Les jeûnes publics ne doivent pas être ordonnés pour avoir lieu à la fête de la nouvelle lune, ni à celle de la consécration et des lots [purem]; mais si le jeûne a déjà été commencé là-dessus, il n'a pas besoin d'être rompu. Telle est l'opinion de Rabbon Gamaliel. Le rabbin Meir dit: «Bien que Rabbon Gamaliel ait dit que le jeûne n'avait pas besoin d'être rompu, il convient que ces jours-là, ils ne doivent pas jeûner toute la journée; et il en est ainsi avec le [jeûne du] neuvième d'Av, quand cela arrive un vendredi. "
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
ואם התחילו – that they decreed these fasts earlier than this and began to fast on the trouble, even one day, and one of these days came up, we don’t halt [from fasting].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
This mishnah deals with fast days that come into conflict with other various holidays.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
מודה הוא שאין משלימין – to fast on them the entire day, but he eats in the evening close to sunset.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
They do not ordain upon the community a fast on Rosh Hodesh, on Hanukkah, or on Purim, but if they had already begun [a series of fasts and one of these days intervened] they do not interrupt [their fasts], the words of Rabban Gamaliel. According to Rabban Gamaliel, the court may not decree that a series of fast days begins on any of these holidays. However, if a series of fast days had begun and then one of these holidays landed on a Monday or Thursday on which people were supposed to fast, they do indeed fast.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
וכן ט' באב שחל להיות בערב שבת – such as at the time when the Jewish court would establish [the months] through visual [sighting of the New Moon]. But he would eat in the evening near sunset because of the honor of the Sabbath, so that he would not enter the Sabbath while he is hungry. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir but rather, we complete the fast. Similarly, Tisha B’Av that occurs on a Friday, we complete the fast (Note: Today, this situation would never arise due to the fact that the first day of Passover is always the same day of the week as Passover, and the first day of Passover can never fall on a Friday, since the tine and edicts of Hillel II in the fourth century CE).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Rabbi Meir said: even though Rabban Gamaliel said that the [fasts] should not be interrupted he agrees that they should not complete their fasts. Rabbi Meir says that when Rabban Gamaliel said that Rosh Hodesh, Hannukah and Purim do not interrupt if the series of fasts had already begun, he nevertheless agrees that on these days they should not complete their fasts until the evening. In this way people will signify in at least some way that the day still has some celebratory character to it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
And the same applies to the Ninth of Av should it fall on Friday. In the days in which the monthly calendar was not predetermined, the Ninth of Av (Tisha B’av) could fall on Friday. Today this cannot happen. If this happens they do not complete the fast, due to the honor accorded to Shabbat, so that they shouldn’t begin Shabbat with ravenous hunger. Another reason seems to be that there is a mitzvah to add on to Shabbat at both the beginning and at the end. If one fasts during this period he is diminishing the joy of a time of day when he should already be celebrating.
