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The Book of Lamentations, the sad prophecy of Jeremiah regarding the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of our nation, forms the centerpiece of the Tisha B’Av mourning.
- What calamities does Tisha B’Av commemorate? Traditionally, both Temples were destroyed on Tisha B’Av. The first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and the second by the Romans in 70 CE.
- Why this day in particular? Was it a coincidence that both Temples were destroyed on the 9 of Av, a day that happens to fall at the blazingly hot height of summer?
- What can’t Jews do on Tisha B’Av? Traditionally, Jews fast – meaning they take no food or drink from sunset to sunset. Jews also do not wear leather or other luxurious garments, do not anoint themselves with make-up or creams, and abstain from intimate relations.
- What are the major practices of Tisha B’Av? Jews sit on the floor in the dark (usually with only candlelight to read) and chant the Book of Lamentations (Eicha).
Aug 7, 2016 · The author (s) of Eikhah (traditionally Jeremiah) believed that what happened to Jerusalem was an expression of divine judgment. The idea that tragedy and disaster are punishment for our sins may seem alien to most most modern Jews. This is also why it is hard to connect the Holocaust with Tishah b’Av.
- David Seidenberg
- History
- The Ninth of Av in Rabbinic Literature
- Ritual Observances
- Theology
- Why Observe Tishah B’Av Today?
Why do Jews commemorate the ninth of Av (Tishah B’Av)? The ninth of Av has come to symbolize a day of great sadness for the Jewish people, and hence has been set aside as a day of fasting and commemoration. This date memorializes a number of historical events, whether they in actuality did occur on this date, or not. The initial historical occurren...
Why do Jews commemorate the ninth of Av (Tish’ah be’Av)? According to the Talmud, God decreed the ninth of Av as a day of calamity because of the incident in Numbers 13-14 when the spies were sent out on a reconnaissance mission to Canaan. They brought back a discouraging report and the people, once again displaying ingratitude for God’s miracles, ...
What are the observances attendant to Tishah B’Av? The Three Weeks between the seventeenth of Tammuz (the day on which the Babylonians breached of the outer wall of Jerusalem) and the ninth of Av (when the Temple was burned) are regarded as days of mourning. 1. No weddings and other joyous events should take place 2. During the nine days of Av, eat...
Why is the book of Lamentations (Eikhah) read on Tishah B’Av? Set against the background of the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BCE, Lamentations (Eikhah) is comprised of a series of poems describing the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the exile of its population. It is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, a contemporary to the events of the destru...
With Israel a reality today, and particularly with the reunification of Jerusalem since 1967, some maintain that the observance of these days have lost their relevance. Why is it still appropriate to fast and commemorate these days of mourning? Robert Gordis, one of the most influential Jewish theologians in the mid twentieth century wrote in his w...
Aug 8, 2024 · In recent years I have been lucky enough to live in Jerusalem, and hear Eicha on the Tayelet (promenade) where there is a direct view of the Temple Mount, which further helped me connect to the...
- Rena Young
Jul 24, 2004 · A few samples of their ingenuity should suffice to convey the vibrancy of their vision: Eikhah is the scroll of Lamentations which is read publicly on the night of Tishah b’Av. The word, eikhah itself, however, is merely an exclamation meaning “how” or “alas”.
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To understand Tishah B'Av, we must examine both our words and our silences. One message of Tishah B'Av is embodied in the prayers and Biblical readings that are added to the service, most notably the book of Eikhah (Lamentations).
