Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz Leads Tisha B’Av Prayers and Mourning at Kisei Rahamim Yeshiva in Bnei Brak

On Tisha B’Av, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, head of the Kisei Rahamim Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, led solemn prayers and kinnot (lamentations) in the yeshiva’s main hall. The observance included a halachic lesson on mourning during joyous occasions, tearful recitations of kinnot, and the traditional reading of the Book of Job following the morning prayers, continuing customs dating back to the early rabbinic authorities.

Simultaneously, other prominent rabbis in Bnei Brak, including Rabbi Moshe David Lipkowitz and Rabbi Yerachmiel Ungarisher, conducted prayers in their respective yeshivot under heavy security. Rabbi Naftali Kopshitz, a leading rabbi of the Romema yeshiva students, was also present.

In Hebron, hundreds of worshippers visited the tomb of Otniel ben Kenaz, the first biblical judge, as part of an ancient custom to atone for the sin of the spies. The visit was secured by extensive police presence. Meanwhile, in Bnei Brak, hundreds gathered at the large synagogue of the Beit Hashem community for a prayer rally led by Rabbi Shimon Galai, who called for repentance and good deeds amid concerns about the state of Torah learning in Israel.

Additional Tisha B’Av events included a prayer assembly at the Slabodka Yeshiva, attended by leading rabbis such as Rabbi Dov Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, reflecting the community’s concern over challenges facing Torah study. The day also saw thousands praying at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, with the Holtzman family from Beitar Illit providing food and drink to sustain the fasting worshippers.

Other notable occurrences around the same period included a Bar Mitzvah ceremony for 52 boys from the Anusim Mosheh community at the Western Wall, a halachic discussion on mourning customs upon seeing the Western Wall, and a spirited celebration by the Gur Hasidim welcoming the release of a Torah student from military detention. The article also references various community and religious reflections, calls for unity, and warnings against internal divisions within the ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist sectors.