Today is the first day of the month of Av. As Jews throughout the world proclaim ראש חודש אב, we also enter one of the most solemn periods of the Jewish calendar. Our Sages taught in the Gemara (Ta'anit 26b): "משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה"—"When Av begins, we diminish our joy."
This statement is often misunderstood. Judaism does not command sadness for its own sake, nor does it encourage despair. We are a people commanded to serve Hashem with joy. Rather, our Sages teach that there are moments in the calendar when we deliberately restrain outward expressions of celebration so that we may remember what has been lost, reflect upon why it was lost, and renew our commitment to bringing about its restoration.
This is not merely history. It is living memory.
The destruction of the First and Second Batei Mikdash did not simply mark the loss of magnificent buildings in Yerushalayim. It represented the interruption of the fullest manifestation of the Divine Presence among the Jewish people. The Temple was the spiritual heart of the nation, the place from which holiness radiated to all Israel and, through Israel, to the world.
For that reason, our mourning is fundamentally different from ordinary grief. We do not mourn because the past cannot return; we mourn because we believe it can.
Halakhah therefore gradually increases the signs of mourning as Tisha Be'Av approaches. From the beginning of Av, we reduce activities associated with celebration and unnecessary joy. Weddings are not conducted. Many avoid major purchases that are intended purely for pleasure or celebration. Among Sephardim, the longstanding custom is to refrain from eating meat and drinking wine beginning from the day after Rosh Chodesh Av until after Tisha Be'Av, apart from Shabbat and other halakhically recognised occasions. During the week in which Tisha Be'Av falls, additional restrictions concerning laundering and freshly laundered clothing come into effect according to Sephardic custom, while Ashkenazim generally begin these practices from Rosh Chodesh Av.
These customs are not punishments. They are teachers.
Each restriction quietly asks us a question: What gives us real joy? If our happiness depends only upon new possessions, fine food, celebrations, or worldly success, then our priorities require examination. By voluntarily setting aside certain comforts for a few days each year, we remind ourselves that true Jewish joy is inseparable from our relationship with Hashem and from the completeness of our national redemption.
Our Sages also observed that these days have historically been difficult for the Jewish people, and therefore advised avoiding unnecessary risks and postponing matters of contention where practical. This is not superstition but the recognition that Jewish history has repeatedly converged upon this period with painful consistency. The destruction of both Temples, the decree against the generation of the wilderness, the fall of Betar, and many later tragedies all became woven into the fabric of these days.
Yet Av does not end in darkness.
The very month that contains Tisha Be'Av also contains Tu B'Av (טו באב), one of the happiest days of the Jewish year. This is the Jewish understanding of history: mourning is never the destination. Reflection leads to repentance, repentance leads to redemption, and redemption leads to joy.
As we begin Av today, let us not merely observe external customs. Let us rebuild what truly requires rebuilding within ourselves. Every act of kindness, every sincere prayer, every moment of Torah study, every victory over anger, pride, gossip, or indifference lays another stone in the spiritual rebuilding of the Mikdash.
May this Av be the last in which we diminish our joy because of destruction, and may we soon merit the fulfilment of the words of the prophet, when these days of mourning are transformed into days of gladness, rejoicing, and truth for all Israel.