The Three Weeks

The sages teach: "In the End of Days the Almighty will transform the Ninth of Av into joy and happiness . . . and He will Himself rebuild Jerusalem and gather in the exiles, as it is written, "He builds Jerusalem, gathers in the outcasts of Israel."

The sages ruled that when a person builds a house for himself and arrives at its final stage, the whitewashing of the walls, he must remember that the Holy Temple still lies in ruins. He must therefore leave a square cubit of wall without whitewash.

If, during the Three Weeks, a person accidentally blessed "boreh pri ha'etz" over a new fruit, some authorities hold that the fruit should not be eaten. Others hold that pronouncing God's name in vain is a greater offense than eating the new fruit.

When the month of Av arrives, rejoicing should be minimized. A Jew must therefore avoid undertaking construction projects from which pleasure will be derived. Also, transactions should be minimized and one must refrain from consuming meat and wine.