Chief Rabbi Issues Special Guidelines for Tisha B'Av Observance Ahead of Sabbath

Ahead of Tisha B'Av 5786, which begins this evening, the Chief Rabbi of Israel released a special letter outlining the spiritual significance and practical laws related to the fast and the Tenth of Av. The letter emphasizes that although the day marks destruction and mourning, it is also called a "festival" in scripture, symbolizing hope for future redemption. The destruction is portrayed not as abandonment but as a father’s love and hope for return.

The letter details the customs and restrictions for the eve of Tisha B'Av, including the traditional meal before the fast, which should consist of a single dish without meat, poultry, fish, or wine. It notes the custom of eating bread with salt and a hard-boiled egg, sometimes dipped in ashes, while sitting on the ground without formal invitations to three. It stresses not to reduce food or water intake to the point of making the fast difficult.

Prohibitions during the fast include eating, drinking, bathing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, marital relations, and joyful Torah study. Work and house cleaning are also avoided, with Sephardic Jews refraining from work all day and Ashkenazim until midday.

Since this year Tisha B'Av falls on a Friday, special leniencies are granted in honor of the Sabbath. These include permitting haircuts and laundry on Thursday night after the fast, preparing Sabbath food from midday Friday if time is tight, tasting meat dishes before midday Friday for checking, and avoiding music and wearing freshly laundered clothes until after midday Friday. Bathing on Friday evening is limited to one ritual bath for Sabbath honor.