Laws of the Three Weeks and the Nine Days

The Three Weeks, a time of mourning for the Beit HaMikdash and tragedies that befell the Jewish people at various points in history, begins on the 17^th of Tammuz.

This shiur discusses the five reasons for fasting on the 17^th of Tammuz as mentioned in Masechet Taanit and continues with a discussion on customs as well as activities that one refrains from during the three weeks in general and the nine days in particular.

This shiur is reposted with permission from the VBM—The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion, where you can find both audio and text shiurim regarding all aspects of Halakha

About the Author

Rav Mordechai Friedman has been a Ram at Yeshivat Har Etzion since 1986. He is the Halacha Coordinator for the VBM—The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion, the Yeshiva's Internet Project. Rav Friedman studied under Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt"l at Yeshiva University in New York, graduating with a degree in Computer Sciences. He earned Semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.