Introduction - Tisha B'av in the 21st Century
Why I’m not fasting on Tisha B’Av by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
...And I’m not fasting because, ultimately, the destruction of the Temple lent way for the democratization of Judaism, wresting power and authority out of the hands of an elite and corrupt priesthood and placing it in the hands of scholars, and then rabbis, who represent the people. Eventually in our day, all Jews have the authority to be their own priests, to hold holiness in their own hands, to read their own Psalms as they ascend the stairs of their synagogue, to lead their own prayers, and even to make their own halachic decisions. I celebrate that democratization. It doesn’t make me sad, even though my husband and sons are kohanim and would, in the time of the messiah, be those powerful priests again. (And I’d get to eat from their terumah as the wife of a priest. As a vegetarian, it doesn’t appeal to me. As a feminist, I don’t want to eat their leftovers.) I don’t mourn the loss of a hierarchical, inherited caste of priests — I would, however, mourn the loss of democracy.
In a way, the very existence of the rabbis and the Talmud undermined the Temple. To rebuild the Temple would undermine the existence of an interpretive Judaism. The Pharisees won in the end, and interpretation won too over the fixed, hegemonic ritual of the Sadducees.
And I’m not fasting because I believe we are already living in the third period, in the time of the sovereign nation of Israel, and though the Temple doesn’t exist anymore, Israel certainly does. I am a Zionist. I don’t mourn the loss of our sovereignty, because we finally got it back.
What does this author think was the main outcome of the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash? How do you think the author viewed the existence of the Beit Hamikdash? What were its main characteristics? What reasons would you give the author for why we should still fast?
(א) וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת אַרְבַּ֔ע לְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־ה' אֶל־זְכַרְיָ֗ה בְּאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִ֖י בְּכִסְלֵֽו׃ (ב) וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל שַׂר־אֶ֕צֶר וְרֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו לְחַלּ֖וֹת אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י ה' (ג) לֵאמֹ֗ר אֶל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ לְבֵית־ה' צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הַֽאֶבְכֶּה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁ֔י הִנָּזֵ֕ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי זֶ֖ה כַּמֶּ֥ה שָׁנִֽים׃ (פ) (ד) וַיְהִ֛י דְּבַר־ה' צְבָא֖וֹת אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
(1) In the fourth year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah— (2) when Bethel-sharezer and Regem-melech and his men sent to entreat the favor of the LORD, (3) [and] to address this inquiry to the priests of the House of the LORD and to the prophets: “Shall I weep and practice abstinence in the fifth month, as I have been doing all these years?” (4) Thereupon the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me:
As the second Beit Hamikdash was being rebuilt, the navi Zechariah was approached with a question - should the Jews continue to fast in memory of the previous Beit Hamikdash?
What do you anticipate the answer being? How does their situation compare with our situation in 2016?
(יט) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר ה' צְבָא֗וֹת צ֣וֹם הָרְבִיעִ֡י וְצ֣וֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי֩ וְצ֨וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י וְצ֣וֹם הָעֲשִׂירִ֗י יִהְיֶ֤ה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂשׂ֣וֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּֽלְמֹעֲדִ֖ים טוֹבִ֑ים וְהָאֱמֶ֥ת וְהַשָּׁל֖וֹם אֱהָֽבוּ׃ (פ)
(19) Thus said the LORD of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity.
Part 1: Why Do We Fast on Tisha B'av?
(ו) חמשה דברים אירעו את אבותינו בשבעה עשר בתמוז. וחמשה בתשעה באב. בשבעה עשר בתמוז נשתברו הלוחות. ובטל התמיד. והובקעה העיר. ושרף אפוסטמוס את התורה. והעמיד צלם בהיכל. בתשעה באב נגזר על אבותינו שלא יכנסו לארץ. וחרב הבית בראשונה. ובשניה. ונלכדה ביתר. ונחרשה העיר. משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה:
(6) Five events befell our ancestors on the seventeeth of Tamuz and five on the Ninth of Av. On the seventeenth of Tamuz, the Tablets were broken, the Tamid offering was ended, the city walls were breached, Apaustamous burned the Torah, an idol was placed in the temple courtyard. On the Ninth of Av, it was decreed upon our ancestors that they would not be allowed to enter the Land of Israel, the First and Second temples were destroyed, Beitar was captured, The city of Jerusalem was plowed over. From when the month of Av starts, we reduce joy.
