![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/woman-shirt.jpg\")
<\/a>How did Tisha b\u2019Av start?<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe ninth of Av is the date that the spies returned from scouting out the land of Israel that God had promised the Jews. Ten of the twelve spies returned with negative reports, discouraging the Jews about their chances of conquering the land. The people cried, lamenting that they had ever left Egypt. Since, despite all the miracles they had witnessed, the people were unable to overcome their slave mentality, God ruled that that generation would die off in the wilderness and their children would be the ones to inherit the land (Numbers chapters 13-14).<\/p>\n
As far as Tisha b\u2019Av, the Talmud (Taanis 29a) says the date was established as a day of mourning because God metaphorically said, \u201cSince you cried for no reason, I\u2019ll give you something to cry about!\u201d We see that this holiday (and it is a holiday, as we shall see) was observed even in Biblical times; Zechariah chapter 7 refers to it as the fast of the fifth month. (Nisan is the first month for purposes of counting the Jewish holidays, making Av the fifth.)<\/p>\n
![\"Jerusalem](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/dramatic-8753752_1280-300x211.jpg\")
<\/a>What tragedies occurred?<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe primary tragedies we mourn on Tisha b\u2019Av are the destructions of the two Temple, each of which was destroyed on this date \u2013 the first by the Babylonians and the second, hundreds of years later, by the Romans. Each destruction resulted in an exile, the latter of which we are still experiencing.<\/p>\n
Other tragedies we recognize on this date include the destruction of the city of Beitar in 133 CE, effectively ending Bar Kochba\u2019s revolt against the Roman occupiers, and the subsequent plowing of the Temple Mount by the Romans.<\/p>\n
Many later tragedies also occurred on this date, including the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492. World War I also started on this date.<\/p>\n
How do we observe Tisha b\u2019Av?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"No](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/sign-3601520_1280-300x241.jpg\")
<\/a>Tisha b\u2019Av has a lot in common with Yom Kippur. For one thing, these are the only two fasts that start in the evening of the day before, which is the start of the Jewish day. (All other fasts begin at daybreak.) Additionally, the same comforts are prohibited, albeit for different reasons. These include eating and drinking, washing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations. (On Yom Kippur we avoid these things for the purpose of atonement; on Tisha b\u2019Av we do so as a form of mourning.)<\/p>\nOn Tisha b\u2019Av, the washing of the hands that is done upon arising in the morning is only done up to the knuckles.<\/p>\n
Other things we avoid on this day include greeting one another<\/a>, learning most areas of Torah<\/a> (excluding those that deal with the relevant tragedies or other mournful topics) and sitting on a regular chair before midday. (Before then, we sit on low chairs, in the fashion of mourners.) Idle conversation and lightheadedness are to be avoided. Labor is not prohibited on Tisha b\u2019Av, but working is discouraged if one doesn\u2019t have to. (The Talmud in Taanis 30b says that one who works on Tisha b\u2019Av will not see benefit from those labors.)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/food-1281742_1280-300x216.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
How do we prepare for the day?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn true, we prepare for Tisha b\u2019Av for nearly a month, with the intensifying mourning practices of the Three Weeks, the Nine Days and the week of Tisha b\u2019Av. On the afternoon preceding the fast, a special meal called the seudah hamafsekes<\/em> (\u201cthe meal that divides\u201d) is eaten. This meal consists of bread, water, and a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes. It is eaten sitting in a low chair or on the ground, and birkas hamazon<\/em> (\u201cbentching,\u201d grace after meals) is not recited in a group. Remember to finish the seudah hamafsekes<\/em> before the fast starts!<\/p>\nWhat is the service like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"On](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/man-2734073_1280-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>The Tisha b\u2019Av service is uncharacteristically mournful. Megillas Eicha<\/em> (the Biblical Book of Lamentations) is read as part of the evening service; there are different customs regarding reading it again in the morning. This book was written by the prophet Jeremiah, describing the devastation of the Babylonians\u2019 conquest of Jerusalem. This is followed by a few dirges known as kinos<\/em>.