Yoma 82a (פב.) — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

Young children -

they are not made to fast on Yom Kippur.

But they are trained to fast

for several hours of Yom Kippur once they reach the age that is

“before

the

year

adjacent to the period of their maturity.

The fourteenth year in the case of a boy is called the time of his pirko, because from the time he becomes thirteen years old and one day, and throughout that year, it is his practice to develop signs of adolescence; at that point he becomes liable for punishments like an adult.

In the case of a girl, it is her practice to develop signs of adolescence during her thirteenth year, beginning when she reaches twelve years old and one day. Therefore, the time of a girl’s pirko is her thirteenth year.

The thirteenth year of a boy [before he completes thirteen years and one day] and the twelfth year of a girl are the years adjacent to their pirko.

And since they are obligated to fast during the year that is “before” it, it follows that a boy is obligated to fast for several hours beginning in his twelfth year, that is, two years before his maturity, and a girl beginning in her eleventh year, two years before her maturity.

When does this apply? To weak and frail children. But if they are healthy and strong, they fast for three years before their maturity:

And

they should begin fasting on Yom Kippur

two years before,

in the eleventh year for a boy and the tenth year for a girl.

And all this is

so that they become accustomed to the mitzvot.

Gemara:

The Gemara explains the matter of the year and the two years in advance during which young children fast for several hours:

We raised a difficulty:

Now, if two years before,

during the two years preceding the year adjacent to their pirko, they already

are trained

to fast,

one year before,

that is, during the following year -

is it necessary to say so!?

Is it necessary to state that they fast during that year?

Rav Ḥisda said: This is not difficult.

This

refers to a sick child,

who is thin and frail and, because of his weakness, fasts only one year before the year adjacent to his pirko.

This

who fasts two years before it

refers to a healthy child.

Rav Huna said:

A minor [and, as will be explained shortly, the reference is to a girl] who is

eight years old,

healthy,

and

likewise one who is

nine years old,

frail -

they train her to

fast

for several hours.

A ten-year-old

healthy child

and an eleven-year-old

frail child

complete

the entire fast,

by rabbinic ordinance.

A twelve-year-old

and one day old

completes the fast by Torah law.

And all these ages refer

to a girl!

And Rav Naḥman

adds the ages for a boy and

said:

A nine-year-old

healthy child and an

ten-year-old

frail child -

they train them to fast for several hours.

An eleven-year-old and a twelve-year-old -

they complete the fast by rabbinic ordinance.

A thirteen-year-old -

he completes the fast by Torah law.

And all these ages refer

to a boy.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan

disagrees with both of them, and

said: Completion

of the fast by minors

by rabbinic ordinance -

does not exist!

Rather,

a ten-year-old and an eleven-year-old [

in the case of a girl] -

they are trained to fast for several hours.

A twelve-year-old -

she completes the fast by Torah law.

We have learned that there are three opinions concerning the fast of minors: at what age they fast, and how much they fast:

A. The opinion of Rav Ḥisda: The first clause of the Mishna, which says that they fast for two years [beginning with the year before the year adjacent to their pirko], refers to a sick child. And the latter clause of the Mishna, which says that they fast for three years, refers to a healthy child.

B. According to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman, healthy children fast for four years before their maturity, and sick children for three years, fasting for several hours.

When they are two years or one year before the period adjacent to their maturity, they complete the fast.

C. The opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan is that there is training to fast for several hours only during the two or one years before maturity, and they do not complete the fast at all before maturity.

The Gemara challenges Rabbi Yoḥanan from our Mishna:

We learned: Young children are not made to fast on Yom Kippur, but they are trained one year and two years before it.

Granted, according to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman,

who maintain that minors have both a fast for several hours and an obligation to complete the fast, the Mishna presents no difficulty, even though according to their view the training begins already four or three years before maturity.

For the words of the Mishna can be established as referring only to a sick child, and this is the meaning of the Mishna:

Sick young children are trained to fast for several hours

one year and two years before it.

That is, they begin to observe a rabbinically ordained fast for several hours three years before their maturity.

During the year that is

before

the

year

adjacent to the period when they complete the fast

according to their

Sages, they fast for two years for several hours, and during the following year they complete the fast.

And

this year, during which they begin to fast for several hours, is the year

two years before

the two years adjacent to the period when they are obligated to complete the fast

according to Torah law [according to the reading of the Bach].