The mishnah lists five things which took place on 17 B'Tammuz and five on 9 B'av. What can we learn from these lists? Are there any similarities between the events on each? What would be the point in listing these tragedies in this way?
(במדבר יד, א) ותשא כל העדה ויתנו את קולם ויבכו אמר רבה אמר רבי יוחנן אותו היום [ערב] תשעה באב היה אמר הקב"ה הן בכו בכיה של חנם ואני אקבע להם בכיה לדורות
(Bamidbar 14:1) And the congregation lifted their voice and cried. Raba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: That night was the evening of Tisha B'av. God said "They cried an unnecessary crying, I will establish this for them as a day of crying for generations."
(ח) וּבַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַֽחֲמִישִׁי֙ בְּשִׁבְעָ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ הִ֗יא שְׁנַת֙ תְּשַֽׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֑ל בָּ֞א נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֧ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֛ים עֶ֥בֶד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(8) On the seventh day of the fifth month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, an officer of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
(יב) וּבַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַֽחֲמִישִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ הִ֗יא שְׁנַת֙ תְּשַֽׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֑ל בָּ֗א נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים עָמַ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(12) On the tenth day of the fifth month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, came to represent the king of Babylon in Jerusalem.
אי אפשר לומר בשבעה שהרי כבר נאמר בעשור ואי אפשר לומר בעשור שהרי כבר נאמר בשבעה הא כיצד בשבעה נכנסו נכרים להיכל ואכלו וקלקלו בו שביעי שמיני ותשיעי סמוך לחשכה הציתו בו את האור והיה דולק והולך כל היום כולו שנאמר (ירמיהו ו, ד) אוי לנו כי פנה היום כי ינטו צללי ערב והיינו דאמר רבי יוחנן אלמלי הייתי באותו הדור לא קבעתיו אלא בעשירי מפני שרובו של היכל בו נשרף ורבנן אתחלתא דפורענותא עדיפא
"It is impossible to say the seventh [was the true date of the destruction], for already it was said about the tenth; and it is impossible to say the tenth [was the true date], for already it was said about the seventh. How [do we resolve this contradiction]? On the seventh, gentiles entered the Sanctuary, and they ate and befouled it on the seventh, eighth, and ninth. close to nightfall [on the ninth], they set upon it the fire, and it burnt continuously all the entire day, as it is said, "Woe to us, for the day has gone, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out (Jeremiah 6:4)." And this is [the reasoning] that Rabbi Jochanan said, "If I had been in that generation, I would not have established it [on the ninth] but rather on the tenth, because most of the Sanctuary was burnt on it." And the Rabbis [reasoning was that] the earliness of suffering was preferred.
ובשניה מנלן דתניא מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי וחובה ליום חייב
And regarding the Second [Temple], from where do we know this? As it is taught, We roll favor to a favorable day and guilt to a guilty day. (we enumerate meritorious events on favorable days and guilt to days of guilt and sin)
Josephus THE WARS OF THE JEWS The History Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem Book VI
Chapter IV. §5. So Titus retired into the tower of Antonia, and resolved to storm the temple the next day, early in the morning, with his whole army, and to encamp round about the holy house. But as for that house, God had, for certain, long ago doomed it to the fire; and now that fatal day was come, according to the revolution of ages; it was the tenth day of the month Lous, [Ab,] upon which it was formerly burnt by the king of Babylon;
נלכדה ביתר גמרא
(Mishnah:) Beitar was captured- this is a tradition.
(איכה ב, ג) גדע בחרי אף כל קרן ישראל א"ר זירא א"ר אבהו א"ר יוחנן אלו שמונים [אלף] קרני מלחמה שנכנסו לכרך ביתר בשעה שלכדוה והרגו בה אנשים ונשים וטף עד שהלך דמן ונפל לים הגדול שמא תאמר קרובה היתה רחוקה היתה מיל תניא רבי אליעזר הגדול אומר שני נחלים יש בבקעת ידים אחד מושך אילך ואחד מושך אילך ושיערו חכמים שני חלקים מים ואחד דם במתניתא תנא שבע שנים בצרו עובדי כוכבים את כרמיהן מדמן של ישראל בלא זבל
"He cut down in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel." (Lamentations 2:3)" Rabbi Zera said that Rabbi Abahu said that Rabbi Yochanan said, "These are the eighty thousand horns of war that entered the city of Beitar when they besieged her and killed within her [so many] men, women and children until their blood went and poured out into Great Sea (the Mediterranean)." Lest you will say, [Beitar] was close, it was a mil away. It was taught, "Rabbi Eliezer the Great said, 'There are two rivers in the Yadayim valley, one of them flows one way and one flows the other way. And the Sages estimated that [they contained] two parts water and one part blood [at that time].'" In [a different] teaching, it was taught, "The idol worshipers harvested their vineyards for seven years from the blood of Israel without fertilizer."
