A circumcision or the redemption of a first born
which occurs on the day before the 9th of Av,
one has the festive meal before midday.
ברית מילה וכן פדיון הבן
שחל בערב תשעה באב
עושין הסעודה קודם חצות היום One should not go for a pleasure trip on the eve of the 9th of Av.1
It is customary not to learn after midday
except those topics which one is allowed to learn on the 9th of Av.21) Or any other pleasurable activity.
2) Such as the book of Job, the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples, the laws of mourning etc. The Mishna Berura (553:8), however, says that most authorities allow normal study on the fast day eve.
לא יטייל בערב תשעה באב
ונוהגין שלא ללמוד אחר צהרים
כי אם בדברים שמותרים ללמוד בתשעה באב Concerning the last meal1 (before the fast) there are several laws.
The correct way is to eat
before the afternoon service a normal (full) meal,
and afterwards to pray Mincha but without saying Tachanun,2
because the 9th of Av is termed a ''Mo-ed''3 as is written:4
''He called a mo'ed against me''.
Towards evening we sit on the floor,
but we do not need to remove the (leather) shoes.
Three should not sit together so as not to be obliged to ''Zimmun''5
We eat only bread and a cold, hard-boiled egg,6
and dip a piece of bread in ashes and eat (it).
One needs to be careful to finish (the meal) while it is still daytime.1) The hebrew phrase ''se'udah hamafseket'' means the meal that separates - between the normal day and the fast day.
2) The Prayers of Supplication. See also Ch. 22.
3) A Jewish holiday. Literally ''meeting'' ie; we meet together to celebrate and praise the Lord.
4) Lamentations 1:15.
5) The extra prayers before Grace after Meals when three or more have eaten bread together. See also Ch. 45.
6) No meat or wine should be eaten during this meal. Water can be drunk. Only one type of cooked food is allowed. One can eat and drink after the meal and before the fast, if one had this in mind before starting the meal.
בענין סעודה המפסקת יש כמה דינים
והמנהג הישר הוא לאכול
קודם מנחה סעודת קבע
ואחר כך מתפללין מנחה ואין אומרים תחנון
משום דתשעה באב איקרי מועד דכתיב
קרא עלי מועד
וסמוך לערב יושבין על הארץ
ואין צריכין לחלוץ המנעלים
ולא ישבו שלשה יחד שלא יתחייבו בזימון
ואוכלין רק פת עם ביצה מבושלת קשה וקרה
וטובלין קצת פת באפר ואוכלין
וצריך ליזהר להפסיק מבעוד יום One who has the custom to fast all the year every Monday and Thursday,
and this (private fast day) would be on the day before the 9th of Av,
should ask (a Rabbi) to annul his obligation.1
Concerning one who has a ''Yahtzeit''2 on the day before the 9th of Av:
on the first time he should set a condition that he will fast
only up to the middle of the day.3
Then pray Minchah Gedolah, that is half an hour
after midday and eat a (normal) meal.
After this, near to night time, he should eat the last meal.1) Such a private custom becomes established as a vow ''neder'' and must be annulled by a Rabbi, by finding a halachic reason - such as he would not have started the custom if he had realised it would mean fasting two days in a row.
2) The anniversary of the death of a close relative. Many have the custom to fast on this day.
3) ''Chatzot'' is half the time between sunrise and sunset. See also Ch. 18:1.
מי שמתענה כל ימות השנה שני וחמישי
ואירא בו ערב תשעה
באב ישאל על נדרו
מי שיש לו יארצייט בערב תשעה באב
יתנה בפעם הראשון שלא להתענות
רק עד אחר חצות היום
ויתפלל מנחה גדולה דהיינו חצי שעה
לאחר צהרים ויאכל סעודה
ואחר כך סמוך לערב יאכל סעודה המפסקת During dusk1
one is forbidden everything that is forbidden on the 9th of Av,
therefore one must remove one's (leather) shoes before dusk.1) The period between sunset and the appearance of three stars is termed ''Bein Hashemashot'' - between the suns - and is considered as partly day and partly night.
בין השמשות
אסור בכל מה שאסור בתשעה באב
ולכן צריכין לחלוץ את המנעלים קודם בין השמשות