Tzom Kal is a traditional Hebrew greeting exchanged before major Jewish fasts, including Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, as well as smaller fast days throughout the year. The words literally wish the other person an easy fast and reflect a custom of offering encouragement before a period of prayer and abstinence from food and drink. As messaging apps replaced phone calls, short recorded versions began circulating in family and community chats, where a spoken blessing feels more personal than typed text and preserves the warmth of the tradition.