Tisha B'Av

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Pronunciations

Tisha B'Av (TISH-uh BUV) listen
Tisha B'Av (tih-SHAH bih-AHV) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The 9th of Av, a Jewish fast day on which it is believed that the First and Second Temples were destroyed, said by some to be the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.

Example Sentences

  • "Oh no--we can't get lunch that day because it's Tisha B'Av."

  • "Everyone's putting out such low vibes, it's almost like Tisha be-Av..." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב tish'ah b'av 'the ninth of Av"

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
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      Alternative Spellings

      Tisha b'Av, Tisha be-Av, Tisha Be-Av

Notes

  • Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur are the only two full-day fasts in Judaism. Prohibitions besides eating and drinking on Tisha B'Av include bathing, wearing leather shoes, having sex, and applying creams or oils.

    In addition to the destruction of the First and Second Temples, many other tragedies have happened on or near Tisha B'Av throughout history, including the separate expulsions of the Jews from England (9th of Av), from France (10th of Av), and from Spain (7th of Av).

    See also Eichah, Three Weeks and 9 Days.

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