Wishing one an easy, productive or meaningful fast?

Before or during Yom Kippur it is common for people to wish each other a Tsom Kal, an easy fast.   The expression is a little strange, because is fasting really suppose to be easy? A deeper look at the meaning behind the phrase reveals that wishing someone a Tsom Kal (an easy fast), is more about wishing that their fast be no more difficult than it needs to be.  That is to say that one’s fast should not be so easy that they don’t even realize they are fasting, but not so difficult that it unduly distracts them from the focus and meaning of the day.  In this regards, some people simply choose to instead wish people a Tsom Mo’iil, which means to have a productive or meaningful fast.

Wishing everyone a Tsom Kal v’Mo’iil