I

Spirituality

HOLIDAY 101

The Three Weeks

Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News

W

hat it Is: The Three Weeks is
a period of mourning begin-
ning on the fast day of the
17th day of Tammuz, continuing through
the first nine days of the month of Av
("The Nine Days") and culminating on
the fast day, Tisha b'Av.

When We Observe: This year,
the Three Weeks begin at sunrise on
Thursday morning, July 9. The ninth
day of Av begins Wednesday night, July
29, and continues until sundown on
Thursday, July 30.

Name of the Events: "The Three
Weeks" is self-explanatory. Tammuz is
the name of a month on the Jewish cal-
endar that is followed by the month of
Av. The 17th of Tammuz and the ninth
of Av are three weeks apart. Tisha b'Av:
In Hebrew, tisha means "nine," Av is the
name of the month, b means "in." Thus,
Tisha b'Av means "nine [days] in Av."

Why We Observe: To commemo-
rate and mourn the destruction by the
Assyrians of the first Jewish Temple
in Jerusalem and the destruction by
the Romans of the second Temple. The
walls of Jerusalem were breached on the
17th of Tammuz and both Temples were
destroyed on the ninth of Av. In ancient
times, the Jerusalem Temple was the
focal point of Jewish national religious
observance. Its destruction was deemed
a national disaster.
After the fall of the First Temple,
most of the Jews were deported to
Assyria (which later became Babylonia
— today's Iraq). The destruction of the
Second Temple was followed by the exile
of the Jewish people to the Middle East,
North Africa and Mediterranean Europe.
Other calamities also have befallen the
Jewish people on the 9th of Av.

What
We Observe:
The 17th of
Tammuz is a partial-day
fast — that is, it begins
at sunrise and ends at
sunset (although absten-
tion from food and drink is
total). Tisha b'Av is a full-day
fast, with no eating or drinking from
sunset to sundown (Yom Kippur is
the only other such day). Also on Tisha
b'Av, we do not wear leather shoes or
use perfume, bathe for pleasure or
engage in marital relations. We do not
participate in enjoyable activities, even
the study of Torah, with the exception
of the Book of Lamentations, the
Book of Job and other literature of a
mournful character.

Traditions Of The Three Weeks:
During the Three Weeks, we do not get
haircuts, buy new clothes or have wed-
dings, parties or other joyous events.
A stricter approach is not to listen to
music (although some allow recorded
music). During
the Nine Days
— beginning

with Rosh Chodesh Av (the first day
of Av, this year on Wednesday, July 22)
until the ninth of Av — we intensify
the mourning by abstaining from meat
and wine, except for Shabbat.
The services: On the 17th of
Tammuz, Aneinu ("Answer Us")
is inserted into the Amidah
(Shemona Esrei) prayer. The
Torah is read,
the portion
being the
standard
reading
for a pub-
lic fast day
(Exodus 32:11-
14; 34:1-10).
Three persons
are called up.
Selichot are
also recited.
In the afternoon
Minchah service, the
same Torah portion is
read and a Haftorah por-
tion is added: Isaiah 55:6-56:8.

Tisha b'Av: Before the fast begins
on Tisha b'Av, we eat a last meal con-
sisting of bread, water and an egg.
Synagogues take down the parochet
— the curtain on the ark — and lower
the lighting in the sanctuary.
Those who come to pray in the syna-
gogue sit in a manner appropriate for
mourners, that is, on the floor or on
low stools or benches. During Ma'ariv
(evening) service, Eichah (the Book
of Lamentations) is
recited. At
the conclusion of the
reading
of Eichah, we recite a num-
ber of dirges,
or kinot.

At Shacharit, the morning service,
talit and tefillin are not worn. Aneinu
is inserted into the Shemona Esrei.
The Torah reading is Deuteronomy
4:25-40, which focuses on Moses'
warning to the children of Israel of
their fate should they forsake the
Torah (though in the end, they are
told God will have mercy and forgive
them). Three persons are called up.
The haftorah is Jeremiah 8:13-9:23.
After the morning service, kinot
again are recited, usually until mid-
day (about 1:30 p.m.), or at least until
noon. Many of the kinot focus on the
destruction of the Temples, but many
others recall disasters that befell the
Jewish people, such as the Crusades,
expulsions, the Chmelnicki Massacres
of 1648 (in Poland and Ukraine) and
other pogroms, and the Holocaust.
On Tisha b'Av, the house of an
observant Jew is quieter than usual,
as television, DVDs, videos, computer
games, music CDs and other forms of
entertainment are not on. Swimming
is not permitted. It is customary to
visit a cemetery. To keep children
occupied, many parents take them to a
public park or playground.
At Minchah, the afternoon service,
tallit and tefillin are worn. The Torah
reading is the standard fast-day por-
tion, plus haftorah (as read on the
17th of Tammuz). By this time of
day, it is permitted to sit on ordinary
chairs.
There is no special ceremony to end
Tisha b'Av. As soon as the fast is over,
regular activities may begin although
it is traditional to wait until after mid-
day of the next day to get a haircut. At
the conclusion of evening services, it is
customary to recite Kiddush Levana,
the prayer for the new moon. O

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