Tisha B’Av on Sunday
Previous articles in this series discussed several ramifications of Tisha B’Av occurring on Motza’ei Shabbos this year. Another unique aspect with a Sunday Tisha B’Av, that starts as Shabbos Chazon ends, along with our not-too-common fleishig Erev Tisha B’Av Seudah Hamafsekes a.k.a. Seudah Shlishis [see Gemara Taanis (29b) – that for this Seudah Hamfsekes, as it is on Shabbos, one may partake in a fancy seudah, “Afilu k’seudas Shlomo b’shaato” – as great as one King Solomon himself would have hosted] and the fast commencing, is that Havdalah is not recited on Motza’ei Shabbos. Rather, most of this Havdalah actually gets pushed off until Sunday night, with small parts of it performed on Motza’ei Shabbos.
Half-Havdalah?
In Maariv in shul on Motza’ei Shabbos-Tisha B’Av, we recite “Attah Chonantanu” to allow the performing of melacha (or by simply saying “Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L’Chol”) once it is Tzeis Hakochavim at the conclusion of Shabbos. There is no bracha of Besamim at all as that is considered hana’ah (benefit or pleasure), which we minimize on Tisha B’Av. This bracha is also not recited on Motzai Tzom (Sunday night), as at that point it is no longer directly after Shabbos.
Regarding the bracha of Borei Me’orei Ha’Aish on the flame this Motzai Shabbos/Tisha B’Av, that is generally recited in shul (or at home) after Maariv as a stand-alone bracha.
On Sunday night Motza’ei Tisha B’Av, when the fast is over, the rest of Havdalah is recited before breaking the fast. Yet, this Havdalah we start from the bracha on the Kos and it only consists of that bracha and the bracha of “Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L’Chol.”
