Considered the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, Jews worldwide to remember the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, as well as tragedies in Jewish history.
On Saturday night into Sunday evening, Jews worldwide will commemorate Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month “Av,” a day of mourning in remembrance of the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
Observant Jews fast for 25 hours during the day considered the saddest day in the Jewish tradition. Some religious people will even sleep at the Kotel (Western Wall) Saturday night into Sunday. The Book of Lamentations is also read, along with other traditional texts.
Apart from remembering the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, the day also commemorates the suffering of the Jewish people throughout history. The specific tragedies remembered are the Romans’ destruction of Betar in which over 500,000 Jews were killed during the Bar Kokhva Revolt. The Israelites lacking faith in God when given the promise of the Land of Israel- resulting in a generation of Israelites barred from entering the Land.
Traditional prohibitions on Tisha B’Av include no eating, no bathing, no pampering of the body, no sexual relations, no listening to music or dancing, and no wearing of leather. At the end of the 25-hour observance, it is traditional to break the fast.
Be sure to watch Amir’s teaching, which focuses on Jewish history and the past and future temples of Israel- The Next Temple!
