarding this is that that they probably did get a double portion, however, instead of eating it at night, they ate it right before Yom Kippur at Seuda Hamafsekes. We could explain that there is no lechem mishna on Yom Kippur itself as there was no double portion for Yom Kippur


Reb Akiva Eger in 141:24 has a question regarding a person who was on his death bed on Yom Kippur and had to eat. There was a minyan in his room, and he received an aliyaReb Akiva Eiger said the Choleh could be oleh without a problem, because the kriah of Yom Kippur is for the Kedushas Hayom and not connected to the taanis. The question was whether they could give him an aliya during Mincha.  In that case, Reb Akiva Eiger was left with a safek. He explained both sides of the safek as follows: Is the kriah of Yom Kippur during Mincha the same as on every taanis, just on a regular taanis they read Vayechal , but on Yom Kippur they read the parsha of Arayos thereby making someone who is not fasting not eligible to be oleh. On the other hand, we could say that the kriah of Mincha on Yom Kippur has the same din as the kriah of every Shabbos at Mincha, thereby allowing someone who is not fasting to get an aliyah


What would happen if Yom Kippur fell out on Shabbos? Can someone not fasting get an aliya? Do we hold like the first tzad of Reb Akiva Eiger that since it is Shabbos he can get an aliya, or do we say the kriah is a special kriah and it is not for Shabbos? Most Poskim hold that on Shabbos Yom Kippur a non-faster can get an aliyahReb Akiva Eiger himself paskens that on Shabbos he can be oleh when he brings down the above safek. This would contradict the Mishna Berura in 566:19 that says when a taanis falls out on Monday and or Thursday, (where we would lein at Shachris anyways) since we read Vayechal, one should not be oleh if he is not fasting. 


May we all be healthy and be able to fast and not have such shailos


 


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