Tisha B'Av: A Time to Weepഉദാഹരണം

Customs and Rituals Observed Today

On the ninth day of Av, we observe a 25-hour fast and we mourn for the loss of our Holy Temples and for all other tragedies, both personal and collective. However, the day doesn’t just come in an instant; it essentially begins three weeks earlier on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. On that day in history, Jerusalem fell, paving the way for the destruction of the Temple, which occurred exactly three weeks later.

Like Tisha B’Av, the 17th of Tammuz has also seen many Jewish catastrophes and is considered an ominous day. The entire three-week period leading up to Tisha B’Av is known as “between the straits,” a difficult and historically dangerous time for the Jews. The name is taken from the Book of Lamentations, which reads, “All her persecutors overtook her between the straits” (1:3).

On the 17th of Tammuz, we observe a fast from dawn until dusk, ushering in the three weeks of mourning. During this time period, known as the Three Weeks, we minimize enjoyment and celebration. Among our customs, we refrain from scheduling weddings, listening to live music, shaving, or getting haircuts. When the month of Av begins, we decrease our joy even further. For nine days, the custom is to refrain from pleasures, including drinking wine, eating meat, wearing freshly laundered clothing, and bathing in warm water for the sole purpose of enjoyment.

Then, just before the sun sets on the eighth day of Av, as Tisha B’Av is about to begin, we end our pre-fast meal with a traditional meal of mourning consisting of bread and a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes. Sundown marks the official start of Tisha B'Av.

Until sunset the next day, we do not eat, drink, wear leather shoes, apply soothing oils, or engage in marital relations. Many observe a custom to sleep on the floor or without a pillow. Until midday, we sit on low chairs or on the floor, just as one does when mourning the loss of a close relative.

Both at night and in the morning of Tisha B’Av, Jews gather in the synagogue to read the book of Lamentations out loud and recite kinot, elegies that have been written throughout the generations recounting the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. The day is filled entirely with introspection, mourning, and prayer.

Once Tisha B’Av has concluded, we get up and embark on a new path. At first, we still observe the restraints of the Three Weeks for one more day because the Temple burnt through the 10th of Av, but then all constraints are removed. On the following Sabbath, we read from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 40, beginning with, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” The time of healing and hope has begun.