Ta'anit

A ta'anit or taanis (in Ashkenaz pronunciation) or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water. A Jewish fast may have one or more purposes, including:

Jewish fast days

The most well-known and well-observed fast is the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is the only fast day mentioned in the Torah (Leviticus 23:26-32).

Yom Kippur is a full fast, from sunset to darkness the following night. The other full fast is the Ninth of Av, Tisha B'Av. These fast days carry four additional restrictions - one may not wash his body, wear leather shoes, use colognes, oils or perfumes, or have sexual relations. Yom Kippur also has all the restrictions of Shabbat and Tisha B'Av has restrictions somewhat similar to a mourner sitting shiva.

All other fasts are minor fasts, observed from dawn to nightfall, without additional restrictions.

Ta'anit (Talmud)

Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume (or "tractate") of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature.

The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers. In most editions of the Talmud this treatise is the ninth in the mishnaic order of Seder Mo'ed, and is divided into four chapters containing thirty-four folio in all. The following is a summary of its contents:

Summary of the Mishnah and Babylonian Talmud

Chapter 1: Concerning the time after which one must begin to mention rain in the second benediction of the "Shemoneh 'Esreh" and to pray for rain in the eighth benediction (§§ 1-3); the time during which one should fast on account of scarcity of rain—two successive periods of three days each, and a final one of seven days—and the distinctions between these various days with regard to strictness in fasting (§§ 4-6); nature of the national mourning in case no rain falls despite many fast-days (§ 7).