Israel Prepares for Tisha B'Av 2026 With Fasting Rules and Mourning Customs
Tisha B'Av, observed on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is a national day of mourning in Israel commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The fast lasts a full 24 hours, beginning at sunset on the evening before the ninth of Av and ending after nightfall the following day. It marks the peak of the three-week mourning period known as "The Three Weeks" and is considered the most severe of the four fasts related to the Temple's destruction.
On Tisha B'Av, five prohibitions are observed: no eating or drinking, no wearing leather shoes, no applying oils or lotions, no bathing, and abstaining from marital relations. Unlike other rabbinic fasts that start at dawn, Tisha B'Av begins at nightfall, similar to Yom Kippur, and includes unique mourning customs such as sitting on the floor, refraining from Torah study, reading the Book of Lamentations at night, and reciting kinnot (dirges) throughout the day. If Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbat, the fast is postponed to Sunday, the tenth of Av.
Regarding religious practices, tefillin are not worn during the morning prayers but are donned at the afternoon service to symbolize the beginning of consolation. Work is traditionally forbidden from the evening before until midday of Tisha B'Av, with the custom to permit food sales after midday to allow people to prepare for breaking the fast. It is also customary to avoid eating meat until after midday on the day following the fast.
The fast in 2026 will begin at sunset on Wednesday, July 22, and end after nightfall on Thursday, July 23. Entry and exit times for the fast vary by city, with Jerusalem's fast starting at 19:42 and ending at 20:12, and similar times for Tel Aviv, Haifa, Safed, Beersheba, and Bnei Brak.
The pre-fast meal, known as the seudah mafseket, follows specific dietary laws: no cooked or baked fish (except small fish like sardines), no two cooked dishes together, and no alcoholic beverages. Foods like hard-boiled eggs with ashes, various pastries, dairy products, and salads are permitted. Traditionally, the meal is eaten sitting on the floor, and if three men eat bread together, they should recite the grace after meals (zimun). Even after the final blessing, eating and drinking are allowed until sunset.
Jewish tradition holds that after the coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the Third Temple, Tisha B'Av will transform into a day of joy, with some sources stating the Messiah was born on this day.
