Tisha Be-Av |
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Tisha Be-Av (The Ninth Month of Av) is, as the name suggests, observed on the ninth day
of the Hebrew month of Av. Originally, the festival served to commemorate the destruction
of the First and Second Temples (585 BCE and 70 CE respectively), both of which occurred
on or around the ninth of Av. Later, other sad events, such as the expulsion of 100,000
Jews from Spain in 1492, occurred in the lives of the Jewish people on the ninth of Av.
Consequently, Tisha Be-Av now commemorates all the bad events in Jewish history which
occurred on this day. As on Yom Kippur, Jews are required to fast on this holiday.
During the synagogue service, the Book of Lamentations and Kinnot are read. To express
their sorrow, congregants typically sit on the floor while partaking in the service.
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