Tisha b’Av

On the ninth day of the month of Av (Tisha B’Av), 70 CE, the world lost the Holy Temple that Yeshua walked in. Almost seven hundred years earlier, the First Temple was lost on this day as well. The Holy Temple was meant to be the house of prayer for all nations, but now not one stone of it rests upon another, as our Rebbe Yeshua predicted. The prophet Zechariah records an incident where a group of Israelites from Bethel traveled up to Jerusalem to inquire of him regarding the fast days. With the exception of Yom Kippur, All the fasts on the Jewish calendar pertain to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people. Since the people returned from Babylon and we’re no longer in exile, and the Temple was being rebuilt, they wondered if the fast days were still required upon them as they had been in times past. They asked “Shall I leave in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?” (Zechariah 7:3) Zechariah Returned with a lengthy reply from Hashem, stating that because the final redemption had not yet come, they were still required. There was still a reason for fasting and mourning. It was not yet the prophesied and hoped for Messianic Age nor the New Jerusalem that was being built. However, he did look forward to a future day of final redemption when the fasts would indeed be turned into days of joy and celebration. Zechariah 8:19 states, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful seasons; therefore love ye truth and peace.” The Mishna reads as follows:

n order to bring reparation, we must identify the opposite of what has gotten us into this current state. If hatred brought upon us the dark night of exile, love will hasten the coming of the day when we will be brought out from it. We counteract baseless hatred with love that is also unmerited. This is how he loved us: when we had no merit. “But God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV). This is the type of baseless love that will ultimately rebuild the Temple and see the return of the Messiah. How should we love without cause? What did Yeshua say? “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Yeshua said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV). This is a Hebrew concept called mesirat nefesh, which means to suppress the desires of one’s own soul. Nefesh means soul or life, so Yeshua’s words are understood through the lens of Jewish thought to mean that the greatest form of love is when one prioritizes his fellowman’s wellbeing above his own desires for self-preservation. This may mean actually dying for someone else. It could also mean bridling the tongue when words of fire burn to be unleashed. It means staying humble when we know we are in the right or deserve recognition. It means forgiving one who has caused offense toward us. It means giving another the seat of honor or the first place in line. It means giving someone the benefit of the doubt and listening to them before rushing to judgment to satisfy our own ego. May we merit that we should see in our own lifetimes the peace of the Days of Messiah, when all Israel will ascend together to the courts of the Holy Temple, and all nations will sit at the feet of our holy teacher to learn the deep secrets of Torah. In those days we will no longer mourn. As we long for the perfection of those days, our hearts should be crushed when we contrast this broken world with the world as it will be in the kingdom of messiah. May those days come soon and quickly. Tzom kal: May you have an easy fast.

PROHIBITIONS: The prohibitions on Tisha B’Av itself are similar to those of Yom Kippur. In addition to not eating or drinking, we are not allowed to wash, anoint oneself or wear leather shoes. In a prohibition more stringent than on Yom Kippur, we are only allowed to study certain portions of the Torah and Talmud on Tisha B’Av. OBSERVANCES: The observance of Tisha B’Av begins with the Seudah HaMafseket, the last meal before the fast commences. NOTE: During years when the fast starts on Saturday night we do not have a seuda HaMafseket. Unlike the elaborate feast we have before Yom Kippur, this meal is typically one course, usually consisting of a hard-boiled egg and some bread. Also, this meal is generally not eaten with others to avoid having a Zimmun (quorum for public blessing) at Birchat HaMazon. Zimmun indicates permanence, habit and durability. We avoid the Zimmun because we’d prefer not to make this mournful meal a recurring experience. It is customary to eat this meal seated on the floor or a low stool. Until Mincha on Tisha B’Av one should try to avoid sitting on a chair or bench. Instead, the custom is to stand or sit on the floor, just like a mourner during the Shiva (traditional seven days of mourning a loved one). Beginning at Mincha sitting on chairs is permitted, and we reduce the intensity of the grief that has pervaded us so far. Also, men put on Tefillin and recite those Tefillot that were omitted at Shacharit. It is forbidden to greet friends or acquaintances on Tisha B’Av. However, if greeted first, one should answer, but in a low tone in order not to arouse resentment. At the evening Ma’ariv service, the entire congregation sits on the floor and recites the Book of Eicha (Lamentations) where the prophet Jeremiah weeps the destruction, and we weep with him. The morning of Tisha B’Av is the saddest part of the day. We recite Kinot, and the men do not don Tefillin at Shacharit, because Tefillin are called “Pe-ar,” “Glory,” and this is definitely not a day of glory for the Jewish People. Our sages teach that whoever mourns over Jerusalem will merit the future vision of her joy. As it is written in Isaiah (Chapter 66, verse 10), “rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn her."