Taanis Chapter 4, Mishnah 6: The Fasts of the Seventeenth of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av

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Before us is Mishnah 6 in chapter 4 of Maseches Taanis, which lists the events that occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz and on Tishah B'Av. The Mishnah opens: "Chamishah devarim eiru es avoseinu b'shivah asar b'Tammuz vachamishah b'Tishah B'Av" - five events befell our ancestors on the seventeenth of Tammuz, and another five on Tishah B'Av.

Five events on the seventeenth of Tammuz:

"Nishtabru haLuchos" - Moshe Rabbeinu shattered the Tablets on the seventeenth of Tammuz, when he saw the Golden Calf.
"U'vutal haTamid" - the daily Tamid offering, which was brought every single day, ceased. According to the Rambam this refers to the first siege of Jerusalem in the days of the First Temple, when matters reached the point that there were no lambs left with which to bring the Tamid.
"V'hovk'ah ha'ir" - the wall of Jerusalem was breached. This refers to the Second Temple, when the breaching of the wall took place on the seventeenth of Tammuz. In the time of the First Temple the wall was breached on the ninth of Tammuz.
"V'saraf Apostomos es haTorah" - the wicked Apostomos burned the Torah on that day.
"V'he'emid tzelem b'heichal" - some explain that this refers to that same Apostomos, who in the days of the Second Temple set up an idol in the Sanctuary of the Temple. Others, however, have the reading "V'ho'amad tzelem b'heichal", meaning that the statement does not refer to Apostomos at all, but to the First Temple, in the days of the wicked king Menashe, who set up the idol.

Five events on Tishah B'Av:

"Nigzar al avoseinu shelo yikansu la'aretz" - after the sin of the spies it was decreed upon that generation that they would not enter the Land of Israel.
"V'charav haBayis barishonah" - the First Temple was destroyed on Tishah B'Av.
"U'vashniyah" - and the Second Temple was likewise destroyed on that same day.
"V'nilkedah Beitar" - the great city of Beitar was captured on that day, during the wars waged against the Romans after the destruction of the Temple.
"V'nechershah ir" - the city of Jerusalem was plowed over, a particular degradation that was inflicted upon it.

The Mishnah concludes with a practical directive for this season of the year: "Mishenichnas Av mema'atin b'simchah" - once the month of Av arrives, we reduce our rejoicing during these days.

Original maamar

אות תענית ד:ו

חֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים אֵרְעוּ אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז וַחֲמִשָּׁה בְּתִשְׁעָה בְאָב. בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת, וּבָטַל הַתָּמִיד, וְהֻבְקְעָה הָעִיר, וְשָׂרַף אַפּוֹסְטֹמוֹס אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, וְהֶעֱמִיד צֶלֶם בַּהֵיכָל. בְּתִשְׁעָה בְאָב נִגְזַר עַל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ, וְחָרַב הַבַּיִת בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה, וְנִלְכְּדָה בֵיתָר, וְנֶחְרְשָׁה הָעִיר. מִשֶּׁנִּכְנַס אָב, מְמַעֲטִין בְּשִׂמְחָה: The mishna discusses the five major communal fast days. Five calamitous matters occurred to our forefathers on the seventeenth of Tammuz, and five other disasters happened on the Ninth of Av. On the seventeenth of Tammuz the tablets were broken by Moses when he saw that the Jews had made the golden calf; the daily offering was nullified by the Roman authorities and was never sacrificed again; the city walls of Jerusalem were breached; the general Apostemos publicly burned a Torah scroll; and Manasseh placed an idol in the Sanctuary. On the Ninth of Av it was decreed upon our ancestors that they would all die in the wilderness and not enter Eretz Yisrael; and the Temple was destroyed the first time, in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, and the second time, by the Romans; and Beitar was captured; and the city of Jerusalem was plowed, as a sign that it would never be rebuilt. Not only does one fast on the Ninth of Av, but from when the month of Av begins, one decreases acts of rejoicing.