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5 [1] There are days that all the people of Israel observe as fasts on account of the tragic events which occurred on them, the purpose being to appeal to the hearts and to lay open the paths of repentance. This serves as a reminder of our evil doings, and the deeds of our fathers which were like ours now, resulting in the afflictions endured by them and by us. By remembering these things we are likely to repent and do right, as it is written: "They shall confess their sins and the sins of their fathers…" (Leviticus 26:40). [2] They are as follows: The third day of *Tishri*, on which Gedaliah the son of Ahikam was slain, the last ember of Judea's independence was extinguished, and her dispersion was made complete. The tenth of *Teveth*, on which wicked Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, pressed on Jerusalem and placed it under siege and stress. The seventeenth day of *Tammuz*, on which five things occurred: the tablets were broken, the daily offering was discontinued before the destruction of the first Temple, the walls of Jerusalem were breached before the destruction of the second Temple, wicked Apostomos burned the Torah and set up an idol in the Temple. [3] The ninth of *Av*, on which five things happened: it was decreed in the wilderness that the people of Israel were not to enter the promised land; the Temple was destroyed both the first time and the second time, and a great city named Betar was captured. It was inhabited by tens of thousands of Jews. They had a great ruler, thought by all of them, including great scholars, to be King Messiah. But he fell into the hands of [the Roman] pagans, who killed them all, a calamity as great as the destruction of the Temple. On that day, the ninth of *Av*, predestined for Israel's reverses, the wicked Turnus Rufus plowed up the Temple site and its surroundings, in fulfillment of the prophetic utterance: "Zion shall be plowed up like a field" (Jeremiah 26:18). [4] These four fast days are distinctly mentioned in the prophetic books: "The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth" (Zechariah 8:19). The fast of the fourth month is the seventeenth of *Tammuz*, which is in the fourth month; the fast of the fifth is *Tish'ah b'Av*, which is in the fifth month; the fast of the seventh is the third of *Tishri*, which is in the seventh month; and the fast of the tenth is the tenth of *Teveth*, which is in the tenth month. [5] All the Jewish people are accustomed nowadays to fast on the thirteenth day of *Adar* in remembrance of the fast observed in the days of Haman, as it is written: "Regarding their fasting and wailing" (Esther 9:31). If the thirteenth of *Adar* happens to coincide with the Sabbath, we observe the fast earlier, on Thursday, the eleventh. If one of the other four fast days coincides with the Sabbath, it is postponed until after the Sabbath. If it falls on Friday, it is observed on Friday. And in all of these fasts, we do not sound [trumpets] and we do not pray the *neilah* prayer [service]. But we do read [the section beginning with] "And Moses implored" in the Torah (Exodus 32:11) in the morning service and the afternoon service. And we eat and drink at night on all of them, except for the Ninth of Av. [6] We minimize joy from when Av begins. And it is forbidden to take a haircut, to wash clothes and to wear ironed clothing — even a linen garment — in the week in which the Ninth of Av falls out to be, until the fast passes. And it is even forbidden to wash clothes and leave them over for after the fast. And [the Jewish people] have already been accustomed not to eat meat on this week and not to enter the bathhouse until the fast passes. And there are some places that are accustomed to annul slaughtering from Rosh Chodesh (the first day) of Av until the fast. [7] The night of the Ninth of Av is like the day in every matter. And we may only eat from when it is still day (on the previous day). And its twilight [time] is forbidden like on Yom Kippur. And one should not eat meat or drink wine on the meal that pauses [our eating before the fast]. But he may drink wine from the winepress that is three days old or less. And he may eat salted meat that is three days old or more. And he should not eat eat two [cooked] dishes. [8] To what are these words applicable? When one ate on the eve of the Ninth of Av after midday. But if he ate before midday, even though he pauses [eating] with it, he may eat everything that he wants. And [when] the eve of the Ninth of Av falls out to be on Shabbat, he may eat and drink all of his needs and even place [a meal] on his table like the meal of Solomon. And likewise on the Ninth of Av itself that falls out to be on Shabbat, he should not lack anything. [9] This is the measure of all the people that are not able to tolerate more than what is enough. But the measure of the early pious ones was like this: On the eve of the Ninth of Av they would bring dry bread soaked in water, with salt, to a person sitting by himself between the oven and the stove. And he would eat it and drink a jug of water with it in worrying, desolation and crying like one whose dead [relative] is laid out in front of him. It is fit for sages to do this or that which is close to it. And from all of our days, we have never eaten a cooked food — even of lentils — on the eve of the Ninth of Av, unless it was Shabbat. [10] Pregnant and nursing woman fast and complete [it] on the Ninth of Av. And it is forbidden to bathe — whether with hot water or cold water — and even to dip one's finger into the water. And it is forbidden to smear [with oil] for pleasure and wear [leather] shoes and to engage in marital relations, like on Yom Kippur. And in a place where they are accustomed to do work on it, they may do [so]. But in a place where they are accustomed not to do work on it, they may not do [so]. However Torah scholars are idle (do not work) in any place. And the Sages said that one who does work on it never sees a sign of blessing [from it] forever. [11] Torah scholars should not greet each other on the Ninth of Av. Rather they sit sadly and sigh like mourners. And if an ignorant person greeted them, they may return his greeting with a soft voice and a serious demeanor. And it is forbidden on the Ninth of Av to read the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, the Mishnah, the laws, the Gemara and the *aggadah*. One may only read from Job, Lamentations and from bad things in Jeremiah. And we make the infants of the house of their teacher idle (we do not have them study). And some sages are accustomed to not laying the head tefillin. [12] From when the Temple was destroyed, the Sages that were in that generation ordained that we never build a building that is whitewashed and ornamented like the building of kings. Rather one plasters his house with plaster and whitewashes it with lime and leaves over without lime a space an ell by an ell, across from the entrance. And [in a case of] one who buys a whitewashed and ornamented courtyard: It is surely in its presumed state (of not having been built for a Jew); so we do not obligate him to peel the walls. [13] And they also ordained that one who sets a table to make a meal for guests lack a little from it and leave an empty place without one of the bowls that it is fit to place there; and that when a women makes [herself up with] silver and gold jewelry, she leaves off one of the types of jewelry to which she is accustomed, such that the jewelry not be complete; and that when a groom marries a woman, he takes burnt ashes and puts it on his head in the place of where the tefillin lay. And all of these things are so as to remember Jerusalem, as it is stated (Psalms 137:5-6), "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither. Let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not raise up Jerusalem above my highest joy." [14] And they likewise ordained not to play musical instruments. And it is forbidden to rejoice with all types of music and any instruments that make musical sounds, and it is forbidden to listen to them, on account of the destruction. And even vocal music over wine if forbidden, as it is stated (Isaiah 24:9), "They drink their wine without song." And all of [the Jewish people] has already become accustomed to saying songs of praise and song of thanks to God, and that which is similar to them, over wine. [15] And afterwards they decreed about grooms' crowns — not to put them on at all — and that the groom not place any coronet on his head, as it is stated (Ezekiel 21:310), "Remove the turban and lift off the crown!" And likewise did they decree about brides' crowns if it was of silver or gold; but if it is of strands (from plants), it is permissible for a bride. [16] One who saw the cities of Judah in their destruction says, "Your holy cities have become a desert" (Isaiah 64:9), and tears. [If] he saw Jerusalem in its destruction, he says, "[Zion] has become a desert, etc." (Isaiah 64:9); the Temple in its destruction, says "Our holy Temple, our pride, etc." (Isaiah 64:10), and tears. And from where is one obligated to tear? From [Mount] Scopus. And when he reaches the [place of the] Temple, he tears another tear. But if he encountered the Temple first when he came from the way of the wilderness, he tears for the Temple and adds [to the tear] for Jerusalem. [17] [Regarding] every one of all of these tears, one tears with his hand, standing up. And he tears all of his clothing upon him until he reveals his heart. And he may never mend these tears ever. But he is allowed to tack them together, and hem them, and gather them and fix them with ladder-like stitches. [18] [In a case of] one who [repeatedly] comes and goes to Jerusalem: If [his visit] is within thirty days [from the last visit], he does not tear again. But if it is after thirty days, he tears again. [19] All these fasts will be abolished during the messianic days. Furthermore, they will be turned into festive days of rejoicing and gladness, as it is written: "The Lord of hosts declares that the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall become occasions of joy and gladness and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; only love truth and peace" (Zechariah 8:19). [20] The End of the Laws of Fasts.
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