Understanding Three Weeks, Nine Days & Tisha B’Av, Including When Erev Tisha B’Av Falls on Shabbos

Tisha B’Av, Sunday, August 3, 2025,
Fast Begins, Sat., Aug 2, 8:25 PM; Fast Ends, Sun., Aug 3, 9:14 PM

Tisha B’Av Observances

Eating and Drinking

• All eating and drinking is forbidden. This includes rinsing the mouth and brushing teeth, except in case of great distress.
• Swallowing capsules or bitter tablets or liquid medicine without water is permitted.
• The ill or elderly as well as pregnant and nursing women should speak with Rabbi Rich concerning the requirements of fasting. A woman within thirty days of giving birth should not fast.
• Boys under thirteen years old and girls under twelve years old are not allowed to fast even part of the day.
• Those not required to fast should eat only what is needed to preserve their health.

Bathing and Washing

• All bathing for pleasure is prohibited, even in cold water, including the hands, face, and feet. Ritual washing upon waking, after using the bathroom, touching covered parts of the body, or before praying is permitted, but only up to the knuckles. One may wash dirty or sullied portions of the body (including cleaning the eyes of glutinous material), and if necessary, may use soap or warm water to remove the dirt or odor. Washing for cooking or medical reasons is permitted. A woman may not immerse on Tisha B’Av since relations are prohibited. Washing to commence the clean days is permitted.

Anointing

• Anointing for pleasure is prohibited, including oil, soap, alcohol, cream, ointment, perfume, etc.
• Anointing for medical reasons is permitted, as well as using deodorant to mask unpleasant odors.

Marital Relations

• Since cohabitation is prohibited, a husband and wife should not come in contact during the night of Tisha B’Av.

Wearing Leather Shoes

• Even shoes made partially of leather are prohibited.
• Shoes made of cloth, rubber, or plastic are permitted.
• Wearing leather shoes is permitted for medical reasons.

Learning Torah

• Since the heart rejoices in the study of the Torah, it is prohibited to learn topics other than those relevant to Tisha B’Av or mourning.
• One may learn Lamentations with its midrash and commentaries, portions of the Prophets that deal with tragedy or destruction, the third chapter of Moed Katan (which deals with mourning), the story of the destruction (in Gittin 56b-58a, Sanhedrin 104, and in Josephus), and the halachos of Tisha B’Av and mourning.

Additional Restrictions

• One should deprive oneself of some comfort in sleep. Some reduce the number of pillows, and some sleep on the floor.
• Pregnant women, the elderly, and the ill are exempt. Sitting on a regular chair is forbidden until midday.
• One may sit on a low bench or chair, or a cushion on the floor.
• Greeting someone with “good morning” and the like is prohibited. One who is greeted should answer softly and, if possible, inform the person of the prohibition.
• One should not give a gift except to the needy.
• Things that divert one from mourning, such as idle talk, reading the newspaper, taking a walk for pleasure, etc., are prohibited.
• Smoking is prohibited until the afternoon, and only for those compelled to do so and in private.
• The custom is to refrain until midday from any time-consuming work that diverts one from mourning. In case of financial loss, consult the rabbi.

Prayer

• Ashkenazim do not wear tefillin at Shacharis, nor is a blessing made on tzitzis. At Mincha, tefillin is worn, and those who wear a tallis gadol make the blessing then.
• At Mincha, the prayers Nacheim and Aneinu are added to the Shmonah Esrei during the blessing “Veliyerushalayim” and “Shema Koleinu” respectively. “Sim Shalom” is said in place of “Shalom Rav.” If one forgot them and completed that bracha, he need not repeat the prayer.
• The custom is to sanctify the new moon the night after Tisha B’Av, preferably after having eaten something.

The following is a list of the activities that remain forbidden until chatzos (1:33 PM) on the 10th of Av (Monday), with possible exceptions:

1. Eating meat and drinking wine (Food cooked with meat is permissible).
2. Bathing and showering (Washing parts of the body with warm water is permissible)
3. Haircuts and shaving
4. Washing clothes (If one will be leaving home on the 10th of Av for an extended trip, he may do laundry right after Tisha B’Av at night)
5. Listening to music
6. Wearing freshly laundered clothing
7. Saying the beracha of “She’hechiyanu”

When Erev Tisha B’Av Falls on Shabbos

Kitzur Halachos by Rav Zev Hofstedter, Published by Israel Bookshop

The Final Meal before the Fast: When Tisha B’Av falls on Sunday, or the ninth of Av falls on Shabbos and the fast is postponed until Sunday, the usual halachos of the seudah hamafsekes are not applicable, and an ordinary meal should be served for seudah shelishis. One may even eat meat, wine, or any other delicacies at this meal. However, one must cease eating before sunset (shkiah), since the fast begins at sunset (shkiah). It is essential to be mindful of this, since it is pretty standard to continue the seudah shelishis meal past sunset (shkiah) on an ordinary Shabbos.

