DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 1.93 MB)
Yom Kippur-Halachot of Eating and Smelling

If someone inadvertently intended to eat on Yom Kippur, and realized his mistake after reciting the beracha on food, he should not even taste a little bit. It is better to have said a Beracha L’Vatala (in vein) than taste even a minute amount of food. He would then say "Baruch Shem Kavod Malhuto L’Olam Va’ed" to rectify his transgression. This is a function of the grave severity of eating on Yom Kippur. On other fast days, it would be preferable to taste the food, rather than say a Beracha L’Vatala.
---
Swallowing saliva is not considered drinking, and there is no issue with doing so. Nevertheless, there were great Rabbis who accepted upon themselves as an extra stringency not to swallow. Rav Natan Wachtfogel of Lakewood Yeshiva would sit in the front of the Bet Midrash and secrete his saliva into tissues until his mouth dried up.
---
Chewing gum, even if flavorless, is prohibited on Yom Kippur.
---
Not only is it permitted to smell fragrances on Yom Kippur, it is considered a Mitzva, even though it is enjoyable. Doing so allows a person to complete the requisite one hundred Berachot that should be recited every day. The normal routine of Yom Kippur is missing Berachot because of the lack of meals. The Beracha on fragrances can be made several times a day. It is also permitted to inhale snuff. If one inhales perfume or cologne, Hacham Ovadia’s conclusion is that a Beracha of Boreh Mineh Besamim is recited. It is permitted to recite the Beracha on fragrant fruit, "Hanoten Re’ah Tob BaPerot," and the Hachamim were not concerned that one might inadvertently eat it.

SUMMARY
It is preferable to make a Beracha L’vatala than to taste a minute amount of food on Yom Kippur.
It is prohibited to chew gum on Yom Kippur.
There is no issue of swallowing saliva.
It is considered a Mitzva to recite a Beracha and smell pleasant fragrances, including snuff, fruit and synthetic perfume.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
May One Leave a PayPal Account Active on Shabbat?
Why is Cooking Prohibited on Shabbat?
Habdala – Using Beverages Other Than Wine; Drinking the Wine
May a Man Recite Habdala for His Wife if He Had Already Recited or Heard Habdala?
Performing Melacha on Mosa’eh Shabbat Before Habdala
How Early on Friday Afternoon May a Woman Light Shabbat Candles Without Accepting Shabbat?
Praying Arbit Early on Friday Night
Why Do We Not Read From a Second Sefer Torah Every Shabbat?
The Order of Preference of Aliyot on Shabbat; Reciting Kaddish After Torah Reading
If One Mistakenly Recited the Weekday Amida on Shabbat
If a Person Recited the Wrong Amida Prayer on Shabbat
Crushing and Dissolving Ice on Shabbat
May One Who Owns a Vending Machine Allow it to Operate on Shabbat?
Hiring a Hazan for Shabbat
Is it Permissible to Talk on Shabbat if One’s Voice Would be Recorded?
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found