Tish’a BeAb is the national day of mourning for the Jewish people. On this day we fast from night to night. This year, 2023, the fast will begin today, Wednesday, July 26th, before sunset (8.17, Great Neck, NY) and will end on Thursday, July 27th, at nightfall ( 8.47, Great Neck, NY).
We should have the se’udat hamafseqet, the last meal, before the fasting day begins. This is a virtual “meal of mourners” (seudat habra-a) and consists mainly of bread, eggs, lentils, and water.
What makes this meal special is:
1. We refrain from eating two or more types of different foods to express (and inspire) a state of austerity and mourning and consume only what is necessary to fast for the next 24 hours (raw vegetables and fruits are not restricted).
2. In this meal, we do not sit at the table, but each individual sits on a low chair or on a cushion on the floor, like mourners in the shib’a (the first seven days of mourning). We also sit apart from each other, thus avoiding the zimun, the invitation to participate together in the birkat hamazon (the prayer that is recited after a meal with bread) which is normally recited when three or more men eat together.
We should stop eating a few minutes before sunset.
For the times of Tish’a BeAb in other cities, see this
.
After finishing this meal, we go to the synagogue, wearing non-leather footwear. In the synagogue, we say the prayer of Arbit with a sad and melancholy melody. We begin reciting with ‘al neharot babel (Tehilim 137) which is the psalm of the mourners for the Bet haMiqdash. In many Sephardic communities, the Shema Israel is chanted with a monotonous and sad melody instead of the regular te’amim.
Then, Megilat Ekha is read, this is the book of Lamentations written by the prophet Yirmiyahu, where he describes the destruction of the first Temple (586 BCE), the desolation of Jerusalem, the pain of the exiles to Babylon, the mockery of our enemies when seeing our ruin, hunger, helplessness, and death.
Then, we recite the Qinot, sad poems, and elegies that describe the tragedies we have suffered throughout our history this day.
At the end of the Qinot, sitting on the floor with the lights dimmed, we declare with tears in our eyes: “Listen, oh brothers of the house of Israel… today we count… 1955 years since the destruction of our Bet haMiqdash…”. According to the Sephardic tradition, the second Bet haMiqdash was destroyed in the year 68 of the common era and not in 70, as it is generally taught.
May HaShem grant us an easy and meaningful fast.
And may this be the last year we mourn for our Bet haMiqdash.
