Festivals
Tisha B'Av 5768

Tisha B’Av, The months of Tammuz and Av are the low point of the cycle, marked by commemorations of tragedies that befell the Jewish people in several ages of their history.
Tisha B’Av is so important because it marks the day when both temples were destroyed, on the ninth of Av, the first temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and the second temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. The second destruction not only brought an end to the temple service but also marked the end of Jewish sovereignty and the beginning of galut, Exile, which was the Jewish fate until more than five decades ago, when the founding of the state of Israel marked the beginning of a new period of Jewish sovereignty.
Tisha B’Av is a major fast day and therefore bears some resemblance to the only other one in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. The fast begins at sundown and continues until sundown.
Tisha B’Av is marked by strict mourning practices and the reading of the Book of Lamentations. The synagogue service begins after sundown with Ma’ariv, followed by the reading of the Book of Lamentations. It is customary to sit on the floor or on low benches during the reading, which is again analogous to mourning customs. Only a few lights or candles are left on in the synagogue. The ark curtain (parokhet) is removed.
During Tisha B’Av, as on Yom Kippur, the following are forbidden: eating, drinking, bathing, anointing with oil/perfume, wearing leather shoes, and sexual intercourse. Unique to Tisha B’Av is a prohibition against the study of Torah, since studying Torah is a joyous activity. All that is permitted to be studied is the Book of Job, the parts of Jeremiah that describe the destruction of Jerusalem, and the sections of the Talmud that deal with the destruction.

Adapted from The Jewish Holidays - A Guide & Commentary by Michael Strassfeld

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