Q&A: Mental illness and the Tisha B’Av fast
Mental illness and the Tisha B’Av fast
Question
Hello,
I am a social worker by profession, and במסגרת my work I was asked by one of my patients whether he is obligated to fast on Tisha B’Av.
This is a person coping with a psychiatric illness, one of whose manifestations for him is deep emotional pain triggered by prayers, synagogues, and the like; things that awaken difficult memories from an old trauma, accompanied by great psychological suffering. He says that the fast makes things much harder for him emotionally and that he does not have the mental strength to cope with it. This is severe distress for him.
Is it possible to rule that he is exempt from the fast?
Thank you
Answer
Hello.
The question is how difficult this is for him and what the consequences for him might be. As a general rule, sick people are exempt from the fast even when there is no danger to their lives. The definition of illness for this purpose is something that sends you to lie down in bed. What you describe certainly sounds like a significant illness, and on the face of it he appears to be exempt. By the way, if he can fast reasonably without going to the synagogue and praying, it is preferable that he fast and stay at home.