The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), at the end of the Halachot of the Three Weeks, mentions the practice to recite special prayers each afternoon during this period mourning the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash. This is a time-honored custom, particularly among Sephardic communities. The students and faculty of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, which used to be situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, would go to the Kotel each day during this period to recite these prayers.
The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) would not recite a particular text when saying these prayers, but the accepted custom is to recite the Tikkun Rahel text.
These prayers should not be recited at times when Tahanunim are not recited – Friday afternoon, Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh Ab, and Ereb Rosh Hodesh Ab. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Debarim, writes that this prayer should be recited on the afternoon of Ereb Tisha B’Ab, even though Tahanunim are not recited on Tisha B’Ab (and we do not recite Tahanunim on the afternoon before a day when Tahanunim are omitted). He argues that since Tisha B’Ab is, of course, the primary day of mourning, such prayers are most appropriate in the preceding afternoon. Nevertheless, Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1924-1998) writes that the custom is not to recite Tikkun Rahel on the afternoon of Ereb Tisha B’Ab.
It is also customary to recite the traditional Tikkun Hasot prayer, mourning the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash, every night throughout the year, at Halachic midnight. This follows the Shulhan Aruch’s exhortation (Orah Haim 1:3), "It is worthy for every G-d-fearing person to be distressed and concerned about the Bet Ha’mikdash." The Hatam Sofer (Rav Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, 1762-1839) had a group of students recite Tikkun Hasot on Thursday nights, and appointed a special Hazzan to lead this service. Once, a different Hazzan led the service, and he did not cry as he recited the prayers. The Hatam Sofer said that if this Hazzan did not cry during Tikkun Hasot, then he must belong to the followers of the false messiah, Shabbtai Sevi. The Steipler Gaon (Rav Yaakob Yisrael Kanievsky, 1899-1985) said that Tikkun Hasot was recited in Nevarduk. The Rashash (Rav Shalom Sherabi, Yemen-Israel, 1720-1777) warned that sleeping through Hasot (Halachic midnight), instead of waiting to recite Tikkun Hasot, can bring impurity upon a person, Heaven forbid.
Moreover, Hacham Bension Abba Shaul writes that if a person knows that he would be unable to wake up to pray Shaharit at Netz (sunrise) if he stays awake to recite Tikkun Hasot, then he should nevertheless recite Tikkun Hasot, even at the expense of praying at Netz. Hacham Bentzion explains that the Shulhan Aruch regards praying at Netz as a "Misva Min Ha’mubhar" – an especially high standard of performing the Misva, but not an outright Halachic requirement. This is in contrast to the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), who maintained that one must read Shema at Netz, and it is only Be’di’abad (after the fact), if one did not read Shema at Netz, that he may fulfill the Misva later (until the end of the third Halachic hour of the day). Halacha follows the Shulhan Aruch’s opinion, and therefore, if one must choose between Tikkun Hasot and praying at Netz, he should recite Tikkun Hasot and pray Shaharit later in the morning.
Significantly, Hacham Bension writes in a different context that praying at Netz is so valuable that it takes precedence over praying with a Minyan. Meaning, if a person has the option of praying privately at Netz, or praying with a Minyan later, then in Hacham Bension’s view, he should pray privately at Netz. It thus emerges that according to Hacham Bension, reciting Tikkun Hasot is even more important than praying Shaharit with a Minyan. He ruled that Tikkun Hasot takes precedence over praying at Netz, and that praying at Netz takes precedence over praying with a Minyan, seemingly implying that Tikkun Hasot takes precedence over praying with a Minyan. Conceivably, this would mean that if a person was in a situation where he would be unable to pray Shaharit with a Minyan if he recites Tikkun Hasot, he should nevertheless recite Tikun Hassot. Perhaps we would not go that far as a practical matter, but this discussion underscores the importance and value of reciting Tikkun Hasot, and reminds all of us to make this recitation part of our nightly routine, particularly during the period of Ben Ha’mesarim.
Summary: During the period of Ben Ha’mesarim (the three weeks from Shiba Asar Be’Tammuz through Tisha B’Ab), it is customary to recite every afternoon the Tikkun Rahel prayer mourning the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash. This prayer should be recited each afternoon during the Three Weeks except Ereb Shabbat, Shabbat, Ereb Rosh Hodesh Ab, Rosh Hodesh Ab, and, according to some opinions, Ereb Tisha B’Ab. Throughout the year, one should ensure to recite the Tikkun Hasot prayer at Halachic midnight to mourn the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash. This should be recited even if one would then be unable to arise early to pray Shaharit at sunrise.
