INSTRUCTIONS FOR THOSE DAVENING AT HOME ON TISHA B’AV By Rabb Brahm Weinberg The fast begins at 8:22pm (Wed) and Ends at 8:58pm (Thurs) For a full review of the Halachot of Erev Tisha B’Av, Tisha B’Av and Motzaei Tisha B’Av that I prepared click here. Mincha Erev Tisha B’Av (Wed) • Regular weekday Mincha • No Tachanun • Some have the custom not to learn Torah on the afternoon before Tisha B’Av other than such passages that are permitted on Tisha B’Av (Eicha with its midrash and commentaries, portions of the Neviim that deal with tragedy or destruction, the third chapter of Moed Katan (which deals with mourning), the story of the destruction (in Gittin 56b-58a, Sanhedrin 104, and in Josephus or other history books), and the halachot of Tisha B’Av and of mourning.) One should not take a pleasure trip or even an enjoyable stroll on the afternoon before Tisha B’Av since the mood of Tisha B’Av already spills over to the afternoon before. Se’uda HaMafseket The custom of Ashkenazim is to eat a large meal that will sustain a person through the fast and to have in mind that it is not your meal that will serve as your official Se’uda HaMafseket during which there are restrictions as to what may be eaten. After taking a small break, you can then eat your official Se’uda HaMafseket which should be a very simple meal. At this meal, one may not eat more than one cooked item (aside from bread) since that would be a sign of luxury. There is also a custom cited by the Shulchan Aruch to sit on the floor for this meal and eat foods that symbolize mourning such as a hard-boiled egg. One may eat and drink after this meal until sunset, unless you expressly decided, verbally or mentally, not to eat any more on that day or said that you are accepting the fast. If one plans on eating or drinking or brushing teeth after this meal, it is preferable before benching to verbally or mentally express that you are not accepting the fast until sunset. The fast begins at 8:22pm Maariv • Regular weekday Maariv • Recite Eicha followed by Kinot #1,3,4,5 (Join us on Zoom for these recitations here) • Recite “V’Ata Kadosh” and Aleinu (Please note that Maariv at KMS will end with Aleinu and Kaddish and the Zoom session of Eicha and Kinot will end after Kinot and the recitation of “V’Ata Kadosh”. Therefore, those who did not daven Maariv at KMS should recite Aleinu after Kinot and “V’Ata Kadosh”) Shacharit Shacharit is basically the same as any other weekday with a few changes: • Ashkenazic men do not wear tefillin at Shacharit, nor is a bracha made on tzitzit. At Mincha, tefillin are worn and those who wear a tallit gadol make the bracha upon it at that point. (Some Sefaradim wear the tallit and tefillin at Shacharit as usual.) • Birchot Hashachar: Some people wait to say the bracha of “Sheasa Li Kol Tzarki” until they put on leather shoes after the fast. Some people wait to say “Oter Yisrael Betifara” until they wear Tefilin at Mincha. • No Tachanun, No Avinu Malkenu • Immediately after the Amidah you may read the Torah Reading for Tisha B’Av which is Devarim 4:25-40 and the Haftarah which is Yirmiyahu 8:13-9:23. The sections for taking ot and putting away the Torah as well as the brachot before and after the Haftarah are omitted by those davening at home. • After the Haftarah recite Kinot (Join us on Zoom here for these recitations either after the 6:30am minyan from 7:30-8:30am (Led by Jonathan Rosenberg) OR after the 8:30am minyan from 9:30-11:00am (Explanatory Kinot Let by Rabbi Weinberg followed by segments from the Mizrachi Tisha B’Av program until 12:30pm). • After Kinot recite Ashrei, Omit Lamenatzeach, Uva Letzion (omitting from after “neum Hashem” and picking back up with “v’ata kadosh”) • Aleinu • Shir Shel Yom is said at Mincha Mincha • Men put on Talit and Tefilin (with brachot) • Begin with Shir Shel Yom which was omitted at Shacharit (and “Oter Yisrael Betifara” if you omitted it in the morning) • Ashrei • You may recite the Torah reading for the fast day which is Shmot 32:11-14 and 34:1-10 and the Haftarah which is Yishayahu 55:6-56:8. The sections for taking out and putting away the Torah as well as the brachot before and after the Haftarah are omitted by those davening at home. • In the Amidah we add the paragraph of “Nachem” in the bracha of “VeLiyerushalayim.” This can be found at the bottom of page 240 in the Artscroll Siddur and on page 221 in the Koren Siddur. (If you forget Nachem you can recite it between Retze and V’Techezena but do not end with “Menachem Tzion Uvoneh Yerushalayim”). • In the Amidah we say “Sim Shalom” instead of “Shalom Rav” for the final bracha • In the Amidah (if you are fasting) we add the paragraph of “Aneinu” in the bracha of “Shma Koleinu” which can be found on page 242 in the Artscroll Siddur and page 223 in the Koren Siddur. • No Tachanun, No Avinu Malkenu • Aleinu Motzaei Tisha B’Av • Regular weekday Maariv • The fast ends at 8:58pm (7.12 degrees) • Kiddush Levana may be recited if the moon is visible (preferably after you eat and put on leather shoes.) It is considered meritorious to recite Kiddush Levana immediately after Tisha B’Av since that is the time we believe the mashiach will be born and we pray that the Levana and the Jewish people will be renewed. • Because the Beit Hamikdash continued to burn through the Tenth of Av, some of the restrictions of the ‘Nine Days’ usually remain in place until midday of the day following Tisha B’Av which this year is 1:14pm on Friday. However, since this year the Tenth of Av coincides with Shabbat many of these restrictions are lifted early. This year one can begin to launder clothes immediately after the fast is over (especially those needed for Shabbat or those needed in order to create a Shabbat that feels clean in the home). Bathing and haircutting are permitted as of Friday morning (unless one will not have time on Friday in which case they could do so even at night after the fast is over). Listening to music is only permitted after midday on Friday. .