Minhage Vormeiza (Customs of Worms): On Tishah be-Av

The Eve of Tishah be-Av

The people recite teḥinot [supplications] during the morning prayers on the eve of the Tishah be-Av (Ninth of Av). They then dine before entering into the synagogue for the afternoon prayers. Afterwards, they are called to the synagogue, and pray the afternoon prayers, but they do not recite the supplication, as it is written: He stops up my prayer (Lamentations 3:8). Afterwards, they go to their homes and eat a meal while sitting upon the ground before the fast begins. They should only eat hard-boiled eggs, as this is a manner of mourning, and drink water. They must stop eating and drinking while it is still daylight. They should not bless the meal in the customary quorum of three or more men, but each one should say the blessings by himself. People should not take off their shoes at the meal before the fast, as it is not out of mourning that they sit on the ground, but rather for it to appear as a poor and lowly feast. Nevertheless, I have seen those who take off their shoes, and I too take off my shoes at the meal before the fast. It is also customary to eat lentils, which is also a symbol of mourning, since a lentil is round and mourning is also round, in that it constantly goes around the world. Moreover, a lentil does not have a mouth, and a mourner also does not have a mouth, in that he should not speak too much. Most of the people at the present moment, including scholars and commentators, have not been careful with this. Around the time of the afternoon prayers, they eat various types of rich dairy products, both baked and cooked, that are fit for a royal table. And they drink all kinds of drinks, as if it were a festival day. If it is thus, then it is not an event of mourning or of sadness, nor is it a memorial of the destruction; rather, this is the manner of engaging in pleasure and enjoying a festival day. But if one wants to eat in order to prevent the subsequent fast from harming him, then he should eat his fill of a single stew that satiates him, rather than many delightful foods. And he who is strict with himself is called holy.

When the fast falls on a weekday, people should wait until it is dark and then go to the synagogue barefoot, where they will say, And He, the Merciful One, [is forgiving of iniquity and does not destroy; He frequently withdraws His anger, not arousing] His entire rage (Ve-hu raḥum, Psalms 78:38). They should say this quietly, with a soft voice, by way of mourning, and the same applies to the entirety of the prayer service. Immediately after Barekhu, the people customarily sit on the ground to pray, until the Alenu prayer. Kaddish is then recited, including the Titkabel passage [“may the prayers and supplications be accepted”]. And the cantor and all of the people sit upon the ground, [ . . . ] and the cantor—in a simple voice—blesses “concerning the reading of the scroll.” And he begins, with a low voice and in anguish: How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become like a widow! (Lamentations 1:1). And in reading the second chapter, he raises his voice a bit, and in reading: I am the man [who has seen affliction] (Lamentations 3:1) he raises his voice higher than the first two chapters. For this is the way of those who weep, to raise their voices as they increase their weeping. And he says: How has the gold become dim! (Lamentations 4:1) with a low voice, as he had said the first chapter. And he pauses a little after reading each and every verse, in order not to read the book like the scroll of Esther, during which the reader connects all of the verses together. And the cantor says the last verse of every chapter of the book of Lamentations in a loud voice in order to let the public know that the chapter has been finished. [ . . . ]

Tishah be-Av

One should not knock on doors to call people to go to the synagogue; rather, they should wake up early and go barefoot to the synagogue on their own, as this is also considered an awakening. And they should begin to pray at the break of dawn, and they should begin to say their blessings in a low voice, with soft speech, in a manner of mourning. They should not wrap themselves in a prayer shawl; nevertheless, it is customary to wear a tallit katan [small, fringed undergarment], without reciting a blessing. This is in order not to neglect the commandment of wearing ritual fringes entirely. They should not put on tefillin, and they should say Barukh she-’amar [“Blessed is He who said”] and pesuke de-zimrah in a low, monotonous voice, each person alone. The cantor also says Barekhu in a low voice and with soft speech, and the same applies to the Amidah. The congregation does not recite the passages of ‘Anenu [“answer us”] or Naḥem [“console the mourners”] during the morning Amidah.