Q&A: Yom Kippur
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Yom Kippur
Question
Have a good week, Rabbi. If a person enjoys fasting because it makes him feel lighter and so on—when he fasts on Yom Kippur, has he fulfilled “and you shall afflict yourselves,” or has he only avoided violating the prohibition of eating? Thank you.
Answer
He has definitely fulfilled it. There is no prohibition of eating on Yom Kippur; rather, there is an obligation to fast. The point is not specifically to suffer, but to detach from the body's needs.