The  9th of Av is the 25 hour fast (this year starts:  sunset,  Monday, July 19) commemorating when the two Temples were both destroyed.  To display our mourning we do not wear leather shoes,  act intimately,  bathe for pleasure, or anoint.  Until noontime on Tuesday, we sit on low chairs or pillows, do not put on tefillin or tallit gadol, refrain from learning Torah and certain parts of prayer which cause or show joy.  Also we should refrain from pleasant greetings.

On Monday night we read Eicha (Lamentations) which describes the first Temple’s  destruction, and on Tuesday it is customary to read special sad Kinot — prayers concentrating on the destruction.

When Mashiach comes and the Holy Temple is rebuilt, there will be no more mourning on Tisha b’Av.

On Tisha b’Av, the Holy Temple was destroyed on account of  Israel’s  evil deeds, which aroused Divine anger. Never theless, though the external and visible aspect of this anger was outright punishment,  its inner aspect – its ultimate motivation – was G-d’s intense love of  His people.  It was precisely this love that caused Him such extreme distress when His children became soiled by sin (for if there were no such love, their conduct would be of  no consequence to Him).

Once judgment will have been done and the Divine fury will have run its course, what will remain will be the underlying, innermost  Divine attribute–G-d’s love for His people.  And,  as this love surfaces,  in the future Tisha b’Av will become a festival (source).

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If  you’re planning to read Eicha in your shul this year and need a bit of  help on your Hebrew pronunciation or  want to brush up on a tune, the Virtual Cantor –  Josh Sharfman – has  recorded the entire  Eicha  in mp3  format and put  in online so that you can listen to it  anytime on your iPhone (just tap on links below or visit website  Virtual Cantor).

Eicha Chapter 1
Eicha Chapter 2
Eicha Chapter 3 (the third chapter was recorded twice to reflect a choice between two different cantillation traditions for the third chapter – Eicha Chapter 3 Alternate)
Eicha Chapter 4
Eicha Chapter 5