Tasting On A Fast Day

 Berachot (14a)  אָמַר לֵיהּ: טוֹעֵם וְאֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: מַטְעֶמֶת אֵינָהּ טְעוּנָה בְּרָכָה, וְהַשָּׁרוּי בְּתַעֲנִית טוֹעֵם וְאֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם. עַד כַּמָּה? רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי טָעֲמִי עַד שִׁיעוּר רְבִיעֲתָא.

The Rosh says טועם ואין בכך כלום פירש רב חננאל  כגון שחוזר ופולטו הלכך לא חשיבא הטעימה הנאה  וגם א"צ ברכה ומיהו דוקא רביעית  אבל טפי מרביעית חשיבא הנאה לענין תענית. ומיהו נראה דברכה לא צריך כיון שאינו נהנה בתוך מעיו.  According to the Rosh the obligation for beracha is swallowing the food and without that there is no obligation of beracha.  For a fast the issur is the pleasure of even having food in the throat but less than a רביעית is insignificant.   

The Rambam Berachot (1:2) says וּמַטְעֶמֶת אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה בְּרָכָה לֹא לְפָנֶיהָ וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֶיהָ עַד רְבִיעִית.  In Taanis (1:14) he says וּמֻתָּר לוֹ לִטְעֹם אֶת הַתַּבְשִׁיל וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּכְדֵי רְבִיעִית וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִבְלַע אֶלָּא טוֹעֵם וּפוֹלֵט.  He splits between beracha and taanis, only in the Taanis does he note the need to spit out the food but not in Berachot. 

The Shulchan Aruch (210:2) cites both the opinion of the Rambam and the Rosh הטועם את התבשיל אינו צריך לברך עד רביעית ואפי' אם הוא בולעו וי"א שאם הוא בולעו טעון ברכה ולא פטרו את הטועם אלא כשחוזר ופולט ואז אפי' על הרבה אינו צריך ברכה.  The first opinion is the Rambam that only requires a beracha if tasting if swallowing a רביעית and the second opinion holds that one is exempt only if one spits out what they are tasting and then one can taste as much as they want like the Rosh.  In the laws of Taanit (567:1) he says השרוי בתענית יכול לטעום כדי רביעית ובלבד שיפלוט וביום הכפורים ובתשעה באב אסור.  He requires a taster to spit it out for even the Rambam requires one to spit out what one is tasting on a fast day. 

What is the difference between fasting and a beracha?  The Kesef Mishne says ואפשר לתת סמך לדבר דטעמא משום דכתיב ואכלת וברכת שיהא לו כוונת אכילה משמע ורביעית אף על פי שהיא מטעמת כוונת אכילה יש לה וכן פירש ה"ר מנוח. ואף על גב דהאי קרא לענין ברכה אחרונה מיירי מכל מקום יש לסמוך למקרא זה ברכה ראשונה.  It sounds from the K.M. that there is no obligation of beracha for one is not intending to eat, merely to taste.  It should come out then if one is eating merely for a side reason, not for the act of eating, that there is no beracha.  However, the Shulchan Aruch (204:7) says one who drinks water to clear one's throat doesn't make a beracha and the Mishna Berura spells out that if one drinks something other than water they will have to say a beracha even though the person is drinking just to clear their throat?  Furthermore, the Shaar Hatzion (210:30) has a doubt when one tastes and also intends to get pleasure from the food if one says a beracha, what is the doubt, the person should for sure be obligated in a beracha (see Minchas Shlomo 18:5)?  

The Rambam holds that eating less than a רביעית is considered eating, a מעשה אכילה, and hence any act of swallowing is prohibited on a fast day.  That however is not enough to obligate one in a beracha.  For a beracha the obligation is for an act of taking הנאה in the form of eating (see Ramban beginning of Ch. 8 of Berachat) and tasting is not called an act of taking benefit for this is not a way to eat.  However, in an act of of getting pleasure from food, even when there is no intent for consumption there still is an obligation of beracha.  The Shaar Hatzion's doubt is when one also has intent for the benefit of the food does this transform into an act of a pleasurable act of eating or no, for the main intent is to do an act of tasting.  (See Zacher Yitzchok volume 2 siman 21, shiurim of Rav Solevetchik.)   

Why is 9 Av and Yom Kippur different and all tasting is prohibited?  Tosfos notes that it is only a private fast that depends on the nature of one's acceptance that one is permitted to taste but a taanis tzibbur which does not depend on the intention of the one accepting the taanis it will be prohibited to taste.  The Rema therefore rules that for every taanis tzibbur one may not taste.  It would seem the Shulchan Aruch holds the other fast days since רצו מתענין רצו אין מתענין don't have the status of a tzibbur fast.