The Nine Days

The Nine Days are the first nine days of the Jewish month of Av. A strict level of mourning is observed, in accordance with the Talmudic dictum (Ta'anit 26): "When the month of Av begins, we reduce our joy." They are days of intense mourning culminating in Tisha B'Av which commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem.

During The Nine Days, Jewish law (Halakha) forbids eating meat, and pleasure-bathing. These prohibitions are in addition to those adhered to during The Three Weeks, which take place concurrent to The Nine Days. These restrictions include listening to music, getting a haircut or shaving, drinking wine, participating in weddings and wearing freshly laundered clothes.

Prohibitions During the Nine Days

• Eating Meat and Drinking Wine and Grape Juice

Fish is permitted by rabbinic authorities. Wine and meat are only permitted on Shabbat or at a Siyum, Brit Milah or other Seudat mitzvah.

• Pleasure Bathing

In Ashkenazi tradition, warm baths are not taken and swimming is not permitted; in Sephardic tradition, observances regarding garments and bathing, start the Sunday before Tisha B'Av and are not followed on years when the fast falls on Sunday.

External Links

• The Real Laws of the Three Weeks and Nine Days