<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><div><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:
none;tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">This
month is called Av, which of course means "father". Although God has
hidden His </span></font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> face from us, nevertheless, the name of this month demonstrates to us
that God acts as a loving father would, even though </span></font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">we are unable to comprehend His ways. The fact that we
continue to survive is proof that we have not been forsaken.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">"You are our (Av)</span></font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> F</span></font></font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">ather and we are Your children!" May the day
come speedily when Tisha B'Av is no longer a sad day.</span></font></span></p></p>
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</div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">The minhag is that one should not say Kiddush Levanah until after Tisha B'Av. </span></font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> Many have the minhag to follow the opinion of the Ari'zal who says that because </span></font><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Motzei</span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> Tisha B'Av is the birthday of Dovid Hamelech one should preferably say it that night.</span></font></div></span></font><em><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 551:8, see Be'er Haitaiv 25, Levushei Srad 551:8</span></font></em></span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i><br></i></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Kol tuv (and then some)!</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">ri</span></font></div></body></html>