What is Tisha B’Av?
Tisha B’Av (Hebrew: תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב, literally “the ninth of Av”) is a major fast day that falls on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av. According to the Gregorian calendar, it usually occurs in July or August. Tisha B’Av is universally recognized as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar – a solemn day of mourning and fasting that commemorates the catastrophic destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
This major fast day is the culmination of a three-week mourning period known as “Bein HaMetzarim” (Between the Straits) that begins on the seventeenth day of the Jewish month of Tammuz (Shiva Asar B’Tammuz). On the seventeenth of Tammuz, the walls of Jerusalem were breached before the destruction of the First Temple. On the ninth of Av, both the first and second Temples were destroyed – by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Romans in 70 CE respectively.
During this three-week mourning period, weddings and other joyous celebrations are prohibited, as is cutting one’s hair. The mourning intensifies during the final nine days leading up to Tisha B’Av (known as “The Nine Days”), when it is customary to refrain from eating meat, drinking wine, or wearing new clothing, except on Shabbat.
What Does Tisha B’Av Commemorate?
According to Jewish tradition, five national calamities occurred on Tisha B’Av:
Ancient Tragedies:
- The Sin of the Spies (1313 BCE): At the time of Moses, the Jewish people accepted the spies’ slanderous report about the Land of Israel and were therefore barred from entering the holy land, sentenced to wander in the desert for 40 years.
- Destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE): The Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s Temple. Over 100,000 Jews were murdered and millions were exiled from their homeland.
- Destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE): The Romans destroyed the Second Temple. Two million Jews were slaughtered and one million were exiled, beginning nearly 2,000 years of diaspora.
- The Fall of Beitar (135 CE): The Bar Kochba Revolt was crushed by the Romans. The city of Beitar, the last Jewish stronghold, was captured and destroyed. More than 500,000 Jews were killed in this final stand against Roman occupation.
- The Temple Mount Plowed (136 CE): One year later, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount and its surroundings, transforming Jerusalem into a pagan city called Aelia Capitolina. Jews were forbidden from entering their holy city.
Historical Tragedies That Occurred on the Ninth of Av
Throughout Jewish history, numerous additional catastrophes have befallen the Jewish people on this date, leading Jewish tradition to consider the ninth of Av as “a day destined for tragedy”:
- The Expulsion from England (1290 CE): King Edward I’s Edict of Expulsion forced all Jews to leave England by Tisha B’Av.
- The Spanish Expulsion (1492 CE): The Alhambra Decree expelled all Jews from Spain. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand’s edict gave Jews exactly four months to leave, with the final deadline falling on the ninth of Av.
- World War I Begins (1914): Germany’s declaration of war on Russia, effectively launching World War I, occurred on Tisha B’Av. This conflict set the stage for the devastation that would follow, including the Holocaust.
- Warsaw Ghetto Deportations (1942): Mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto began on the eve of Tisha B’Av during the Holocaust.
Modern communities have also incorporated mourning for the Holocaust and, in some congregations, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel into their Tisha B’Av observances through special kinnot (liturgical dirges).
The Laws and Customs of Tisha B’Av
Tisha B’Av is observed as a 25-hour fast, similar to Yom Kippur in its stringency, beginning before sunset on the eve of the ninth of Av and concluding at nightfall the following day.
What is Forbidden on Tisha B’Av?
The Five Prohibitions (similar to Yom Kippur):
- Eating and drinking – All adults fast, including pregnant and nursing women (consult a rabbi for health concerns)
- Bathing or washing (except for basic hygiene and ritual hand washing upon waking)
- Application of creams, lotions, or perfumes (medical ointments are permitted)
- Wearing leather shoes – Only non-leather footwear may be worn
- Marital relations and intimate contact
Additional Mourning Practices:
- Torah study is forbidden (except for texts relating to the Temples’ destruction, mourning laws, or sad portions like Lamentations, Job, and Jeremiah)
- Working – While not absolutely prohibited, the tradition states that “one who works on Tisha B’Av will not see blessing from that work”
- Greeting others – Customary greetings like “hello” or “good morning” are avoided
- Sitting on regular chairs – Until midday (chatzot hayom), mourners sit on low stools or on the floor, as during shiva
- Wearing fine clothing or engaging in pleasurable activities
Pre-Fast Observances
The final meal before the fast, called “seudah hamafseket,” consists of simple foods eaten in mourning: typically bread and a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes, accompanied by water. This meal is eaten alone while sitting on a low stool or the floor.
Synagogue Services
In the synagogue, the atmosphere reflects deep mourning. The parochet (ark curtain) is removed or replaced with a black one, lights are dimmed, and the service includes:
- Reading of Megillat Eicha (Lamentations) – Jeremiah’s poetic lament over Jerusalem’s destruction
- Recitation of kinnot – Medieval liturgical dirges mourning the loss of the Temples and other Jewish tragedies
- Special prayers without tallit and tefillin during morning services (these are worn only at the afternoon Mincha service)
After Midday
The intensity of mourning slightly lessens after halachic midday:
- Sitting on regular chairs is permitted
- Tallit and tefillin are worn for afternoon prayers
- The synagogue’s ark curtain is restored
Breaking the Fast
When night falls and three stars appear in the sky, the fast concludes. Before eating, one performs netilat yadayim (ritual hand washing) covering the entire hand with water, but without reciting the blessing. Many communities also recite Kiddush Levanah at this time, celebrating the moon’s renewal as a symbol of hoped-for national rebirth.
The restrictions of the Nine Days continue until midday of the tenth of Av, so meat and wine are typically not consumed even at the break-fast meal.
The Message of Hope Within Mourning
Despite its mournful nature, Tisha B’Av carries profound hope for the future. The reading of Lamentations concludes with the verse: “Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.” Jewish tradition teaches that “one who mourns Jerusalem will merit to see her happiness” (Isaiah 66:10).
The Shabbat immediately following Tisha B’Av is called “Shabbat Nachamu” (Shabbat of Comfort), beginning seven weeks of consolation leading to Rosh Hashanah. Many use flimsy paperback kinot booklets during the service, expressing hope that they won’t be needed next year when the Temple is rebuilt.
Honor This Sacred Day of Remembrance
Commemorate Tisha B’Av with authentic ritual items whether you need a beautiful Megillat Eicha (Book of Lamentations) with Hebrew and English translation, traditional kinot prayer books, or memorial yahrzeit candles for reflection, ajudaica.com offers everything needed to observe this solemn day meaningfully. From comfortable floor cushions for the mourning practices to elegant mezuzahs that remind us of our eternal connection to Jerusalem, find the perfect items to help you “remember Jerusalem” and participate in this ancient tradition of hope emerging from sorrow.
