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Tanakh Study Permitted on Tisha B'Av
Jewish law restricts the study of Torah and rabbinic texts on Tisha B'Av as an expression of mourning, but permits the reading of certain biblical and other texts. The sources address which passages of Tanakh and other works may be studied on this fast day, including Job, Lamentations, and passages of doom from Jeremiah.
אָסוּר לִקְרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים
Sephardic Halacha for Tisha B'Av
The sources address Sephardic observance during the week of Tisha B'Av, covering restrictions on the eve, the fast day itself, and the following day. Key topics include dietary prohibitions, permitted and forbidden activities, mourning practices, and distinctions between Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs regarding meat and wine.
משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה
Shaving and Grooming for a Bris During the Nine Days
Sources address the permissibility of grooming and shaving in connection with a circumcision ceremony that falls during the Nine Days of Av, including exceptions made for the honor of the mitzvah and Shabbat.
מילה שהיא מר״ח עד ט׳ באב נוהגין שהמוהל ובעל ברית ואבי הבן לובשין
Shaving and Grooming During the Nine Days
Sources address the halakhic restrictions on haircuts and shaving during the Nine Days of mourning for the Temple's destruction, and discuss whether exceptions apply for pressing needs such as a circumcision ceremony.
וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין מִסְתַּפְּרִין בְּיָמִים אֵלּוּ
Halakhic Rulings on Nine Days Restrictions
Sources addressing the customary prohibitions and stringencies observed during the Nine Days before Tisha B'Av, including restrictions on meat, wine, and other practices, along with contemporary poskim's applications and variations between Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions.
ממעטין בשמחה ובשנייה
Fresh Clothing During the Nine Days
Sources discuss the halakhic status of wearing freshly laundered garments during the Nine Days period of mourning for the Temple's destruction. The discussion centers on which types of clothing are permitted to be changed and under what circumstances, drawing on classical and later authorities' interpretations of the relevant restrictions.
כתונת אינו אלא מפני הזיעה
Mourning Practices and Discomfort on Tisha B'Av
Sources examine the laws and customs of Tisha B'Av observance, distinguishing between obligatory practices such as fasting and abstaining from meat and wine, and customary stringencies like sleeping on the floor or adopting ascetic behaviors that reflect deeper mourning. The sources reveal a range of observance from general practice to the pious practices of earlier generations.
חסידים הראשונים כך היתה מדתן
Shaving for a Brit During the Nine Days
Sources address whether grooming restrictions during the Nine Days and the week of Tisha B'Av apply to those observing a brit milah, and under what circumstances leniency or stringency applies to the brit subject and participants.
מִילָה דּוֹחָה אֶת הַצָּרַעַת
Fresh Shirts During the Nine Days
Sources address whether a shirt (kuttonet) worn for perspiration purposes may be changed to a fresh one during the Nine Days of Av, examining the distinction between garments worn for necessity versus luxury and the practical application of mourning restrictions on newly laundered clothing.
כתונת אינו אלא מפני הזיעה
Tisha B'Av Transformed Into Joy at Redemption
Classical and modern Jewish sources explore the prophetic vision that Tisha B'Av, currently observed as a day of fasting and mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem, will be transformed into a festival of joy and celebration in the messianic era. The sources address how national suffering and exile will give way to rebuilt Jerusalem, the ingathering of exiles, and universal redemption.
עתיד הקב״ה להפוך תשעה באב לשמחה
Shabbat Chazon and the Three Weeks
Sources explore the customs, biblical foundations, and spiritual significance of Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat before Tish'ah B'Av, which marks the climax of the Three Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. The sources address halakhic practices, the mood of national lamentation, and the connection between destruction and consolation.
משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה
Shaving During the Nine Days of Av
Halakhic sources address whether grooming restrictions during the Nine Days before Tishah B'Av may be relaxed for purposes of domestic peace (shalom bayis). The classical codes and their commentaries establish the general prohibitions on haircuts and shaving as mourning observances, while later authorities discuss limited exceptions and the reasoning behind them.
אָסוּר לְסַפֵּר וּלְכַבֵּס וְלִלְבּשׁ כְּלִי מְגֹהָץ