But according to Rabbi Yoḥanan,

who maintains that minors do not complete the fast -

it is difficult

what does the Mishna mean by saying “one year and two years before”? According to him, there is only training during the one or two years before maturity, whereas the Mishna speaks of one year and two years before it, which means two and three years before their maturity.

Rabbi Yoḥanan could say to you:

Do not read in the Mishna “one year and two years before it”; rather,

say: one year or two years -

adjacent to their pirko

[their maturity].

Come and hear

a proof for Rabbi Yoḥanan from that

which Rabba bar Shemuel taught:

Young children -

always

are not made to fast

in order to complete the fast

on Yom Kippur.

But they are trained for one or two years

to fast for several hours,

adjacent to their pirko.

Granted, according to Rabbi Yoḥanan -

it is satisfactory.

But according to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman -

it is difficult!

The Sages could say to you: What does the term “training,” which is also taught

in the beraita, mean? It means

completion.

And we challenge this:

Does one call completion “training

”?

? But it was taught in a beraita: What is training?

If he was accustomed

the minor

to eating at two hours

of the morning,

he is fed at three.

If he was accustomed to eating

at three -

he is fed at four.

It is thus proven that the term “training” applies only to fasting for several hours!

Rava bar Ulla said: There are two

types of

training:

training to fast for several hours and training to complete the fast.

Mishna:

A pregnant woman

who is pregnant

and smells

the aroma of food, and she and her fetus are endangered if she does not eat it -

she is fed until her soul is restored.

A sick person -

he is fed on the basis of

two

expert

physicians, who say that he is in danger if he does not eat.

And if there are no experts there -

he is fed on the basis of his own opinion, until he says, “Enough.”

Gemara:

The Sages taught: If a pregnant woman smells sacred meat or the meat of a pig -

they insert a spindle

a distaff

with gravy

that is forbidden to eat,

and place it at her mouth

so that she can suck from it.

If her mind is settled -

it is well; but if not -

they feed her the gravy itself.

If her mind is settled -

it is well; but if not -

they feed her the fat itself.

Because

there is nothing that takes precedence over saving a life, except for idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed.

Idolatry -

from where do we derive this?

As it was taught, Rabbi Eliezer says: If it says [Deuteronomy 6] “You shall love the Lord your God

with all your soul” -

why does it say

that one must love Him also

“with all your might

[your possessions]”?

And if it says, “with all your might” \-

why does it say, “with all your soul”?

For it would have sufficed to write only whichever of the two is more precious to a person, and we would know by a kal va-chomer that a person must surrender both his life and his possessions for the sanctification of God’s Name!?

Rather,

if you have a person whose body is more precious to him than his possessions -

for this reason it says, “with all your soul.”

And if you have a person whose possessions are more precious to him than his body -

for this reason it says, “and with all your might.”

Forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed -

from where do we derive

that a person must be killed rather than transgress?

As it was taught, Rabbi says:

It is stated concerning a betrothed maiden who was raped: [Deuteronomy 22]

“For just as a man rises against his fellow and murders him -

so is this matter.”

But what connection do we learn from the murderer to the betrothed maiden?

Rather, this

the law of a murderer stated in the passage concerning the betrothed maiden

comes to teach

about her, as will be explained below,

and it follows

that it is also

learned

from her:

The beraita first explains how the law of a murderer is learned from the betrothed maiden:

Just as permission is granted in the case of a betrothed maiden

to a rescuer

to save her

from a man pursuing her in order to violate her, even

at

the cost of killing

his life

of the pursuer [and this law is explained in this passage, as it says: “The maiden cried out, but there was no one to save her,” implying that if she has a rescuer, he may save her in any manner, even by killing the pursuer] -

so too, a murderer,

who pursues a person in order to kill him,

may be stopped to save

the pursued person

at

the cost of killing

his life

of the pursuer.

The beraita now explains how the law of a murderer teaches the law of the betrothed maiden:

Just as in the case of a murderer,

when a person faces the choice of murdering another in order to save his own life -

the person must be killed

and

must not transgress

the prohibition against murder in order to save himself,

so too, in the case of a betrothed maiden,

if a person is told to violate a betrothed maiden or else be killed -

he must be killed, and not transgress!