Commentary for Taanit 23:1

הא דאמרת מתענין לשעות והוא שלא טעם כלום עד הערב א"ל אביי הא תענית מעלייתא היא לא צריכא דאימלך אימלוכי

With reference to what you said that one may fast for a matter of hours this only applies if [the man concerned] had not tasted anything until the evening. Abaye said to him: This is then a full fast! - This speaks of a case where the fast was only an after thought.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Hisda's interpretation of fasting for a matter of hours is this. A man was too occupied for the first half of the day to have a meal and decides that he would end the day without food so as to make it constitute a fast. In such special circumstances the fast is a valid one, though the man had not explicitly undertaken it on the day previous (V. Rashi) .');">¹</span>

Explore commentary for Taanit 23:1. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.