The Three Weeks, the Nine Days - An Overview
07/24/2024 09:46:22 AM
In 586 BCE and again in 70 CE, millions of lives were lost and we were exiled from our land when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Through reliving this season of sorrow by withholding from joyful activities, we are able to increase our understanding of history and our compassion for those going through hard times.
For folks who don’t come from a traditional background, the concept of set times for sorrow is difficult. Even more difficult are the halachic (Jewish practice) restrictions around these times.
But I invite you to study and adopt as many of these practices as you can. Doing so can be a catalyst for a profound change and enrich how we see the world. The Talmud says that those who mourn the destruction of the Temple will merit to be comforted as it is rebuilt. Let’s explore this teaching in the coming weeks.
The period between the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz and the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av- a three week period- is known as “Bein HaMetzarim” or literally: in Dire Straits. A “strait” is a narrow dangerous place and so it was to the people of Jerusalem.
On the 17th of Tammuz, the Babylonian invaders of Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonia, broke through the city walls, driving the inhabitants and defenders into the higher reaches of the city. The siege lasted for three years until horrific scenes of mass starvation and death were everywhere.
The Babylonians were responding to the King of Judea’s rebellion against Babylonian domination and oppression in alliance with other small nations, all sponsored by Egypt who promised support. That support never came.
The Prophets of Israel, especially Jeremiah, knew that this was no regional conflict but the playing out of Israel’s abandonment of the Covenant which led to the Babylonian invasion. Instead of focusing on spiritual attainment and creating a just model society, the people of Israel followed the ways of the surrounding nations by petty politics, idolatry and injustice.
As the horrors of the siege unfolded, our own practice of adopting mourning restrictions and customs prepares us to re-experience the trauma and tragedy of the Ninth of Av when the Temple was burned and the people of Israel exiled from their land.
The 17th of Tammuz, the day that the walls fell in 586 BCE and the day that Moses shattered the Tablets of the Covenant, is a fast day that begins at first light and ends when the stars come out. Here are the practices of the next three weeks:
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17th of Tammuz until 1st of Av: 7/23-8/4 |
Halachic Practice |
Why? On the 17th of Tammuz the following five tragedies took place: The walls were breached, the tablets broken, the offerings ended, the Torah scroll was burned and an idol was brought into the Holy of Holies. |
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Weddings are not held. Other parties may be held with restrictions. |
In remembrance and identification with the greatest tragedy of Jewish history, a living testimony that the Temple is still in ruins and all that entails, we refrain from the joy of creating and celebrating a new family. |
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We do not play or listen to instrumental music. Acapella music is allowed. |
The Temple was a place of music and artistic creativity. In remembrance of its loss, we lay aside our instruments during this time. |
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No Shehecheyanu blessing (apart from Shabbat when all restrictions are lifted). |
We make a special thanksgiving blessing when we eat a fruit we have not eaten all year or put on a new piece of clothing. In remembrance and identification with those who suffered the siege and those who suffer today, we refrain from these personal celebrations. |
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No haircuts. Many allow haircuts before Friday in celebration of Shabbat. |
Another way of making the loss meaningfully personal. |
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The Nine Days- from Rosh Chodesh Av until the 9th of Av; 8/5-13. |
All of the above and: |
Why? On Tisha B’Av the Temple was burned and we were exiled- first in 586 BCE and again by the Romans in 70 CE. In the Torah, the Nation tried to return to Egypt following the report of the Spies; the last stronghold of the Bar Kochba Revolt, Betar, fell to the Romans and Jerusalem was plowed under. |
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No meat or wine (aside from Shabbat or for a Mitzvah like a Brit Milah). |
The Temple’s offerings (meat and wine) came to an end and so we also withhold ourselves from these foods of celebration. |
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No laundering clothing unless absolutely necessary. No wearing freshly laundered clothing apart from Shabbat. |
This grief practice may seem strange, but reminds us of dearth and loss. |
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No swimming or bathing for pleasure. Bathing for hygiene is of course permitted. |
The horrors of the siege, as recorded in the Book of Lamentations, remind us of the preciousness of water and what it is like to be without this resource. |
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No buying or making new clothing. Exceptions: if by doing so you incur loss, i.e. miss a major sale. |
New clothing is a sign of joy and so we constrain ourselves. |
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No upgrading or new construction of a home. |
As we are about to lose our homeland, it is not appropriate to enhance one’s home. |
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The Week of Tisha B’Av: Sunday and Monday, 8/11-12 |
All of the above and: |
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Refrain from manicure/pedicure. |
Yes, strange, but in order to personalize the grief of the day, we abandon even the small ways we add adornment to our lives. |