The final meal before the fast of Tishah B’Av is called the סעודה המפסקת. 

Hazal teach us that this final meal should be eaten in the same manner as a mourner eats — while sitting on the ground and customarily only consists of bread, a cold hard boiled egg and water. The purpose of this is that we should experience sorrow over the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash. The Gemara relates how Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai would sit on the ground near the stove and heap and eat dry bread and salt with some water — resembling a mourner. Rambam similarly describes the סעודה המפסקת and adds that “One should cry and be upset as if the deceased was lying before him. We should try to follow this example.” Therefore, Hazal instituted many laws of mourning for this meal.

These are the laws of the סעודה המפסקת: 

1. Meat, poultry, fish and wine are prohibited.

2. Only one type of cooked food may be eaten.

3. The meal should not be one of pleasure.

4. It is customary to eat the foods of a mourner.

5. One eats this meal alone.

6. One eats while sitting on the ground. 

We will now explain each law in greater detail:

1. a. It is prohibited to eat meat, poultry, fish or anything made from and cooked with these items. 

b. Wine, beer or any other intoxicating beverage may not be drunk. These prohibitions although in force the entire Nine Days are absolutely mandatory for the סעודה מפסקת. Therefore, even a sick person should not eat meat at this meal.

2. a. Only one cooked food may be eaten at the סעודה מפסקת because the more varieties of food there are the greater the pleasure and honor of the meal.  

b. Even the same food prepared differently is forbidden, i.e. a soft boiled egg and a hard boiled egg.

c. Similarly, one may not eat two different types of roasted or broiled food, or the same food prepared by two different methods — one roasted and one cooked.

d. Even if both foods were cooked in the same pot, only one of the foods may be eaten. Each individual may only eat one cooked type of food. 

e. One type of food that was cooked in two pots — it is permissible to eat from both pots because it is one variety.

f. Food that can be eaten raw is considered as a second type of food if it is cooked.

g. Food that is normally eaten together and considered as one dish is permitted, i.e. vegetable soup, rice and lentils, stuffed squash.

h. Raw foods are permitted, even several varieties (salad), however, pickled foods are considered as a cooked type of food and if eaten no other cooked food may be had.

i. Bread or other baked goods may be eaten with a cooked food.

j. Some opinions are strict regarding drinking tea or coffee and do not drink them at this meal, with another cooked food.

3. a. This meal should not be one of pleasure. Therefore, one should not indulge, even from those items that are permitted. 

b. One who customarily drinks three cups should drink less and one should not add salad to the meal or toppings to the bread, i.e. butter, jelly. Maran says that it is preferable, for those who are able, to only have dry bread, salt and water at the סעודה מפסקת.

4. a. Although we said earlier that it is permissible to eat one cooked food of any variety, nevertheless it is customary to eat foods that represent mourning, i.e. cold hard boiled eggs or lentils — because these foods are round symbolizing the never ending life cycle, additionally they do not have a “mouth”, just as a mourner does not have the desire to speak a lot. [Some have the custom of eating scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes.]

b. The cooked food is accompanied with bread and just before it is finished, the bread is dipped in ashes and one says, “This is the meal of Tishah B’Av” and mentions the number of years that have passed since the Hurban (determined by subtracting 68 from the civil year. For example: 2002– 68=1,934 years since the hurban).

5. a. This meal should be eaten alone — family members should not sit together, rather each should go to a different part of the room.

b. Three men should not sit together so they will not be required to recite Bircat HaMazon with a zemun. In case they ate together, since in his mind each one considered himself as eating alone, therefore they do not constitute a zemun.

6. a. The סעודה מפסקת  is eaten while sitting on the ground or a טפח ( 4 inches) — like a mourner. 

b. Shoes do not have to be removed at this time since the mourning does not begin until evening.

c. After this meal it is permitted to sit on a chair, if one has not yet accepted the fast.