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Ive always learned that fasting is the biggest healer of your soul, but what does this have to do with mourning and Tisha b'av.

motti T
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  • Answer is similar for 9Av and Yom Kippur. You fast so you can focus on the topic of the day, or you fast because who can eat on such a day?, or you fast because who needs to eat on a day where you are on such a level? – mbloch Jul 25 '23 at 03:33
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    Following on from @mbloch note how the climax of YK davening is when we say תשובה תפילה צדקה מעבירין את רע הגזירה - Repentance, Prayer, Charity; remove the evil decree. Famously in small print on top of the word תשובה is צום (fast) because one of the key elements during this auspicious time is to fast as the lack of our physical comfort helps to refocus us on the nature of the day and to act accordingly. The same would ring true on Tisha B'Av – Dov Jul 25 '23 at 11:40

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We find the inyan to fast on a parent’s Yartzeit as well. The Rama YD 402:12 says

מצוה להתענות יום שמת בו אביו או אמו (כל בו בשם הר"מ וע"פ)

It is a religious duty to fast [on] the day that one's father or mother died,

The Levush on that Halacha explains the reason that since something bad happened to him on that day, it is a time to do Teshuva as he is in danger of possible further bad things happening.

Based on this reason, it is possible that this is the reason we fast on Tisha B’av as well.

Chatzkel
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