What did women do during the fast in Morocco? • Laws and customs in Jewish communities

July 29, 2020   

• It is customary not to sanctify the moon until after Tisha B'Av because the people are in sorrow and mourning. And in places where there are clouds, some allowed the kedesh to be performed on the Saturday before Tisha B'Av. In such a case, it is permissible to raise the legs while saying, "As I dance before you," and even to play the cantor, "Good are the lights." • The veil is removed from the Ark of the Covenant, and some simply move it to the sides of the Ark. The evening prayer is performed on the floor, and it is said in a whisper and with weeping, as is the custom of mourners. • In the evening prayer, one does not say "Annu," nor the "Nechem" prayer, which is said in the mincha. The Sephardim customarily say "Annu," as well as the "Nechem" prayer in all prayers. • After the evening prayer, the Book of Lamentations is read, and there is no blessing over it, even if it is written on parchment, and some customarily say a blessing. • After the evening prayer, the order of lamentations is recited, which is printed in the siddurim according to the various customs. After the lamentations, one says, "And you, the Holy One, sit and sing praises," etc. [without "And came to Zion"], Kaddish is said without being accepted, and we To praise. • Return from the synagogue to the house individually and not in a group. • As a rule, on Tisha B'Av, some people practice making a midnight correction at night and some do not. During the day, one should not make a midnight correction. • Some people practice reciting the blessing "He has fulfilled all my needs" on the morning of Tisha B'Av and some do not. • The morning prayer is a regular prayer, apart from the "Eninu" prayer and the "Nechem" prayer at 18:00 according to the Sephardim. There are also several customs regarding the priests raising their hands in the morning prayer. • It is permissible to sell the aliyot as usual on Tisha B'Av. • When taking out a Torah scroll, one does not say "El Arache Afim" but rather says "Vayye Ben-Nesua" and "Blessed be Shemiya." • Three readings are read in the Torah in Parashat Va'Thachanan [Deuteronomy 4:25]. And whoever does not fast, let him not ali or read in the Torah. • Recite "Asuf Asifam" [Yeremiah 8:13] in the Haftarah. Recite the Haftarah with a melody Lamentation. • After the Shacharit prayer, laments are recited as printed in the siddurim before the various denominations. • After the laments, one says "Asheri' and does not say 'Lamintezach Yanach'. One says 'Va Lezion' and skips the verse 'And I am this my covenant', and says a complete Kaddish without accepting it. One does not say a song of the day, and there is none with our God. Regarding the matter of 'Alinu Leshbach', some have the custom of saying it and some have not the custom of saying it. • One sits on the ground on the ninth of Av, even in the synagogue, and after midnight it is customary to sit on a bench. • One should not study Torah or give Torah lessons on the ninth of Av except for permitted matters, which include matters of destruction, laws of mourning, and difficult verses from Jeremiah and Job. • Many people have the custom of going to the cemetery on the ninth of Av. • In the book 'Knesset HaGedola' it is written that it is forbidden to smoke on the ninth of Av, since smoking restores the soul. On the other hand, many poskim who were brought in the light of wisdom permitted it, for those who are accustomed to it and need to relieve His nervousness. And Lakman saw that in certain congregations they were careful not to smoke during the first half of the day. • Circumcision on the ninth of Av: The covenant is made after the lamentations are performed before us.' And those who have the covenant are permitted to eat. • It is not proper to pray a large mincha on the ninth of Av. • A Torah scroll is taken out during the mincha and they say, 'Blessed is Shemya,' and they read in the parsha 'Vaichal' [for you will bear]. Even during the mincha, one who is not fasting may not ascend or read from the Torah. They recite in Isaiah 55: 'Speak to the Lord when He finds him,' and the Sephardim recite in Hosea 1: 'Shova Israel returns.' • At