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Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 616

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Shulchan Arukh

616 ‎[1] **“(Concerning the) children, when should they begin to fast” - Containing two paragraphs.**

Little children are permitted concerning all these things except for the wearing of shoes since they do not care so much if they do not wear shoes.

Hagah*: It is permissible to say to a non-Jew to wash and to annoint them (the children), but to feed them even by hand (directly by oneself) is permitted, (i.e., even a Jew can feed them), (טור). ‎[2] A young, strong boy a full nine years old as well as a full ten year old boy, we train him to do it (fast) for a few hours. How is this; if he used to eat at the two o’clock hour (8:00 A.M. in our time period), we feed him at the three o’clock hour (9:00 A.M.). If he used to eat at the three o’clock hour, we feed him at the four o’clock hour, and according to the strength of the boy we increase his fasting by hours, (and this is also the law for a healthy young girl), (טור). An eleven year old child, whether a boy or a girl fasts for the complete day, as we learn from the words of the *Soferim* to train them in the commandments.
Hagah*: There are those who say that (for children) according to the rabbis’ rulings, it is not necessary to complete the fast at all, (ר״ן וא״ז ובהגהות מיימוני בשם ה״ג דרוקח ורא״ם). You may rely upon this (lenient decision of the *Yeish Omrim*) with respect to a youth who is thin and is not strong enough to fast, (תרומת הדשן סימן קנ״ה). And in every instance that we train him (the child) in the restriction of the laws of eating we (also) train him with respect to the restriction of washing and annointing, (טור).

A twelve year and one day old girl and a thirteen year and one day old boy who show the signs of puberty (two hairs), behold they are considered adults for every commandment and they complete the fast according to the Torah. But if they do not show the signs of puberty they are still considered children and they do not complete the fast except because of the ruling of the rabbis.

Hagah*: Even if he (the child) is tender and thin (meaning, he is of age but does not show the signs of puberty), he has to complete the fast because the hairs of puberty might have fallen off, (תרומת הדשן סי‘ קנ״ה).

A boy who is less than nine years old, one does not make him fast on Yom Kippur so he would not be endangered.

Hagah* : Even if he wants to be strict on himself (and fast), we prevent him (from doing so), (כל בו).

Version Info

Version: Hilkhot Yom ha-Kippurim, trans. by Jan M. Brahms. HUC, 1976

Source: http://library.huc.edu/pdf/theses/Brahms_Jan_M-CN-Rab-1976_rdf.pdf

License: CC-BY

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