הלכה אויף ישעיהו 59:21

The night of the Ninth of Av, they remove their shoes like mourners and go to the synagogue. They do not kindle more than one lamp to recite Lamentations by its light. And when one arrives at "Fallen is the crown of our heads!"¹ Lamentations 5:16 it is extinguished. And pray the evening servie like on any other days, and say "Answer us"²The addition for fast-days. And the prayer leader says the complete qaddish and after that recites Lamentations and says qinot, and after that "and to Zion comes" and all the qedusha d-sidra. But one does not say "and as for Me, this is My covenant with them"³ Isaiah 59:21, the verse that introduces the qedusha d-sidra, as it would seem to be renewing the covenant on the qinot, and since it is written within, "it will not depart from your mouth," and on the Ninth of Av it is forbidden to read Torah, since it is written, "the precepts of the LORD are upright, rejoicing the heart"⁴ Psalms 19:9. And so too in a house of mourning it is customary not to say it, since there too the mourner is forbidden from reading Torah. And say the qaddish d-hu 'atid l-ḥadta⁵ also recited at funerals and siyyumim and return home. And one does not greet another except as mourners and the rebuked. And the reason for not lighting lights in the synagogue is as is said in Eikha Rabbati⁶ Eicha Rabba 3:10, that the Holy Blessed One said to the ministering angels at the time of the destruction of the Temple, "What is a king of flesh and blood supposed to do when he is mourning?" They said to him, "He extinguishes the phanases." He said to them, "So too I will do such," as it is said, "Sun and moon are dimmed."⁷ Joel 2:10. And the meaning of phanases⁸ From the Greek φᾱνός is vessels that carry lamps, that the wind not extinguish them, also called lanterns. And thus the targum of "With lights honor the LORD"⁹ Isaiah 24:15. Note that this translation, despite being found in many sources from the Rosh on, is not found in our manuscripts of Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 24:15 as "with phanases."

After he has completed reciting the whole Amidah, he seats himself, bows his head, inclines slightly sideways; all the congregants doing the same. In this attitude, he offers up supplications. He then sits up and raises his head, the rest of the people doing the same; and, while seated, offers supplications aloud. The reader then rises alone and recites the Kaddish a second time, the Congregation making the responses as on the first occasion. He then recites, "And He, being merciful, forgiveth iniquity, etc.," then, the Psalm of David—(Psalm 145). The reader in the meanwhile stands; the congregation remains seated and recites with him. He then recites, "And a redeemer shall come unto Zion, etc. And as for me, this is my covenant, etc. But Thou art holy, etc. And one cried unto another, Holy, etc." He completes the Kedushah. The congregants respond, "Holy, holy, holy" three times. He then reads the Kedushah in the Aramaic version. Then he recites the text, "Then a wind lifted me up, etc." He reads this also again in the Aramaic version. Then he recites, "The Lord shall reign for ever and ever." This he also repeats in Aramaic, so that the people may understand.

If you see three generations or more, one after the other, all scholars, but then their children are illiterate, do not say that the words of the scholars are voided because they said, “‘Thy words shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed’ (Isa. 59:21), thereafter Torah will no longer cease from among them.” ¹Baba Metziah 85a. Behold they have become wedded to a family whose destiny is not to have scholars in its midst,²Midrash Rabbah, ed. Horeb, Ecclesiastes, Chapter IV, p. 91. and our rabbis said, “Most children resemble the mother’s brother therefore their sons are illiterate.” This likewise applies to the God-fearing and the pious, for it written, “and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12). And if you see that in the fourth generation the God-fearing and pious cease, it is then apparent that they intermarried with those to whom they were not suited, for instance he is not God-fearing or pious, therefore the generation is such. Therefore let a man seek favor each day for himself, his children and grandchildren, that they be joined to a partner who is God-fearing, possesses Torah and deeds of loving kindness,³These three virtues correspond to the “three fold chord” of the verse. for it is said concerning these three “and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.” For the three words, Torah, fearing and loving kindness are all equal numerically, (fear is equal to Torah, and Torah is equal to loving kindness)⁴Although found in the text it is repetitive, nevertheless we left it but in parenthesis. for concerning “fear” it is written “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do thereafter” (Ps. 111:10). It is not said “to all who study”⁵Berakoth 17b. but “all they that practice it,” as it is written, “Oh that they had had such a heart as this always, to fear Me” (Deut. 5:26), and it is written, “What doth the Lord, thy God, require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God” (Deut. 10:12). Behold “fear” is prior to “all they that do thereafter” i.e., “The fear” of God and “love …” “to walk in all His ways” (Deut. 10:12). “A good understanding have all they that do thereafter” (Ps. 111:10), “That ye may make all that ye do to prosper” (Deut. 29:8).