by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Apr 15, 2021
The Tur writes that during the days of Sefira the students of Rebbe Akiva died, and therefore it is customary to not hold weddings during that period. We know the aveilus is to be for a period of thirty three days, and there are divergent opinions in how to count...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Jul 28, 2012
All evil that happen s to the Jews is because of Tisha B’Av, and therefore we mourn on Tisha B’Av even if that’s not the day it actually happened – Brisker Rav. This is explicit in this kinah that writes “their murders were as tragic as the burning of the Bais...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Jul 25, 2012
This year, we have the occurrence of Tisha B’Av on Shabbos. This makes for some interesting Halachic changes which we will explore. The only time a fast day supersedes Shabbos is when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos, However when any other fast day is Shabbos it is pushed...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Jul 20, 2012
Tisha B’Av is best known as the culmination of the National Mourning Period over the destruction of the First and Second Bais Hamikdash. In truth the events of Tisha B’Av began much earlier when the Jews had left Egypt and were in the desert. They sent scouts ahead to...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Jan 5, 2009
There are six obligatory fast days. One is biblically mandated, four were established by the later prophets (Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi), and one is merely a widely accepted custom. The biblically mandated one is Yom Kippur. The Torah tells us: (Vayikra 16:29)...
