Does a Pregnant Woman Fast?

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TONIGHT'S SERVICE NEW SUMMER TIME 6:30pm Question of the Week      I am five months pregnant and was told that I definitely don't have to fast on Yom Kippur. But then someone told me that I definitely do. So what is it? Do I fast or not? Answer: As a mother to be, you want the best for your baby. You want to do anything possible to give your child everything he or she needs for the future. So if you can, you should at least try to fast. This is what Jewish mothers have been doing for thousands of years. They withhold food from their unborn babies for one day, and then spend the rest of their life over-feeding them to make up for it. Of course, if you have a specific medical condition or there are any complications with your pregnancy, you may be forbidden to fast, and a doctor and a rabbi should be consulted. But in normal circumstances, pregnancy is not a medical condition, it is a natural state, and fasting once will have no negative effect on you or the baby whatsoever. In fact, the opposite may be true. The Talmud tells of a pregnant woman who smelt food on Yom Kippur and craved to eat it. They reminded her that it was a fast day, and she refrained. The child she bore grew to become the saintly leader Rabbi Yochanan. His greatness was partly credited to his mother's fasting even when it was not easy. You have to be practical. Drink a lot of fluids beforehand, and rest on the day itself. If staying home in bed will make it easier, then that's what you should do. Fasting is more important than going to shul. And watch yourself as you fast. If you feel faint or lightheaded or anything unusual, you may need to break the fast. Don't be overly strict. But don't dismiss the fast entirely. Plan to complete the fast, and see how you go. May you have an easy fast, an easy birth, and a child who will appreciate that it's worth going through momentary discomfort to uphold our eternal beliefs.  Good Shabbos and Good Yomtov, Rabbi Moss Note: The above applies to a nursing woman as well. The specific laws pertaining to a woman close to her due date, in labor or immediately after childbirth vary. A competent rabbi should be consulted in all cases. To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au SERVICES TIMES AND COMMUNITY INFO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 7 October 2016 | 5 Tishrei 5777 Candle Lighting............................... 6:44 pm (*Earliest 5:47pm)   Mincha............................................ 6:10 pm Friday Evening Service  (NEW SUMMER TIME)................ 6:30-7:20 pm   Shabbos, 8 October, 2016 |6 Tishrei 5777 Chassidus Class............................... 9:00 am Shabbos Morning Service............... 10:00 am-12:15 pm Children's program........................ 11:00am   Mincha.........................................   6:40 pm Seudah Shlishis Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak................. 7:00 pm Shiur:............................................................. 7:20 pm Shabbos ends and Maariv................................. 7:41 pm Followed by Havdalah. YOM KIPPUR Kol Nidrei    Tuesday 11 October, 2016 Light Candles (fast begins) ................. 6:47pm Evening Service: .............................. 7:00pm - 9:00pm  Children's Program ............................ 7:00pm  (only children booked into the program will gain entry)   Yom Kippur Day    Wednesday 12 October, 2016 Morning Service: .............................. 9:30am Children's Program, ages 0-12 yrs: ...... 10:30am  (only children booked into the program will gain entry) Yizkor: ............................................ 12:15pm Mincha: ........................................... 5:30pm Neilah: ............................................ 6:30pm Final Shofar:..................................... 7:44pm Yom Tov and Fast ends:..................... 7:44pm Breaking of the fast sponsored in loving memory of Abdulla Ben Miriam A"H, 9 Tishrei 5769 לעלוי נשמת עבדאללה בן מרים ע״ה ט׳ תשרי תשס"ט   WEEKDAY SHACHARIS SERVICES Sunday ........................................... 8:00 am Mon, Tues & Thurs, Fri...................... 7:00 am Latest Shema this week................... 9:31 am   HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO William Feuermann............. 7 Tishrei/ Sunday 9 October Rabbi Moss.......................... 7 Tishrei/ Sunday 9 October Luke Lipovic........................ 7 Tishrei/ Sunday 9 October Nicola Deall......................... 9 Tishrei/ Tuesday 11 October Yvonne Coburn................... 11 Tishrei/ Thursday 13 October Amielle Hedges....................11 Tishrei/ Thursday 13 October   LONG LIFE TO Libby Moss and Peter Irving for their great-grandmother Leah Bernhardt... 6 Tishrei/ Saturday 8 Oct Tauba Tanchum for her late mother Rose Kaplan, Rose bat Avraham........ 13 Tishrei/ Saturday 15 October Magda Schaffer for her late father Chayim Ben Avraham ......................... 13 Tishrei/ Saturday 15 October

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