Jerusalem, once heavily rebuilt by Herod, was still in ruins following the decisive siege of the First Jewish–Roman War in 70 AD. Josephus – a contemporary historian and apologist for Judaism who was born in Jerusalem and fought the Romans in that war – reports that "Jerusalem ... was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those that demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left that could ever persuade visitors that it had once been a place of habitation."[3]
When the Roman Emperor Hadrian vowed to rebuild Jerusalem from the wreckage in 130 AD, he considered reconstructing Jerusalem as a gift to the Jewish people. The Jews awaited with hope, but then after Hadrian visited Jerusalem, he was told that rebuilding the Second Temple would encourage sedition.[4] He then decided to rebuild the city as a Roman colony which would be inhabited by hislegionaries.[5][page needed] Hadrian's new plans included temples to the major regional deities, and certain Roman gods, in particular Jupiter Capitolinus.[citation needed]
The Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt, which took the Romans three years to suppress, enraged Hadrian, and he became determined to erase Judaism from the province. Circumcision was forbidden, Iudaea province was renamed Syria Palaestina and Jews expelled from the city.
Indeed, following the Bar Kokhba revolt, Emperor Hadrian combined Iudaea Province with neighboring provinces under the new name of Syria Palaestina, dispensing with the name of Judea.[6] The city was renamed "Aelia Capitolina",[7] and rebuilt it in the style of a typical Roman town. Jews were prohibited from entering the city on pain of death, except for one day each year, during the holiday of Tisha B'Av. (www.wikipedia.com)
Part 2: Why is Tisha B'av different from other fasts?
דאמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר ר"ש חסידא מאי דכתיב (זכריה ח, יט) כה אמר ה' צבאות צום הרביעי וצום החמישי וצום השביעי וצום העשירי יהיה לבית יהודה לששון ולשמחה קרי להו צום וקרי להו ששון ושמחה בזמן שיש שלום יהיו לששון ולשמחה אין שלום צום אמר רב פפא הכי קאמר בזמן שיש שלום יהיו לששון ולשמחה יש גזרת המלכות צום אין גזרת המלכות ואין שלום רצו מתענין רצו אין מתענין אי הכי ט"ב נמי אמר רב פפא שאני ט' באב הואיל והוכפלו בו צרות דאמר מר בט' באב חרב הבית בראשונה ובשניה ונלכדה ביתר ונחרשה העיר
Said R. Hanah b. Bizna in the name of R. Simeon the Saint: ‘What is the meaning of the verse, Thus had said the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness?
The prophet calls these days both days of fasting and days of joy, signifying that when there is peace they shall be for joy and gladness, but if there is not peace they shall be fast days’! — R. Papa replied: What it means is this: When there is peace, they shall be for joy and gladness; if there is persecution, they shall be fast days; if there is no persecution but yet not peace, then those who desire may fast, and those who desire need not fast.
If that is the case, the ninth of Ab also [should be optional]? — R. Papa replied: The ninth of Ab is in a different category, because several misfortunes happened on it, as a Master has said: On the ninth of Ab the Temple was destroyed both the first time and the second time, and Bethar was captured and the city [Jerusalem] was ploughed.
Part 3 - How Do We Mourn?
The next three sources describe the Halachot of three periods - the Three Weeks (from 17 B'Tammuz until Tisha B'av), the Nine Days (from Rosh Chodesh Av until Tisha B'av) and Shavua Shechal Bo (the week of Tisha B'av, starting from Sunday).
The larger text is the Shulchan Aruch (Rav Yosef Karo, Sefardi) and the smaller text is the comments of the Rema (Rav Moshe Isserlis, Ashkenazi). Focus on these three different time periods as expressed by these two halachic positions. Don't spend too much time on what exactly is forbidden, just try to figure out the different stages.
