Siman 491

(48.) In the year 5566, between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Rabbainu o.b.m. came out from the mikveh and said that at this time it was revealed to him from Heaven how our people should conduct themselves regarding fasts for all the days of their lives — how many fasts each and every one of our people needs to fast each year, and how and when to fast. And after the Festivals, each one entered separately, and he gave each one a note saying when he should fast. And there was written with him a note in his holy handwriting with certain matters — and I do not know... what, for I was not given to see inside the body of the note. Only when I sat with him to receive my note of the conduct of fasts did I see him sitting at the table, with a written note before him — and I do not know what was written inside it. And he sat and thought and probed much at that note, and he exerted himself greatly before I merited that the utterance came forth from his mouth: on which days of the year I must fast. And afterward he revealed to me the days on which I must fast, and commanded to write them on paper as a remembrance. And he warned me very much to remember them and not to lose my note. And he commanded us that at Rosh Hashana, before he says the Torah discourse — at the time when he prepares himself to say the Torah discourse — we should accept upon ourselves the fasts that he commanded us, and then at Rosh Hashana, at the time of his preparation to say the Torah discourse, the acceptance of the aforementioned fasts would be for the entire year in entirety. And whoever would not be at Rosh Hashana should not fast at all. And so it was when he gave the fasts to the rest of our fellow men: they all told me that he would sit at a note and sit in astonishment for about an hour before he gave the note of the conduct of fasts to each one. And we understood from his words that these fasts are precious things and very, very exalted practices — fortunate is he, that we merited to receive them. And the matter lasted about two years. Afterward, when he came from Lemberg, he commanded us not to fast at all. And he said: "Behold, one who does not merit to be with me at Rosh Hashana — he must not fast at all, as mentioned; and one who merits to be at Rosh Hashana — he certainly need not fast at all, since he merits to be with me at Rosh Hashana. And understand." See elsewhere on this (above, 53-56) the excellence of one who merits to be with him at Rosh Hashana. Afterward he said: "You do not feel at all what is being done with you — for at first I commanded you to fast, and afterward I commanded not to fast, etc." That is, by this it was fitting for us to understand a little of his greatness: for this matter that he commanded us to fast on known days of the year — for each and every one, days unique to himself — is certainly a great thing and an immense attainment such as was not heard from days of old, that a man merited to reveal to each and every one at length the conduct of fasts for all his days. And although this thing is very great and immense, he merited afterward to a higher level and attainment — until, according to the very holiness of his excellence and level that he merited afterward, we no longer need to fast, not even the fasts that he revealed to us in the strength of his holiness. And whoever has brains in his skull can understand from this a little of his very greatness — and understand. And he said that if one of these days falls on the Sabbath or other days on which one does not fast, the fast shall be deferred to the day after. And he commanded me to be careful in these months to fulfill the commandment of tithing (ma'aser), and to strive and exert with all strength in this commandment in whatever way possible. Also after he exempted me from the fasts, I spoke with him about the matter of the aforementioned commandment, and he told me that I must still, even the entire year, be careful in this with all strength — only in the aforementioned months more and more: