Lenient guidelines for upcoming Fast of Tammuz after extreme weather warning

The London Bet Din and the Av Bet Din of the Federation of Synagogues say that because it is predicted temperatures will be very high, there will be a number of exceptions.

Leading rabbis are issuing more lenient guidelines for the upcoming Fast of Tammuz, because of weather warnings of extreme temperatures on Sunday, July 17.

Both the London Bet Din and the Av Bet Din of the Federation of Synagogues, Rabbi Shraga Zimmerman, have said that because it is predicted that temperatures will be very high on Sunday, there will be a number of exceptions relating to fasting.

Rabbi Zimmerman says that those who are suffering from “long Covid” do not have to fast; nor do pregnant women, women who have given birth in the last two years, anyone over the age of 70, and even post bar-and batmitzvah teens who find fasting difficult.

The London Bet Din advises: “Hydration prior to the fast, resting up and remaining in cooler areas throughout the day should be prioritised. Furthermore, anyone feeling unwell or finding themselves dehydrated should not continue fasting. If anyone has pre-existing health conditions, they should seek medical advice before fasting during a heatwave”.

The Fast of Tammuz commemorates, amongst other tragedies, the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. It also marks the beginning of the three-week mourning period leading up to the fast of Tisha B’Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.