(ב) מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ עַד הַתַּעֲנִית מְמַעֲטִים בְּמַשָּׁא וּמַתָּן וּבְבִנְיָן שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה, כְּגוֹן בֵּית חַתְנוּת לִבְנוֹ אוֹ בִּנְיָן שֶׁל צִיּוּר וְכִיּוּר, וּבִנְטִיעָה שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה, כְּגוֹן אַבּוּרְנְקֵי שֶׁל מְלָכִים שֶׁנּוֹטְעִים לְצֵל לְהִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּצִלּוֹ אוֹ מִינֵי הֲדַס וּמִינֵי אֹהָלִים; וְאִם הָיָה כָּתְלוֹ נוֹטֶה לִפֹּל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה מֻתָּר לִבְנוֹת וּלְצֹרֶךְ מִצְוָה הַכֹּל שָׁרֵי (רַ''ן ספ''ק דְּתַעֲנִית); וְאֵין נוֹשְׂאִים נָשִׁים וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין סְעֻדַּת אֵרוּסִין, אֲבָל לֵאָרֵס בְּלֹא סְעֻדָּה מֻתָּר, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּט' בְּאָב עַצְמוֹ מֻתָּר לֵיאָרֵס, שֶׁלֹּא יְקַדְּמֶנּוּ אַחֵר. הַגָּה: וְנוֹהֲגִין לְהַחְמִיר שֶׁאֵין נוֹשְׂאִים מִי''ז בְּתַמּוּז וָאֵילָךְ, עַד אַחַר ט' בְּאָב (מִנְהָגִים).
(ג) שָׁבוּעַ שֶׁחָל בּוֹ תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב, אֲסוּרִים לְסַפֵּר וּלְכַבֵּס, אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְלָבְשׁוֹ עַתָּה אֶלָּא לְהַנִּיחוֹ לְאַחַר ט' בְּאָב, וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא חָלוּק אֶחָד, אָסוּר; וְכֵן הַמְכֻבָּסִים מִקֹּדֶם, בֵּין לִלְבֹּשׁ בֵּין לְהַצִּיעַ בָּהֶם הַמִּטָּה; וַאֲפִלּוּ מִטְפְּחוֹת הַיָּדַיִם וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן, אָסוּר... הַגָּה: וְאָנוּ נוֹהֲגִין לְהַחְמִיר בְּכָל זֶה מִתְּחִלַּת רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ עַד אַחַר הַתַּעֲנִית, אִם לֹא לְצֹרֶךְ מִצְוָה, כְּגוֹן אִשָּׁה הַלּוֹבֶשֶׁת לְבָנִים מֻתֶּרֶת לְכַבֵּס וְלִלְבֹּשׁ לְבָנִים וּלְהַצִּיעַ תַּחְתֶּיהָ (רוֹקֵחַ וְאוֹר זָרוּעַ), אֲבָל בְּט' בְּאָב עַצְמוֹ לֹא תִּלְבַּשׁ לְבָנִים רַק לוֹבֶשֶׁת חָלוּק בָּדוּק וְיָפֶה (הַגָּהוֹת שַׁעֲרֵי דּוּרָא). וְכֵן לִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת לוֹבְשִׁים כְּלֵי פִּשְׁתָּן וּמַצִּיעִין לְבָנִים כְּמוֹ בִּשְׁאָר שַׁבָּתוֹת. וְאָסוּר לִתֵּן כֵּלִים לְכוֹבֶסֶת עַכּוּ''ם לְכַבֵּס מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וָאֵילָךְ, אֲבָל קֹדֶם רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ מֻתָּר לָתֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכּוֹבֶסֶת אַחַר רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ (תּוֹסָפוֹת פ''ד דְּתַעֲנִית וּמַהֲרִי''ל).
(ד) לְאַחַר הַתַּעֲנִית מֻתָּר לְסַפֵּר וּלְכַבֵּס מִיָּד. וְאִם חָל תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן אוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת וְנִדְחָה לְאַחַר הַשַּׁבָּת, מֻתָּר בִּשְׁתֵּי הַשַּׁבָּתוֹת, בֵּין שֶׁקֹּדֶם הַתַּעֲנִית בֵּין שֶׁאַחֲרָיו. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לֶאֱסֹר כָּל שָׁבוּעַ שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, חוּץ מִיּוֹם ה' וְיוֹם ו'. הַגָּה: וְנוֹהֲגִין לְהַחְמִיר מִתְּחִלַּת רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ לְעִנְיַן כִּבּוּס, אֲבָל תִּסְפֹּרֶת נוֹהֲגִים לְהַחְמִיר מִי''ז בְּתַמּוּז (מִנְהָגִים).
