Tisha B’Av and Shabbat Chazon
- Herschel Raysman
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
2nd August Saturday 2025 Shabbat Chazon 8th Av 5785
Erev Tisha B’Av
Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath preceding Tisha B'Av, which is commerated on the 9th day of the 6th Hebrew month of the lunar calendar, is a day of somber reflection and spiritual preparation for the upcoming fast day.
It is named for the Haftarah, which begins with the words "Chazon Yeshayahu" (the vision of Isaiah), foretelling the destruction of the Temple. While Tisha B'Av is a day of mourning, Shabbat Chazon is a day of vision, where some believe every Jewish soul is shown a glimpse of the future, rebuilt Third Temple.
Tisha B'Av (Ninth of Av):
Day of Mourning:
Tisha B'Av is a day of mourning for the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies throughout Jewish history.
Fasting:
The fast begins at sunset on the eve of Tisha B'Av and lasts for 25 hours.
Observances:
Along with fasting, other observances include reciting Kinot (elegies), refraining from leather shoes, and studying specific Torah readings.
Potential for Celebration:
Some envision a future Tisha B'Av as a day of celebration, particularly if the Third Temple is rebuilt. Jeremiah 31:12 – “Then will the virgin rejoice in the dance,both young men and old men together. For I will turn their mourning into joy,and I will comfort them, and make them rejoice out of their sorrow.”
Tisha B’Av is when we remember the many terrible events in our history, including the evil report of the spies and the destruction of both Temples.
Tisha B’Av , the ninth day of the month of Av (which month coincides with July and/or August), is the major day of communal mourning in the Jewish calendar. Although a large number of disasters are said to have befallen the Jews on this day, the major commemoration is of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., respectively. Central to the observance of this day is fasting.
Although the exact date of the destruction of each of the Temples–the ancient centers of Jewish life and practice–are unknown, tradition dates the events to Tisha B’Av. Indeed, the rabbis of the Talmudic age made the claim that God ordained this day as a day of disaster as punishment for the lack of faith evidenced by the Israelites during their desert wanderings after the exodus from Egypt.
During the course of the centuries, a number of tragedies have clustered around this day, from the expulsions of the Jews from England and Spain to more localized disasters. Tisha B’Av is therefore observed as a day of communal mourning, which is expressed through fasting and the abstention from pleasurable activities and extraneous diversions. A whole literature of dirges appropriate to this day of mourning, beginning with the biblical Book of Lamentations on the destruction of the First Temple, has been created to serve the needs of the Jewish community at this time.
A three week period of low-level mourning leads up to the holiday of Tisha B’Av; the three weeks commemorate the final siege of Jerusalem that led to the Second Temple’s destruction in 70 C.E. During this period it is traditional to refrain from public celebrations, such as weddings, and many traditional men refrain from shaving, reflecting their practice during personal mourning periods.
The last nine days of these three weeks culminating in Tisha B’Av are an even deeper period of mourning, during which traditional Jews avoid eating meat; some who did not previously take on certain aspects of mourning, such as refraining from shaving, will assume these signs of mourning during these nine days.
Tisha B’Av itself is a day of intense mourning, whose practice mirrors that of Yom Kippur in many respects. It is a day of fasting, on which one also is to refrain from washing, sexual activity, using perfume and other such ointments, and wearing leather. The Book of Lamentations (Megillat Eicha) and other dirges (kinot) are read in the synagogue.
On Tisha B'Av, dirges (kinot) are a central part of the mourning rituals, expressing grief over the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other Jewish tragedies throughout history. These elegiac poems, some ancient and some more modern, are chanted during the evening and morning services. The custom of reciting these kinot highlights the day's somber atmosphere and the collective mourning for past suffering.