Haftorah for a Ta’anis Tzibbur Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

Shiva Asar B’Tammuz: The Incredible Machloket – Chida & Rav Moshe Feinstein, When the 3 Weeks Begin Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

The Secret of Shiva Asar B’Tamuz and the Bein Hametzarim Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

Shiva Asar B’Tamuz : The 5 Tragedies Indicate A Day Of Building and Destruction -The Mystical Power of the Letter “Hey” Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

The Gemara in Maseches Rosh HaShana (18b) says that there are three categories regarding the four fasts (of Asarah b’Teves, Shiva Asar b’Tamuz, Tisha b’Av, and Tzom Gedaliah) : 1) when there is gezeiras malchus (persecution) all four fasts are obligatory as fasts, 2) when there is no gezeiras malchus but also not shalom only Tisha b’Av is obligatory, and the rest are optional, 3) when there is shalom all four are Yamim Tovim.  […]

Why do we fast on Tisha B’av?  The primary answer, of course, is to remember the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash and Yerushalayim. Yet, according to the Navi Zechariah, not only Tisha B’av, but all four of the fast days (in which we remember Yerushalayim) will one day take on an added dimension. In the […]

The Talmud records that the first tragedy that occurred on the 17th of Tammuz was the breaking of the tablets at Mt. Sinai. This event sets the tone for a day that would tragically be replete with other traumatic events suffered by the Jewish people throughout their history. The following teaching delves into the meaning […]

Rabbi Koenigsberg is a Rosh Yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, and the editor of two volumes of the Shiurei HaRav series, an annotated collection of Rav Soloveitchik’s lectures published by the Mesorah Commission of the Orthodox Union. One of his volumes deals with mourning and Tisha B’Av. The customs […]

HALAKHA GUIDE / הלכות (According to the Ashkenazic practice) Notes in [brackets] based upon contributions from Rabbi Ari Kahn, whom we thank for his valuable input! Abbreviations A.H. = Arukh HaShulĥan B.H. = Biur Halakha E.Y. = Even Yisrael (Fischer) K.H. = Kaf HaĤayim K.S.A. = Kitzur Shulĥan Arukh M.B. = Mishna Berura M.H. = […]

Fast days, with the exception of Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, begin in the morning. Does that mean we can enjoy ourselves the night before? In particular, the Three Weeks, with the custom in memory of the destruction of the Temple of refraining from having parties, begin on Shiva Asar B’Tammuz. If the fast of […]