<\/p>\nIn the morning service, kinos<\/em> are the main event. These dirges recount the tragedies that befell the Jewish people during the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temples, as well as at other points throughout history. (Some contemporary kinos<\/a> even address the horrors of the Holocaust.) There is a custom to use disposable kinos<\/em> booklets. This reflects our fervent desire that we be speedily redeemed, rendering them unnecessary the following year.<\/p>\nTallis and tefillin are not worn for the morning service as per usual; they are delayed until the afternoon.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, the lights in shul are dimmed and the aron<\/em> (the ark where the Torahs are kept) is draped in black.<\/p>\nEven though Tisha b\u2019Av is a sad day, the prayer Tachanun, which is omitted on holidays, is not recited. This is because Eicha 1:15 refers to Tisha b\u2019Av as a moed<\/em> (a holiday). So, Tisha b\u2019Av is<\/em> a holiday, albeit a sad one. (Zechariah 8:19 says that it will eventually be a happy holiday!)<\/p>\nWhat do we do after Tisha b\u2019Av?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Kiddush](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/moon-4889743_1280-300x169.jpg\")
<\/a>Immediately after Maariv (the evening service that follows the fast) one should recite Kiddush Levana<\/a> (the blessing on the moon), which is customarily not recited during the Nine Days.<\/p>\nSince the Temple, which was set of fire on 9 Av, continued burning until midday on 10 Av, the restrictions of the Nine Days remain in effect through the following morning. Accordingly, the post-Tisha b\u2019Av meal may not include meat or wine, nor may one shower for pleasure, wash clothes or listen to music right away.<\/p>\n
The Shabbos after Tishah \u2019bAv is called Shabbos Nachamu (the Shabbos of Comfort) because of the haftarah that is read: the famous chapter of \u201cNachamu, nachamu ami<\/em>\u201d (\u201cComfort, comfort My people\u201d \u2013 Isaiah chapter 40). For seven weeks, from Tisha b’Av until Rosh Hashana, special haftaros are read on Shabbos. These are known as the \u201cseven of consolation.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat About Shabbos?<\/strong><\/h2>\nYes, the haftaros are read on Shabbos.<\/p>\n
No, I mean, what if Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos.<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"When](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/AdobeStock_809120199-300x168.jpeg\")
<\/a>Ah. Sorry. My bad. Tisha b\u2019Av is not observed on Shabbos, so when 9 Av falls on a Saturday, the fast is held on Sunday, 10 Av.<\/p>\nWhen Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos<\/a> \u2013 or, for that matter, on Sunday \u2013 we eat regular Shabbos meals, including meat and wine, and wear our usual Shabbos finery. One is likewise permitted to shower in anticipation of Shabbos. The seudah hamafsekes<\/em> is not eaten on Shabbos, and one must stop eating for the fast at shkiyah<\/em> \u2013 sunset. The other Tisha b\u2019Av restrictions, however, do not take effect until nightfall.<\/p>\nThe bracha of borei m\u2019orei ha\u2019aish<\/em> (that God created the lights of fire), normally recited as part of havdalah, is recited on Saturday night. Havdalah is recited as part of the Saturday night Shemoneh Esrei, but havdalah over a cup<\/a> is not recited until after the fast on Sunday night. (One who must eat on Tisha b\u2019Av needs to recite havdalah before doing so.) The bracha on spices is not recited.<\/p>\nWhen Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos and the fast is observed on Sunday, the Three Weeks\/Nine Days restrictions are only observed until the next morning, not until midday.<\/p>\n
You mentioned \u201cone who must eat.\u201d Who gets to eat?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
On Tisha b\u2019Av, the washing of the hands that is done upon arising in the morning is only done up to the knuckles.<\/p>\n Other things we avoid on this day include greeting one another<\/a>, learning most areas of Torah<\/a> (excluding those that deal with the relevant tragedies or other mournful topics) and sitting on a regular chair before midday. (Before then, we sit on low chairs, in the fashion of mourners.) Idle conversation and lightheadedness are to be avoided. Labor is not prohibited on Tisha b\u2019Av, but working is discouraged if one doesn\u2019t have to. (The Talmud in Taanis 30b says that one who works on Tisha b\u2019Av will not see benefit from those labors.)<\/p>\n In true, we prepare for Tisha b\u2019Av for nearly a month, with the intensifying mourning practices of the Three Weeks, the Nine Days and the week of Tisha b\u2019Av. On the afternoon preceding the fast, a special meal called the seudah hamafsekes<\/em> (\u201cthe meal that divides\u201d) is eaten. This meal consists of bread, water, and a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes. It is eaten sitting in a low chair or on the ground, and birkas hamazon<\/em> (\u201cbentching,\u201d grace after meals) is not recited in a group. Remember to finish the seudah hamafsekes<\/em> before the fast starts!