אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי If I forget about you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
Some words from our Rabbi:
This Saturday-night-into-Sunday we will be observing the Fast of Tisha B’Av or the Ninth of Av. The Mishnah Ta'anis (4:6) cites five calamities that occurred on Tisha B’Av that are commemorated with the fast. These five calamities are:
After the sin of the spies, it was decreed that the generation that left Egypt would not be allowed to enter the Land of Israel.
The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians.
The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans.
The city of Beitar was captured and its inhabitants were slain by the Romans, thus ending the Bar Kochba revolt.
The ruins of the Temple were plowed over.
Additionally, Tisha B’Av has become a time to commemorate any tragedy that has befallen the Jewish people during our long exile; this includes the Holocaust, the Chmelnitzki Uprising of 1648-49, the Spanish Inquisition, and more. It is a day to remember the intimacy we lost with the Divine when the Temple was destroyed and to reflect on the brokenness of the world that was left in the destruction’s wake.
In addition to the practices that many of us have been observing during the Three Weeks and the Nine Days, the following are the core practices and prohibitions of Tisha B’Av itself.
The basic laws of Tisha B’Av parallel the core laws of Yom Kippur:
Major fast - Tisha B’Av is a ~25-hour fast starting at sundown and ending at night when three stars come out.
Like with all fast days, there are people who cannot fast for medical or mental health reasons. Please feel free to reach out if this might apply to you.
Washing - We refrain from bathing for pleasure and from washing our hands
Ritual washing upon waking up may be done up to the knuckles where the fingers meet the hand.
Areas of the body, including hands, that are tangibly dirty may be washed even with soap
Washing in preparation for cooking and for medical reasons is permitted
Lotions and creams - We refrain from anointing for pleasure (lotions, creams, etc.)
Applying deodorant and medical creams is permitted.
We refrain from marital relations.
Shoes - We refrain from wearing leather shoes (even shoes that are only partially leather).
Additional laws include:
Learning Torah: On Tisha B’Av we refrain from normal Torah learning- learning Torah is supposed to bring us joy and so on Tisha B’Av we only learn topics which are relevant to Tisha B’Av and to mourning (book of Lamentations and its commentary, sections of Talmud and halacha pertaining to mourning, passages in the Prophets that relate to destruction and expulsion).
Sitting: Like mourners we sit on the ground or on low stools. This applies to the night of Tisha B’Av as well as the day of Tisha B’Av until halachic mid-day (1:02pm this year).
Sleep: It is proper to do something to deprive us of some comfort while sleeping (for example, many will sleep without a pillow). This does not apply to the elderly or the pregnant as well as those who need to sleep normally for medical reasons. It is also not necessary if it will prevent sleep.
Greeting people: We refrain from greeting people on Tisha B’Av.
Tallis and tefillin: Ashkenazim do not put on tallis and tefillin in the morning but instead put them on at mincha.
We will be reciting the Megillas Eicha (the Book of Lamentations) at night and in the morning. Additionally, we will be reciting selected kinos, which are liturgical dirges written in response to the destruction of the Temple and other tragedies. I will give some context and explanation between each kina that we recite.
Because Tisha B’Av occurs on a Sunday this year, there is no traditional seudah mafsekes. Our normal seudah shlishis will count as a seudah mafsekes and we can sit together, eat together, and make a zimun as we would on a normal Shabbos. It is very important, though, to finish eating before sunset (this year 8:09pm). For havdalah, we will only make the blessing over the flame (I will do this in synagogue). The rest of havdalah (minus the spices) is recited on Sunday night after the fast.
Though the fast ends on Sunday night, the broader laws of the Nine Days apply through Monday morning until halachic mid-day (1:02pm) because much of the destruction occurred or continued on the 10th. After mid-day, we can get a haircut, eat meat, etc.
All of these practices are designed to help us connect to the unimaginable loss of the Temple and the succeeding expulsion. Tisha B’Av is a time to reflect on the many tragedies that have befallen us and activities that help to facilitate such reflection are encouraged and proper. Through connecting with the darkness we hope to better appreciate the many joys and miracles of Jewish life and we look forward to the day promised by the Prophet Zecharia when all fast days will be turned into days of joy and celebration. As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Important times: Saturday night Fast begins - 8:09 pm Shabbos ends - 8:56 pm Maariv at Stanton - 9:15 pm
Sunday Shacharis at Stanton - 8:30 am Halachic Noon - 1:02 pm Fast ends - 8:46 pm
Fasting may not be for everyone. To discuss further, reach out to stantonrabbi@gmail.com.
Parshat Devarim Week of August 1, 2025 Av 5785 Wishing you and your family Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, August 1, 2025 • 7 Av 5785
Candle lighting at 7:53 pm
Shabbat, August 2, 2025 • 8 Av 5785
Shacharit Services in Shul will begin promptly at 9:30 am. Service will be followed by a Kiddush at 12:00pm. Everyone is welcome!
We now have security for all services from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
Havdalah at 8:56 PM.
Tisha B'Av
Rabbi Birkeland will be making Havdala in shul, and after that, we will begin the traditional readings of Eicha (the Book of Lamentations) and the Kinnot as we mourn the continued absence of the Bait HaMikdosh.
On Sunday morning, we will continue with the Kinnot beginning at 8:30 am.
No Stanton Kids for summer
Yahrzeits: This Shabbos, the 8th of Av, is the yahrzeit of Dov Baer ben Yudeleh v'Baila, known in English as Bertram Levinson, father of Leslie, Ross, Joshua, and Shoshana. May his neshama have an aliya. Misheberachs: Chaim Tzvi ben Leah Israel Yakov ben Esther Yisroel ben Edlah Shoshana bat Esther שושנה בת אסתר Liba Miriam bat Channah Devorah ליבה מרים בת חנה דבורה Rachel Devorah bat Elke Cecile Cohen זיאסל מלכה בת אסתר Manny Kaplan מאיר ראובן בן לאה Chana Mera bat Fruma Henna Gitche bat Honcha Ella bat Leah Chaya Malka bat Esther Leia Nolan Rhodes נתן צבי בן פרידה Ashlynn Elizabeth Helen Coffman Moshe Asher Ben Esther Sarah Reuven ben Rochel Rivka bat Miriam Sara Eliyahu Natan ben Shayndel Shayna bat Chana Kayla Yitzhak Calev ben Leetza Tzvia Chaim Yonah ben Dubrah Efraim Ben Sore Shimon Sumer HaLevi Ben Malka Jim Lee Leah Zahava Bat Elka Barry Feldman Yaacov Ben Chaya Gitza Rochel Ben Chaya Gitza
We pray that all who are sick may have a full recovery. We are especially sending prayers to those who are wounded and in need of healing, and daven for the safe return of those who are still being held hostage. To add a name to our communal misheberach prayer list,email us. If you have a Yahrtzeit, birthday, anniversary or other milestone coming up, please reach out! We'd like to update our Yahrtzeit database. Pleasesend us your yahrzeit details. If you don't know the exact Hebrew date, just let us know the date of passing, and we will figure it out and add it to the Shul Cloud calendar.
ONLINE ARCHIVES
If you missed services this past Shabbos, or arrived too late to hear the drasha, you can go to our archives and read a copy! Click here for an archive of shiurim Clickherefor an archive of drashot Clickhere to go to our YouTube Channel for an archive of all of our ZOOM classes