There is no basis for refraining from eating meat at this seudah shelishis as a measure of stringency. On the contrary, a person who deliberately abstains from eating meat due to the aveilus of Tisha B’Av would be viewed as transgressing the prohibition of mourning on Shabbos. Even a person who generally does not eat meat at seudah shelishis may do so on this Shabbos.

The laws of the seudah hamafsekes do not apply to this meal; therefore, one should sit at the table rather than on the floor, and the entire family may have the meal together. It is even permissible for three adult males to eat together and to conduct a zimun at birkas hamazon. If a person generally invites friends to join for seudah shelishis, one may do so even on this Shabbos, since it would be akin to a public display of mourning if he refrained from inviting guests.

Zemiros may be sung as usual at the seudah.

On Shabbos, it is not necessary to make a verbal stipulation at the conclusion of seudah shelishis that one does not intend to accept the fast until sunset (shkiah).

One must cease all eating and drinking at sunset (shkiah) on Shabbos afternoon. (One may recite birkas hamazon after sunset (shkiah), including the passage of retzei.) However, it remains prohibited after sunset to engage in explicit displays of mourning; therefore, one should continue sitting on a regular chair, and leather shoes and Shabbos clothes should not be removed. However, washing and anointing are prohibited after sunset (shkiah).

When Shabbos is over, one should recite Baruch HaMavdil at home and change shoes and clothes before going to shul. A person who generally waits until the zman of Rabbeinu Tam before performing melacha is not required to wait until that time to change, provided that he relates to this practice as a stringency and abstains only from melachos d’oraisa.

Havdallah

After Shabbos ends, one must recite the words “Baruch HaMavdil Bein Kodesh L’Chol” before beginning any preparations for Tisha B’Av. Therefore, a gabbai should recite this formula before arranging the tables and benches in the shul for the night’s tefillos, and an individual must recite this formula before changing clothes or shoes. Similarly, after seudah shelishis it is prohibited to clear the table or tidy the kitchen before reciting Baruch HaMavdil, unless one is disturbed by the mess or the food will spoil.

Havdalah recited over wine is postponed until the conclusion of Tisha B’Av on Sunday night.

After Maariv, before the reading of Megillas Eicha, the bracha of Borei Meorei Ha’Eish is recited over a flame. A person who did not recite or hear the bracha at that time should recite it whenever he remembers during the night. If he does not remember until the following day, he should not recite the bracha at a later time, even at Havadalah after Tisha B’Av. This is because the bracha of Borei Meorei Ha’Eish relates specifically to Motzei Shabbos, the time when fire was created.

It is important to note that to be yotzei the bracha of Borei Meorei Ha’Eish by hearing it from someone else, one must be sufficiently close to the flame that some benefit can be derived. A person who is too far from the flame to derive benefit will not be yotzei, even if he holds up his hands and gazes at his fingernails.

The bracha on Besamim is not recited when Tisha B’Av begins on Motzei Shabbos, since inhaling the fragrance of besamim is a form of pleasure that is prohibited on Tisha B’Av. The bracha is also not recited after Tisha B’Av, since it is relevant only on Motzaei Shabbos, when the neshamah yeseirah departs.

If a person will not be fasting on Tisha B’Av, he should recite Havdalah over a cup on Motzaei Shabbos before eating. He should recite the bracha of Borei Meorei HaEish on a lit candle, but the brachah of Borei Minei Besamim and the pesukim at the beginning of Havdalah should be omitted. If a person eats only during the day, he should recite Havdalah before eating and not at night. Havdalah should be recited over a chamar medinah (such as beer), but if a person cannot use such a beverage, he may recite Havdalah over wine or grape juice.

A woman who is not fasting should preferably not recite Havdalah herself; instead, her husband (or any adult male) should recite it on her behalf even if he is fasting. The man should recite Havdalah with the intent to be yotzei and for the members of his household to fulfill their obligations, and it should be given to a child (between the ages of six and nine) to drink. If no adult male is available to recite Havdalah for a woman who must break her fast, she should recite Havdalah herself and give it to a child to drink. If no child is available, she should drink it herself. However, it is preferable for her to recite Havdalah over a chamar medinah, such as beer.