Tisha B'Av

Tisha B’Av, or the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, a day of national mourning. On Tisha b’Av, both Temples were destroyed—the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and the second by the Romans in 70 C.E. (Common Era). In addition to the destruction of both Temples, Tisha b’Av marked the date upon which Betar, the last stronghold during the Bar Kochba revolt fell in 135 C.E., Jerusalem was plowed over and remade into a pagan city by the Roman emperor Hadrian, the Jews accepted the report of the spies sent to scout out the Land of Israel, resulting in the wandering in the desert for forty years, World War I began in 1914, the deportation of the Jewish population of the Warsaw Ghetto began in 1942 and the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492.

Owing to this plethora of tragic events throughout history, Tisha b’Av is the saddest day on the calendar in which all customs of mourning are in effect. Just as on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and holiest day of the Jewish year, Tisha b’Av is a full, twenty-five hour fast, beginning at sundown and continuing through the following nightfall. In addition to abstaining from food and drink, many Jews observe other prohibitions, including bathing, using perfume and other ointments, wearing leather shoes, as these were historically a sign of wealth and sexual relations. It is customary to have a large meal in the afternoon of the 8th of Av and to have a smaller meal, consisting of bread and a hardboiled egg dipped in ashes just before sundown.

Tisha b’Av is also distinctive in that the tallit or prayer shawl and tefillin or phylacteries are not worn during the morning (Shacharit) service, but are instead worn during Mincha (the afternoon) service. The Torah is read both in the morning and afternoon, and a haftarah follows the Torah reading in both instances. Avinu Malkeinu, the prayer most Jews are familiar with as being said on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is also said. A special paragraph is added to the Amidah or standing prayer during the Mincha service.

Tisha b’Av is the only day during the entire year when the study of Torah is forbidden, as Torah study is considered to be a pleasurable endeavor. Learning Torah is therefore limited on this day to sections of the Talmud dealing directly with the themes of the day, as well as the Biblical books of Lamentations and Job. The story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, found in the Babylonian Talmud is also widely studied. Due to the ban on Torah study, many Yeshivot (institutions of Torah study) have shiurim or lectures which are often open to the public in which the portions of Torah dealing with Tisha b’Av’s themes are explicated.

On Tisha b’Av, both in the evening and the following morning, it is customary to recite kinot or elegies following the chanting of the Book of Lamentations (Eichah in Hebrew). These kinot were composed throughout the centuries to mark many Jewish historical tragedies. In addition to the destruction of the first and second Temple, kinot were composed for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of English and French Jewry, and in our own age the Holocaust. Three of the most prolific authors of the kinot were Rabbi Elazar ben Kalir, Judah Halevy and Solomon ibn Gabirol. Many kinot are written in acrostic form and in some cases, the acrostic spells out the name of the author of that particular kina. In addition to those kinot which were written to commemorate specific historical events, there are many kinot which long for the redemption of the Jewish people.

The Book of Lamentations is traditionally thought to have been written by the Prophet Jeremiah. It consists of five chapters and is distinctive in that it is written mainly in an acrostic (alphabetical) form. The tragedy, loss and desolation that Jerusalem and the Jewish people were experiencing is very poignantly illustrated. Eichah is chanted to a very specific mournful melody.

In our day, there has been much discussion surrounding the relevance of Tisha b’Av. While Tisha B’Av is marked in Orthodox and Conservative circles, the early Reform movement did away with its observance entirely owing to the fact that the Reform movement did not believe in the rebuilding of the Temple. However, today, more and more Reform communities and individuals are beginning to mark Tisha b’Av in many different ways. The significance of Tisha b’Av has also been reassessed in light of the State of Israel. While some people have suggested that Tisha b’Av ought no longer to be observed (and traditionally, it is believed that when the Messiah comes, Tisha b’Av will become a day of joy), this view is not widely held and there are still many compelling reasons to observe the day. In a time in which most of the tragedies of Tisha b’Av are removed from our daily lives, we are challenged in new and ever changing ways to make this day of national mourning and introspection meaningful on an individual level. The rabbis teach that the second Temple was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam, baseless or causeless hatred. During the first century C.E., there was a great deal of infighting amongst many Jewish factions. Today, the Jewish community around the world also has many areas of deep disagreement which can lead to enmity and distrust of the other. This Tisha b’Av, let’s all try to bridge these gaps and reach out to someone whose practice or way of being Jewish is different from our own. In this way, we can become a stronger, more unified people. Have an easy fast.