The fast days of 17 Tammuz and 9 Av, the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached during the Second Temple Era, and the time between them, commemorate the tragic period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem ( the first and second Jewish Temples). The fast of the 17th of the Jewish month Tammuz — the fast of Shiva Asar B’Tammuz — , the day of the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II, occurred in 586 BCE, marks the beginning of the Three Weeks”. The fast end on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av — the fast of Tisha B’Av, commemorates the day of the actual destruction by fire of the Holy Temple by the Romans, in 70 CE, and is the last day of the Three Weeks. The three weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim begin on the 17th of Tammuz, it is a period of mourning over these destructions and calamities have befallen the Jewish people throughout history. The three weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim begins this year 5772 (2012), on the evening of Friday July 6, 2012. The Nine Days begin on the evening of Thursday July 19, 2012. Tisha B’Av begins on the evening of Saturday July 28, 2012. Jewish people commemorate the season in a progressive fashion. They begin by refraining from haircuts, shaving, cutting nails, weddings should not be performed, playing or listening to music, dancing are prohibited. Then, when the month of Av begins, we add restrictions on bathing and swimming, washing clothes, eating meat, drinking wine and activities of pleasure and joy are not required for example, wearing freshly laundered clothing, buying and making new clothes, repairing garments. On Tishah B’Av itself, we refrain from eating and drinking altogether, and abstain from anointing with oil or perfume, marital relations, and wearing leather shoes. The Day After Tisha B’Av, The limitations of the “Three Weeks” and the “Nine Days” continue until midday of the 10 th of Av.

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_01

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_09

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_08

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_06

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_05

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_03

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_13

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_14

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_15

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_16

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_17

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_18

The-Three-Weeks-Tisha-B’Av-Jewish-holiday_19