Every year during the three weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av, we enter a period of mourning.  We start with a few restrictions during the 3 weeks, adding more during the 9 days, and finally entering full mourning on Tisha B’Av itself.

One of these restrictions is that we are not permitted to listen to music.  Although there are different opinions as to what is music, or when we are allowed/not allowed to listen to it, most rabbis seem to agree that it is ok to listen to vocal music (“a capella”) during the 9 days leading up to Tisha B’Av.  This restriction on music is to help us get into the spirit of mourning – it is often difficult to mourn when we hear music.  Most music is joyous (in fact, this is a crucial aspect of the meaning of “shira,” the Hebrew word for music), so we cannot listen to it.  However, vocal music is permitted by most rabbis.

Rabbi Ben and I are friends with a well-known Jewish musician named Ari Goldwag.  He has produced a song and a video to help us get into the spirit of the 9 days.  The reason the Holy Temple was destroyed was because of sinas chinam, or baseless hatred.  If we are really mourning it, if we really want it back, we have to earn it by doing the exact opposite.  We must show baseless love to our fellow Jew! One way to do this is to give charity.  In this way we realize that we are no better or more important than someone who is poor.  In fact, we are all poor now because we do not have the Holy Temple any longer.

Please take a moment and watch the video at the link below and think about doing some acts of kindness for others during these 9 days leading up to Tisha B’Av!

Watch Ari Goldwag’s song and video for the 9 Days HERE!