Mourning for the Destruction - The Three Weeks

[muman613]

The Jewish people, those who are religious, are in a period of mourning as I write this.

A part of the Jewish calendar established by our sages, we remember the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during these three weeks. From the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av we actually mourn, as we mourn the loss of a loved one, the loss of our beloved Jerusalem and the Beit Mikdash. The 17th of Tammuz was Tuesday last week and we were supposed to fast to remember the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem on that date.

One who observes these rituals will refrain from certain activities, similar to what we do when we sit shiva for a loved one who has died.

Here is an introduction to this period from Chabad.org:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/947558/jewish/What-are-the-Three-Weeks.htm

What are the Three Weeks?
The Three Weeks in a Nutshell

The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing Exile.

The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 C.E..

It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date of other tragedies, spanning our nation's history.

Observances:

There are various mourning-related customs and observances that are followed for the entire three-week period. We do not cut our hair, purchase new clothes, or listen to music. No weddings are held.

Tammuz 17 is a fast day, on which we refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to nightfall.

Those who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing it rebuilt with the coming of Moshiach.

The final Nine Days of the Three Weeks is a time of intensified mourning. Starting on the 1st of Av, we refrain from eating meat or drinking wine and from wearing freshly laundered clothes.

Av 9 is a more stringent fast than Tammuz 17. It begins at sunset of the previous evening, when we gather in the synagogue to read the Book of Lamentations. Besides fasting, we abstain from additional pleasures: washing, applying lotions or creams, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations. Until midday, we sit on the floor or on low stools.

There is more to the Three Weeks than fasting and lamentation. Our Sages tell us that those who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing it rebuilt with the coming of Moshiach. May that day come soon, and then all the mournful dates on the calendar will be transformed into days of tremendous joy and happiness.

We must remember Jerusalem in our prayers, and in our speech and our actions. Jews cannot allow Jerusalem to be divided by the seculars and the enemies of Judaism.


http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/144558/jewish/The-Three-Weeks.htm

[muman613]

I should add that the mourning customs are not observed on Shabbat...


http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/144573/jewish/Three-Weeks.htm

Shabbat

All the laws of mourning are suspended on Shabbat.2 This includes the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av3 themselves—when they fall on Shabbat, the fast days are postponed until Sunday, and the Shabbat is joyously celebrated. The Rebbe stated on numerous occasions that on these Shabbats we must increase our joy, and add an extra tasty dish to our meals, to emphasize that we are not in a state of mourning.

On the first Shabbat of the Three Weeks (or on the 17th of Tammuz itself, if it falls on Shabbat) we always read the Torah portion of Pinchas. The end of the reading discusses the three Jewish festivals. It has been said amongst chassidim that this alludes to the idea that the three Shabbats of the Three Weeks are to be celebrated on par with the three festivals...

Why is all mourning suspended on Shabbat?

Though these days and weeks heralded an exile rife with persecution and spiritual estrangement, it is our belief that ultimately this is for the good. Very soon, with the coming of Moshiach, we will understand that all the suffering was necessary in order to reach the ultimate good. At that time, the prophets foretell, these sorrowful days will be transformed into days of joy (see Breaking Walls for more on this topic).

Every Shabbat constitutes a foretaste of the Messianic Era. As such, on Shabbat we only focus on the positive element of this period.