What is בה"ב? It stands for Monday, Thursday, Monday. The בעלי התוספות instituted 3 fast days after Pesach and Succos to atone for any sins that we did over the Yom Tov (we ate too much, socialized with the opposite sex improperly, etc.). Because we are not allowed to fast in Nisan we observe it in the beginning of Iyar. Nowadays, there are very few people who actually fast. However, some shuls do say selichos (for example where I daven we said selichos this morning) .
It will be interesting to hear what the readers know/do about בה"ב, and therefore I would like to ask the following questions of the readers:
1. Had you heard of בה"ב before reading this blog?
2. Do you fast or know of anyone who fasts?
3. Do you (or your shul) say slichos?
To answer all your questions
ReplyDeleteyes.
yes
yes.
You fast? When did you start fasting on בה"ב? Was there some trigger?
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteNo
No
1. yes
ReplyDelete2. I know of someone
3. No, although they would if there were 6 fasting.
I don't see the connection between fasting and saying selichos, you can say selichos without fasting, you only need people to be fasting for laining.
ReplyDelete"I don't see the connection between fasting and saying selichos."
ReplyDeletePart of our custom in slichos for the Thursday includes:
תענית צבור קבעו תבוע צרכים, שוב עדיך חפש חקור דרכים
And further on in that paragraph:
הקדשנו צום עוללים וזקני אספות
So, at least in our Nusach, the slichos are connected with the fast, so it makes sense that the custom is not to say them if you are not fasting. I imagine someone fasting would say them ביחידות if there were not 6 in a minyan, but I don't know.
That is interesting because I have been saying slichos for years in my shul and in YU beforehand without anyone fasting.
ReplyDeleteI have known about Bahab long before this blog.
ReplyDeleteI do not know of anyone who fasts.
Slichos was said.
The Wolf