The four minor fasts — a set of dawn-to-nightfall fast days spread through the Jewish year, lighter in their demands than the two major fasts of Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av. Three of them mark stages in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temples; the fourth, the Fast of Esther, recalls the peril and deliverance of the Purim story.
Grief kept in small measures across the year — fasts that Zechariah promised would one day turn to joy.
The prophet Zechariah names the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months and promises that they will one day turn to joy. Three of the four minor fasts trace the cycle of catastrophe surrounding the Temple: the Tenth of Tevet marks the start of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem; the Seventeenth of Tammuz marks the breaching of the city's walls; and the Fast of Gedaliah mourns the assassination that ended Jewish self-rule in the land after the First Temple's fall. The Fast of Esther stands apart, recalling the fast the Jews of Persia kept before confronting Haman. Unlike Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av — full twenty-five-hour fasts from sundown to nightfall — these run only from dawn to nightfall, and several are postponed a day when they fall on Shabbat.
Observant adults abstain from food and drink from dawn until nightfall. Synagogue services add penitential elements — Selichot prayers, special Torah readings on repentance, and the Aneinu prayer inserted into the Amidah. The fasts are less stringent than the major fasts: only eating and drinking are set aside, and the ill, pregnant and nursing women, and children are exempt. The Fast of Esther leads directly into the joy of Purim, and the Seventeenth of Tammuz opens the three weeks of mourning that culminate on Tisha B'Av.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall become seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; therefore love truth and peace.”— Zechariah 8:19
In this cycle: the Fast of Gedaliah on Monday, September 14, 2026; the Tenth of Tevet on Sunday, December 20, 2026; the Fast of Esther on Monday, March 22, 2027; and the Seventeenth of Tammuz on Thursday, July 22, 2027. Each is a single dawn-to-nightfall fast.
Four dawn-to-nightfall fast days spread through the year — lighter than Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av. Three mark stages of Jerusalem's destruction; the Fast of Esther recalls the Purim story.
Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av are full twenty-five-hour fasts from sundown to nightfall, with added restrictions. The minor fasts run only from dawn to nightfall and set aside only food and drink.
The minor fasts are less stringent, and the ill, pregnant and nursing women, and children are exempt. When in doubt, many consult a rabbi or physician.
The Tenth of Tevet, Seventeenth of Tammuz, and Fast of Gedaliah trace the cycle of siege, breach, and aftermath surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temples, as named by the prophet Zechariah.
Four fast days through the year — Fast of Gedaliah, Tenth of Tevet, Fast of Esther, and the Seventeenth of Tammuz
Unlike the major fasts of Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, the minor fasts run only from dawn to nightfall, not sundown to nightfall. Several are postponed a day when they fall on Shabbat.