<\/p>\n In the morning service, kinos<\/em> are the main event. These dirges recount the tragedies that befell the Jewish people during the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temples, as well as at other points throughout history. (Some contemporary kinos<\/a> even address the horrors of the Holocaust.) There is a custom to use disposable kinos<\/em> booklets. This reflects our fervent desire that we be speedily redeemed, rendering them unnecessary the following year.<\/p>\n Tallis and tefillin are not worn for the morning service as per usual; they are delayed until the afternoon.<\/p>\n Traditionally, the lights in shul are dimmed and the aron<\/em> (the ark where the Torahs are kept) is draped in black.<\/p>\n Even though Tisha b\u2019Av is a sad day, the prayer Tachanun, which is omitted on holidays, is not recited. This is because Eicha 1:15 refers to Tisha b\u2019Av as a moed<\/em> (a holiday). So, Tisha b\u2019Av is<\/em> a holiday, albeit a sad one. (Zechariah 8:19 says that it will eventually be a happy holiday!)<\/p>\n Since the Temple, which was set of fire on 9 Av, continued burning until midday on 10 Av, the restrictions of the Nine Days remain in effect through the following morning. Accordingly, the post-Tisha b\u2019Av meal may not include meat or wine, nor may one shower for pleasure, wash clothes or listen to music right away.<\/p>\n The Shabbos after Tishah \u2019bAv is called Shabbos Nachamu (the Shabbos of Comfort) because of the haftarah that is read: the famous chapter of \u201cNachamu, nachamu ami<\/em>\u201d (\u201cComfort, comfort My people\u201d \u2013 Isaiah chapter 40). For seven weeks, from Tisha b’Av until Rosh Hashana, special haftaros are read on Shabbos. These are known as the \u201cseven of consolation.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, the haftaros are read on Shabbos.<\/p>\n When Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos<\/a> \u2013 or, for that matter, on Sunday \u2013 we eat regular Shabbos meals, including meat and wine, and wear our usual Shabbos finery. One is likewise permitted to shower in anticipation of Shabbos. The seudah hamafsekes<\/em> is not eaten on Shabbos, and one must stop eating for the fast at shkiyah<\/em> \u2013 sunset. The other Tisha b\u2019Av restrictions, however, do not take effect until nightfall.<\/p>\n The bracha of borei m\u2019orei ha\u2019aish<\/em> (that God created the lights of fire), normally recited as part of havdalah, is recited on Saturday night. Havdalah is recited as part of the Saturday night Shemoneh Esrei, but havdalah over a cup<\/a> is not recited until after the fast on Sunday night. (One who must eat on Tisha b\u2019Av needs to recite havdalah before doing so.) The bracha on spices is not recited.<\/p>\n When Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos and the fast is observed on Sunday, the Three Weeks\/Nine Days restrictions are only observed until the next morning, not until midday.<\/p>\n<\/a>Tisha b\u2019Av has a lot in common with Yom Kippur. For one thing, these are the only two fasts that start in the evening of the day before, which is the start of the Jewish day. (All other fasts begin at daybreak.) Additionally, the same comforts are prohibited, albeit for different reasons. These include eating and drinking, washing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations. (On Yom Kippur we avoid these things for the purpose of atonement; on Tisha b\u2019Av we do so as a form of mourning.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\nHow do we prepare for the day?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is the service like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>The Tisha b\u2019Av service is uncharacteristically mournful. Megillas Eicha<\/em> (the Biblical Book of Lamentations) is read as part of the evening service; there are different customs regarding reading it again in the morning. This book was written by the prophet Jeremiah, describing the devastation of the Babylonians\u2019 conquest of Jerusalem. This is followed by a few dirges known as kinos<\/em>.<\/p>\nWhat do we do after Tisha b\u2019Av?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Immediately after Maariv (the evening service that follows the fast) one should recite Kiddush Levana<\/a> (the blessing on the moon), which is customarily not recited during the Nine Days.<\/p>\nWhat About Shabbos?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
No, I mean, what if Tisha b\u2019Av falls on Shabbos.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Ah. Sorry. My bad. Tisha b\u2019Av is not observed on Shabbos, so when 9 Av falls on a Saturday, the fast is held on Sunday, 10 Av.<\/p>\nYou mentioned \u201cone who must eat.\u201d Who gets to eat?<\/strong><\/h2>\n