Shabbos 250
TISHA B'AV

Tisha B'Av. The saddest day on the calendar.

A 25-hour fast remembering the destruction of both Temples and other tragedies. Sit on low chairs, no leather shoes, no learning Torah (except sad topics), read Eichah.

PRINTABLE PACKET

Print your Tisha B'Av packet.

PDF — cover, the five essentials, step-by-step, the blessings, your shopping list, and a one-page FAQ. Personalized with your local times when you set your ZIP.

Without a ZIP we still print the full guide; just no candle-lighting time.
FIVE ESSENTIALS

What you really need to know.

01
Pre-fast Seudah HaMafsekes
Eat a small, somber meal before sundown — many sit on the floor and eat an egg dipped in ashes.
02
25-hour fast
No food, no water, no leather shoes, no anointing, no marital intimacy, no greeting friends.
03
Read Eichah at night
After Maariv, the book of Lamentations is read by candlelight. Sit on the floor or a low chair.
04
Kinnos in the morning
Elegies read at the morning service. No tallis or tefillin in the morning — worn at Mincha instead.
05
Mincha + tallis/tefillin
Tallis and tefillin worn at the afternoon service.
STEP-BY-STEP

Tisha B'Av, one step at a time.

  1. EREV TB

    Three Weeks + Nine Days lead-up.

    No music, weddings, or new clothes during the Three Weeks (Shiva Asar B'Tammuz → Tisha B'Av). No meat or wine (except Shabbos) during the Nine Days.

  2. AFTERNOON

    Seudah HaMafsekes.

    The pre-fast meal. Small, somber, sitting on the floor. Customary to eat a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes.

  3. NIGHT

    Maariv + Eichah.

    Evening service in low light. Read the book of Lamentations.

  4. MORNING

    Shacharis without tallis/tefillin.

    Followed by Kinnos elegies. The day is observed at the lowest level.

  5. AFTERNOON

    Mincha with tallis + tefillin.

    The day starts to lift slightly. Tachanun is replaced by Nachem inserted in the Amidah.

  6. NIGHTFALL

    Fast ends at nightfall.

    Wait until nightfall (~tzeis hakochavim) to break the fast. Don't resume meat/wine until the next day.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Shopping & prep list.

  • ·Eichah (book of Lamentations)
  • ·Kinnos book
  • ·Non-leather shoes (canvas, rubber)
  • ·Light foods for break-fast (the next day starts with dairy until mid-morning)
TEFILLAH NOTES
  • No tallis or tefillin at Shacharis — worn at Mincha.
  • Add Aneinu in the Amidah.
  • Nachem inserted in Mincha Amidah.
FAQ

Common questions.

Why is this day special?

Both the First and Second Temples were destroyed on Tisha B'Av (586 BCE and 70 CE). Many other tragedies in Jewish history also occurred on this date, including the expulsion from Spain in 1492.

Can I work on Tisha B'Av?

The custom is to refrain from work until midday — beyond that, work is permitted but discouraged.

Who is exempt from fasting?

Pregnant or nursing women, the elderly or ill — anyone whose health would be endangered. Children before bar/bas mitzvah do not fast.

See Tisha B'Av on your calendar.

100 years of local candle lighting and Havdalah times — including every Tisha B'Av between now and 2126.

Open the calendar
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