Halachos of Motzei Tisha B'Av that falls on Thursday night

Halachos of Motzaei Tisha B'Av that falls on Thursday night. (for reference only. Contact your LOR)

 (See chart below from Rabbi Neustadt)

By Harav Aaron Dovid Wilner shlita Monsey.

- Generally, every year, on the 10th of Av, the restrictions apply until Chatzos (i.e. showering, hair-cutting, washing clothes, music, and wearing fresh clothes). However, this year, since the 10th is Erev Shabbos, l'kovod)Shabbos, these restrictions are relaxed. Bathing and hair-cutting are allowed, preferably friday morning but, if need be, Thursday evening. If it is not for kovod Shabbos, the restrictions still apply. A shower that not for kovod Shabbos is only mutar with lukewarm water.

Regarding doing laundry, even though there are those that are machmir until Friday, there is a strong heter to do laundry Thursday night. Laundry on Friday is permitted without limitation

Listening to music is not permitted until chatzos. Eating meat and drinking wine, unless it is a seudos mitzvah, should be postponed until chatzos on Friday. (Harav Aaron Dovid Wilner shlita Rav Sharei Tefila Monsey)

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להגדיל תורה ולהאדירה

Halachos for Tisha B'Av Thursday and Erev Shabbos this year by Rav Doniel Neustadt shlita Rav of Pine River Village senior community in Lakewood. The similar calendar year took place 3 years ago.

ShQUESTION: Do the restrictions of the Nine Days remain in effect until chatzos of Friday when Tishah b’Av falls on Thursday?

DISCUSSION: The poskim rule that due to the honor of the approaching Shabbos, several of the restrictions of the Nine Days that normally remain in effect until chatzos of the tenth of Av, are lifted.(25) But they debate whether the restrictions are lifted as soon as the fast is over on Thursday night, or if they remain in place until it is actually erev Shabbos – on Friday morning. The poskim also debate whether or not these restrictions are completely suspended and these activities are permitted even for non-Shabbos needs, or if they are lifted only when they are needed for the sake of Shabbos. We will briefly review the various restrictions and the opinions of the poskim:

* Laundry – Although some poskim suggest waiting until Friday morning to do laundry,(26) the consensus of contemporary authorities is that doing laundry is permitted immediately on Thursday night.(27) Whether or not it is permitted to wash laundry which will not be used for Shabbos is a matter of dispute: Some permit it outright,(28) while others only allow adding such laundry to the load which is being washed for Shabbos use.(29)

* Haircuts, Shaves, Hot Showers and Baths – If possible, it is recommended to wait until Friday morning.(30) If this will prove difficult or impractical, it is permitted on Thursday night as well.(31) Whether or not it is permitted to shower or bathe when doing so is clearly not for the sake of Shabbos, e.g., one is planning to take another shower closer to Shabbos, or whether it is permitted to go swimming for pleasure, is a matter of dispute: Many permit it,(32) while others do not.(33)

The following activities have no connection at all with the approaching Shabbos. Thus all of them are forbidden until chatzos on Friday:

* Eating meat(34) and drinking wine.(35)

* Playing music and dancing.(36)

* Wearing freshly laundered clothes.(37)

* Reciting shehecheyanu.(38)

FOOTNOTES:

26 Harav M. Feinstein (oral ruling, quoted in Kitzur Hilchos Bein ha- Meitzarim, pg. 32); Toras ha-Moadim, pg. 13, quoting Harav C. Kanievsky

27 Siddur Ya’avetz; Harav Y. Kamenetsky (Emes l’Yaakov, O.C. 558, note 527); Harav Y.Y. Fisher (Even Yisrael 7:27); Harav N. Karelitz (Chut Shani, vol. 2, pg. 328); Harav S. Wosner (mi-Beis Levi, Bein ha-Meitzarim, pg. 37); Lehoros Nosson 2:36; Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 42:5; Machazeh Eliyahu 86.

28 Harav M. Feinstein (Kol ha-Torah, vol. 54, pg. 8); Harav N. Karelitz (Chut Shani, vol. 2, pg. 328)

29 Harav S.Z. Auerbach (Tikunim u’Miluim 42:16); Harav S. Wosner (mi-Beis Levi, Bein ha-Meitzarim, pg. 37) Shevet ha-Kehasi 3:182.

30 To satisfy the view of several poskim who allow these activities only on Friday morning; see Be’er Moshe 3:79 and Toras ha-Moadim, pg. 13.

31 Harav Y.Y. Fisher (Even Yisrael 7:27); Machazeh Eliyahu 86.

32 Harav N. Karelitz (Chut Shani, vol. 2, pg. 328); Harav C. Kanievsky and Harav S. Duvlitzky (quoted in Nechamas Yisrael 40:8). See also Machazeh Eliyahu 86.

33 Koveitz Hilchos Bein ha-Meitzarim, pg. 84. This may be the opinion of Harav S.Z. Auerbach (quoted in note 5) as well.

34 It is permitted, however, to eat a meaty dish on Thursday night if no meat or poultry is actually visible, e.g., clear chicken soup; Beiur Halachah 558:1, s.v. shelo.

35 Aruch ha-Shulchan 558:2. A minority opinion holds that it is permitted to eat meat and drink wine on Friday morning after Shacharis; see Orchos Chaim 558:1, quoting Rav Levi Yitzhchak of Barditchev.

36 Machazeh Eliyahu 86.

37 Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 42, note 16.

38 Machazeh Eliyahu 86.

By Rabbi Neustadt, courtesy of Dr. Jeffrey Gross and Torah.org.