17th of Tammuz (Fast Day) and Laws of the Three Weeks

The Seventeenth of Tammuz (Hebrew: שבעה עשר בתמוז, Shiv’ah Asar b’Tammuz) is the seventeenth day on the Hebrew month of Tammuz. This day is a half-day fast (dawn to dusk) in Judaism.

All times for Dallas, Texas, Thursday, July 09, 2009

• Fast Begins: 5:14 AM
• Shacharis: 6:25 AM
• Mincha: 8:10 PM
• Fast Ends: 9:21 PM

Background
The 17th of Tammuz is mentioned in Nevi’im (Prophets) – as “the fast of the fourth month” (Zechariah 8:19). The Mishnah (Taanit 4:8) lists five calamities that befell the Jewish people on this date:

• Moses broke the two tablets of stone on Mount Sinai;
• The daily tamid offering ceased to be brought;
• The walls of Jerusalem were breached (proceeding to the destruction of the Temple);
• Prior to Bar Kokhba’s revolt, Roman military leader Apostomus burned a Torah scroll;
• An idol was erected in the Temple.

The Babylonian Talmud (Taanit 28b) places the second and fifth tragedies in the First Temple, while dating the third tragedy (breach of Jerusalem) to the Second Temple period. Jerusalem of the First Temple, on the other hand, was breached on the 9th of Tammuz (cf. Jeremiah 52.6-7).

The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim (Hebrew: בין המצרים, “Between the Straits”) is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples. The Three Weeks start on the seventeenth day of the Jewish month of Tammuz — the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz — and end on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av — the fast of Tisha B’Av, which occurs exactly three weeks later. Both of these fasts commemorate events surrounding the destruction of the Jewish Temples and the subsequent exile of the Jews from the land of Israel. According to conventional chronology, the destruction of the first Temple, by Nevuchadrezzar II, occurred in 586 BCE, and the second, by the Romans, in 70 CE. Jewish chronology, however, traditionally places the first destruction at about 421 BCE.

Observances of the Three Weeks:

• taking a haircut
• shaving
• listening to music
• as well, no Jewish marriages are allowed during the Three Weeks, since the joy of such an event would conflict with the expected mood of mourning during this time.

Observances of the Nine Days:

• One should not purchase an object of joy that will be available after Tisha B’Av for the same price.
• Building for beauty or pleasure not required for dwelling should be suspended.
• Building for a mitzvah like a synagogue, place of Torah study, or a mikva is permitted.
• Painting, wallpapering and general home decoration should not be done.
• Similarly, one should not plant for pleasure.

Eating Meat and Drinking Wine

• The custom is to refrain from eating meat and poultry or drinking wine and grape juice during the nine days. This also pertains to children.
• The prohibition of meat includes foods cooked with meat or meat fat. However, foods cooked in a clean vessel used for meat may be eaten.
• Eating meat and drinking wine is permitted for Shabbos. Even one who has ushered in the Shabbos on Friday afternoon before sunset, or extends the third meal of Shabbos into Saturday night may also eat meat and drink wine at those times.
• Similarly, one may drink the wine of Havdallah. Some have the custom to give the wine to a child of 6-9 years old, or to use beer for Havdallah.
• Meat and wine are also permitted at a meal in honor of a mitzvah like bris milah, redemption of the first born, and completing a tractate or other books.
• A person who requires meat because of weakness or illness, including small children and pregnant or nursing women who have difficulty eating dairy, may eat meat. However, whenever possible poultry is preferable to meat.

Laundering

• Laundering is prohibited even for use after Tisha B’Av. One may not even give clothing to a non-Jewish cleaner. (Although one may give it to him before the 1st of Av, even though he’ll wash during the nine days.)
• The prohibition of laundering includes linens, tablecloths, and towels.
  A person who has no clean clothes may wash what he needs until the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av.
• Children’s diapers and clothing that constantly get dirty may be washed by need even during the week of Tisha B’Av, in private.
• Laundering for the purpose of a mitzvah is permitted.
• One may polish shoes with liquid or wax polish, but should avoid shining shoes.

Wearing Freshly Laundered Clothing

• It is forbidden to wear freshly laundered clothing during the nine days. This includes all clothing except that which is worn to absorb perspiration.
• Therefore, one must prepare before the nine days by wearing freshly laundered suits, pants, shirts, dresses, blouses and the like for a short time so that they may be worn during the nine days. Socks, undershirts and underwear need not be prepared.
• Here too, the prohibition of using freshly laundered items applies to linens, tablecloths, and towels.
• One may wear freshly laundered Shabbos clothing, as well as use clean tablecloths and towels. Changing bed linen though is prohibited.
• Since one may wear freshly laundered garments on Shabbos, if one forgot or was unable to prepare enough garments before the nine days, he may change for Friday night and then change again on Shabbos morning. These garments may then be worn during the week.
  This will apply only to clothing that is suitable to wear on Shabbos, since wearing a garment on Shabbos for the sole purpose of wearing it during the week is forbidden.
• Fresh garments and Shabbos clothing may be worn in honor of a mitzvah for example at a brit milah for the parents, mohel, and sandek.

Wearing, Buying and Making New Clothes, Repairing Garments

• While wearing new clothing that doesn’t require the blessing “sh’hecheyanu” is permitted until the 1st of Av, during the nine days it is prohibited even on Shabbos.
• One may not buy new clothes or shoes even for use after Tisha B’Av, except in a case of great necessity, for example for one’s wedding.
• If one forgot or was unable to buy special shoes needed for Tisha B’Av, he may do so during the nine days.
• Making new garments or shoes for a Jew is permitted until the Sunday before Tisha B’Av. Afterwards it is permitted only for a non-Jew.
• Repairing torn garments or shoes is permitted.

Bathing and Swimming

• The custom is not to bathe for pleasure even in cold water.
• Bathing in cold water for medical reasons or to remove dirt or perspiration is permitted. (Where cold water is required, hot water may be added to cold water as long as the mixture is not comfortably warm.)
• Soaping or shampooing and washing with hot or warm water are prohibited – unless it is required for medical reasons or to remove the dirt and perspiration.
• Swimming is prohibited except for medical reasons. Similarly, one may take a quick dip in a pool to remove dirt or sweat.
• Bathing for a mitzvah is permitted, for example, a woman who needs to bathe for her immersion.
  A man who immerses in a mikva every Friday may do so in cold water during The Nine Days. But one who omits immersing occasionally because he is too busy or because of the cold may not.
• One who bathes every Friday in honor of Shabbos with hot water, soap and shampoo may do so on the Friday before Tisha B’Av.