The Saddest Day on the Jewish Calendar

The Saddest Day on the Jewish Calendar

In Judaism, we are no strangers to the juxtapositions between joyous and sad moments. For example, just a day after the new year festivities of Rosh Hashana, we mourn on a fast day called Tzom Gedalia. We remember on both Purim and Chanukah, the plan to annihilate the Jewish people while simultaneously celebrating the failure to do so.

And whether we spend the summers traveling the world, sending children off to summer camp, or parking ourselves in Upstate New York, we pause for Tisha B’av, translating to the 9th of the month of Av, what is known as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.

What happened on the 9th of Av?

Five tragic occurrences happened on the 9th of Av but the two most important ones are the destructions of the First and Second Temples.

However, interestingly, the 9th of Av was set to be a day of tragedy long before the Temples were even built. According to the Talmud, when the twelve spies returned from scouting the Land of Israel, ten of them discouraged the Jewish people with a fearful report on the evening of the 9th of Av in which God famously said, “You cried for no reason; I will establish this day as a day of crying for generations.” Thus, we have the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.

What do we do (or don’t do) on Tisha B’av?

Beginning on the evening of the 8th of Av, after eating a pre-fast meal that ends before sundown, we refrain from eating or drinking until the evening of the 9th of Av, marking approximately 25 hours of fasting. Additionally, we do not shower or bathe, wear leather footwear or apply ointment and creams.

It is also customary as mourners to refrain from sitting on a normal height chair, learn Torah, or engage in any pleasurable activities. The 9th of Av is so strongly a day of mourning that women who are pregnant and breastfeeding are also recommended to fast, should it be considered safe for the mother and baby.

On the 9th of Av, we read the Megilla of Eicha, the Book of Lamentations, that tells the story and mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Megilla writes extensively about the loneliness and suffering of the Jewish people and the consequences of spiritual failures that led to the “weakened foundation of the Temple” which ultimately led to the destruction. However, it is thematically on par with the Jewish faith that while Eicha transcribes the suffering and short comings of our nation, it ends with a message of hope and a final plea for the restoration of our Temple with the coming of Moshiach. In the classic fashion of Judaism, the final words of an otherwise horrific tale of death and destruction are those of hope, redemption and renewal.

As Tisha B’av approaches and we begin the mourning process starting three weeks prior, let us pause to reflect on the tragedy of this day, allow ourselves the feelings of sadness and despair while also remembering that much like God intended, we should continue to cling on to the hope and assurance that the days of Jewish despair are temporary.

Tisha B’av 2026 begins at sundown on July 22 and ends at sundown on July 23.

Wishing you all an easy fast, recovery, and may we merit to see the rebuilding of the Third Temple with the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our days!