eighteen o'clock they say the prayer of 'Nehem', and it is not customary to remind and announce to the congregation to say this prayer. In the blessing of 'Shomea Tefila', the prayer of 'Ananu' is recited. • At the return of the Shatz, the priests raise their hands like in other public fasts. After the prayer, they do not say 'Avinu Malkeinu' like in other public fasts. • It is customary to sanctify the moon on the night of Tisha B'Av, and he should wear his regular shoes before sanctifying the moon. Ancient and interesting customs from Israeli communities for the month of Av - which customs have remained and which have been lost over the years? • In Pressburg, the Hatam Sofer used to convene the congregation on the 7th of Av, the day when the Gentiles entered the Temple and desecrated it, and he would call for weeping and lamentation and awakening over the exile of the Divine Presence, and he would count the years since the destruction of the Second Temple. He would also lament for the great ones who departed that year [Managei Rabbinenu Ve Halikhothim, p. 11]. • In Libya, it was customary to wrap the Torah scroll in black cloth on the 9th of Av. When they took out the Torah scroll, they would not place it on the ark but on one of the tables [Nachalat Avot, p. 100]. • As in the Libyan community, the Wormeiza community used to cover the Torah scroll with a black cloth, but there they also used it for the veil and chairs [Managements of Wormeiza, Rabbi Shemesh, p. 16]. • In the Qumran Hasidism, they made sure to walk in slippers and not rubber shoes on Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur [Managements of Qumran, p. 17]. • In Chabad, it was customary to conduct the closing of tractates on each of the nine days, including Tisha B'Av. And the halachic authorities of the Chabad House wrote that it is appropriate to continue this custom until Tu B'Av. [Shimirat HaMo'edim, p. 264] • In Chabad, it was also customary that after midnight on Tisha B'Av one could study the lessons prescribed in the Hatat, and the laws of the House of Selection. [Shimirat HaMo'edim, p. 266] • In Bukhara, it was customary to walk to the synagogue on the night of Tisha B'Av completely barefoot. The chapters of Lamentations were divided among the worshippers, and each chapter had its own melody [Yahudah Bukhara, p. 595]. • In Bukhara, it was customary to sit on the side of the street on Tisha B'Av, with ashes on one's head, and read the laments in groups in a sad monotonous voice [Yahudah Bukhara, p. 594]. • Some in Bukhara used to paint the house after midnight and even clean it in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, since Tisha B'Av was to become a day of celebration. This was also the custom of the women in the Libyan community [Yahudah Bukhara, p. 595, Nachalat Avot, p. 10]. • On the morning of Tisha B'Av, it was customary in Libya not to put on tefillin or wear a tzitzit. It was also customary in the Libyan community to go to the graves of their parents [Nahchalat Avot, p. 10]. • At the end of the fast, in the Lub community, one would say to another: "Akabel Dier in Jerusalem, built" [Nachalat Avot, p. 150]. • In the Wormiza community, it was customary for the sun to knock on the windows of the houses and call the worshipers to the synagogue. Indeed, on Tisha B'Av, people would not be called and everyone would come on their own [Managam DKK Wormiza, Rav Shemesh, p. 124]. • In the Wormeiza community, the babies were in the cradle during the day, and they did not travel [Manhagim DKK Wormeiza, Rav Shemesh, p. 124]. • In the Qumran Hasidism, they did not recite the Megillat Icha as is customary in other places [Manhagim Qumran, p. 115]. • In Morocco, the women would gather at the entrances of their homes and lament various laments written in Arabic for the ten slain kings, and for Hannah and her seven sons. [Netivot Ha-Mabhar, p. 115] • In Morocco, it was customary not to smoke before midnight on Tisha B'Av [Netivot Ha-Mabhar, p. 117]. • At the end of the fast, in Morocco, they would eat milky chamin or porridge made from crushed wheat [Netivot Ha-Mabhar, p. 117]. -- Intended to arouse the hearts of those who are interested only. Also published on the 'Association of Synagogues' website.