Avelut Yeshanah and Avelut Chadashah: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
TWO TYPES OF MOURNING
The Gemara (Yevamot 43b) distinguishes between avelut hadashah and avelut yeshanah, "new" mourning and "old," historical mourning - or, expressing the same thought in a different idiom, between avelut de-yahid and avelut de-rabbim, private and national-communal mourning. The first, avelut hadashah, is caused by a death or disaster which strikes a family or an individual. It is a primordial, instinctual, spontaneous response of man to evil, to the traumatic confrontation with death, to the impact of catastrophe and disaster. It is an existential response, not one that evolves by the application of artificial stimuli.
The second category, avelut yeshanah, is due to a historic disaster that took place 1,900 years ago. This category is the handiwork of man. There is no spontaneous reaction to some new event which has just transpired, for nothing new has happened which should justify grief. The avelut is a result of recollection of events. Judaism here introduced a strange kind of memory, a very unique and singular memory.
Part 4: Why does this matter now?
כיון שהגיעו להר הבית ראו שועל שיצא מבית קדשי הקדשים. התחילו הן בוכין ור"ע מצחק. אמרו לו מפני מה אתה מצחק? אמר להם מפני מה אתם בוכים?אמרו לו מקום שכתוב בו (במדבר א, נא) והזר הקרב יומת ועכשיו שועלים הלכו בו ולא נבכה? אמר להן לכך אני מצחק דכתיב (ישעיהו ח, ב) ואעידה לי עדים נאמנים את אוריה הכהן ואת זכריה בן יברכיהו... באוריה כתיב (מיכה ג, יב) לכן בגללכם ציון שדה תחרש [וגו']. בזכריה כתיב (זכריה ח, ד) עוד ישבו זקנים וזקנות ברחובות ירושלם. עד שלא נתקיימה נבואתו של אוריה הייתי מתיירא שלא תתקיים נבואתו של זכריה. עכשיו שנתקיימה נבואתו של אוריה בידוע שנבואתו של זכריה מתקיימת בלשון הזה. אמרו לו עקיבא ניחמתנו עקיבא ניחמתנו:
Once again they were coming up to Jerusalem together, and just as they came to Mount Scopus they saw a fox emerging from the Holy of Holies. They fell a-weeping and R. Akiba seemed merry. Wherefore, said they to him, are you merry? Said he: Wherefore are you weeping? Said they to him: A place of which it was once said, And the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death, is now become the haunt of foxes, and should we not weep? Said he to them: Therefore am I merry; for it is written, And I will take to Me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the Son of Jeberechiah....of Uriah it is written, Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field etc. In Zechariah it is written, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, There shall yet old men and old women sit in the broad places of Jerusalem, had its fulfilment, I had misgivings lest Zechariah's prophecy might not be fulfilled; now that Uriah's so long as Uriah's [threatening] prophecy had not prophecy has been [literally] fulfilled, it is quite certain that Zechariah's prophecy also is to find its literal fulfilment. Said they to him: Akiba, you have comforted us! Akiba, you have comforted us!
(ז) וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֞ים אֶל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֗י וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית תְּפִלָּתִ֔י עוֹלֹתֵיהֶ֧ם וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָצ֖וֹן עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִ֑י כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכָל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
(7) I will bring them to My sacred mount And let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices Shall be welcome on My altar; For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples.”
רשב"ג אומר כל האוכל ושותה בט' באב כאילו אוכל ושותה ביוה"כ ר"ע אומר כל העושה מלאכה בתשעה באב אינו רואה סימן ברכה לעולם וחכ"א כל העושה מלאכה בט' באב ואינו מתאבל על ירושלים אינו רואה בשמחתה שנא' (ישעיהו סו, י) שמחו את ירושלם וגילו בה כל אוהביה שישו אתה משוש כל המתאבלים עליה מכאן אמרו כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה ושאינו מתאבל על ירושלים אינו רואה בשמחתה
R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: Anyone who eats or drinks on the Ninth of Ab is as if he ate and drank on the Day of Atonement. R. Akiva says: Anyone who does work on the Ninth of Ab will never see in his work any sign of blessing. And the Sages say: Anyone who does work on the Ninth of Ab and does not mourn for Jerusalem will not share in her joy, as it is said, Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all that mourn for her. From here they said, anyone who mourns for Jerusalem merits to share in her joy, and any one who does not mourn for her will not share in her joy.