You generally do not drink water on Yom Kippur if you are healthy and required to fast, but Jewish law makes clear that health and life always come first, and many people are exempt or allowed to drink if fasting is unsafe.

Can You Drink Water During Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is traditionally a 25‑hour fast that includes no food and no water for those who are obligated and medically able to fast. This is part of a set of “five afflictions” that also include not bathing for pleasure, not anointing with oils, not wearing leather shoes, and refraining from marital intimacy.

However, Jewish law is very protective of life and health, and there are clear exceptions for people for whom a full fast would be dangerous or medically unwise.

Basic Rule: No Water During the Fast

For a healthy adult Jew who is obligated to fast, the classic rule is:

  • No eating or drinking at all, including water, for the duration of Yom Kippur (sunset to nightfall the next day, about 25 hours).
  • Many observing Jews even avoid:
    • Rinsing the mouth or brushing teeth with water.
    • Swallowing any liquid (even for “refreshment,” not just thirst).

This strict abstention is meant to shift focus away from physical comfort and toward reflection, prayer, and atonement.

Who Should Not Fully Fast

There is a long‑established principle in Jewish law: preserving life overrides almost every commandment , including fasting. That means some people are outright exempt from a complete fast or may be required to eat and drink:

  • Children under bar/bat mitzvah age (under 13 for boys, 12–13 for girls) do not fully fast.
  • Pregnant and nursing women who may risk their own health or the baby’s health by fasting may be told to drink and eat.
  • People with medical conditions that make fasting dangerous (e.g., serious heart issues, diabetes, certain neurological or GI conditions) are often instructed to:
    • Drink normally or
    • Eat and drink in small, structured amounts if that’s halachically appropriate.
  • Anyone feeling faint, confused, or showing signs of serious dehydration should break the fast and drink, often urgently, rather than risk collapse or worse.

In many real‑world cases discussed in Jewish communities and forums, rabbis explicitly instruct those with serious medical issues to not fast from water at all.

“Partial” Drinking and Halachic Solutions

When fasting is important but full abstention is unsafe, many rabbis use structured halachic solutions:

  • Some authorities allow drinking tiny measured sips of water at set intervals (e.g., less than a certain volume every several minutes), to stay safe while still observing the fast as much as possible.
  • Others may rule that for a particular person, drinking normally is required , not just allowed, because endangering health is not acceptable.

These details depend heavily on:

  • The person’s exact medical situation.
  • The rabbinic authority’s guidance.
  • Input from a competent doctor.

Preparing So You Can Safely Avoid Water

A lot of contemporary guidance talks about how to prepare so that avoiding water for 25 hours is less risky for those who are able to fast:

  • Hydrate well for one to two days before Yom Kippur with plenty of water and hydrating foods.
  • Cut back on caffeine ahead of time to reduce headaches and withdrawal symptoms.
  • Eat balanced, moderate meals before the fast (especially the pre‑fast meal), focusing on complex carbs, some protein, and not too much salt.
  • Avoid alcohol or very salty, spicy foods that dehydrate.

These tips are meant only for those who are already halachically obligated and medically safe to fast without water.

Real‑World Practice and Forum Discussions

In modern Jewish forums and communities, there is a clear tension people talk about:

  • Many describe the difficulty of not drinking water and share strategies for staying hydrated beforehand.
  • Others share personal stories where rabbis told them not to fast fully or to drink as needed due to pregnancy, heart conditions, or serious past hospitalizations.
  • The recurring message is that “you must put your health and safety first” , and one cannot “be religious” by endangering life.

These conversations reflect a broad consensus across observant communities that the fast is important, but your life and health are more important.

Direct Answer to “Can You Drink Water During Yom Kippur?”

  • If you are healthy, an adult, and obligated to fast in the traditional way:
    • The religious rule is that you do not drink water during Yom Kippur.
  • If you are pregnant, nursing, a child, elderly, sick, on important medications, or at risk from dehydration :
    • You may need to drink water (and possibly eat), and in many cases Jewish law says you must , following guidance from both a doctor and a knowledgeable rabbi.

If this is a practical question for you personally, the safest path is to talk to:

  1. A medical professional who understands your health.
  2. A rabbi (or other trusted Jewish authority) who can give a tailored ruling based on that medical information.

TL;DR: For those fully obligated and healthy, the classic Yom Kippur fast means no water at all, but anyone whose health might suffer is not expected to risk themselves and may be allowed—or required—to drink.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.