The 9th of Av
The month of Av is the 5th month in the Biblical calendar, and falls either in the 11th or 12th month* of the civil calendar. It is not a month that most Jewish people look forward to because so many bad things have happened to them, especially on the the 9th day. This is a Biblical event, but rather one of the minor holidays instituted by the Rabbi's. Tisha b’Av ( Hebrew for 9th of Av ) mainly commemorates the destruction of the two temples. The first being Solomon’s which was destroyed in 586 BC, and the second in 70 AD. The mourning over this actually starts 3 weeks earlier on the 17th day of Tammuz because this is when battering rams broke through the wall of the first temple before being fully destroyed. During this three-week period there are to be no weddings, haircuts including shaving, nor is music to be played. It is also customary to refrain from eating meat or drinking wine, except on the Sabbath. On the 9th of Av the fasting becomes more intense with no eating or ...