Many restrictions of the 9 days apply to the 10th of Av until chatzos. But what are we supposed to do when delaying those tasks until after chatzos impedes with Shabbos preparations?
TISHA B’AV ON THURSDAY
Being that this year, Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, I would like to discuss certain leniencies that apply for this year, in regards to the night and day following Tisha B’Av.
In other years, there is a minhag to extend the prohibitions of the Nine Days into the 10th of Av. The Mechaber writes that one should not eat meat or drink wine the entire day after Tisha B’Av. The Rama is more lenient and writes that we only refrain from meat and wine until the middle of the 10th of Av. The reason for extending the mourning is because the Beis Hamikdash started to burn on the 9th of Av, and burned through the day of the 10th. Some apply this only for meat and wine, but many poskim say it applies to all the issurim, such as laundry and haircuts.
LIKAVOD SHABBOS
However, being that this year the 10th of Av is Erev Shabbos, the Magen Avraham writes that, in honor of Shabbos, everything is allowed. The question is: Does he mean to allow everything already at night, or only starting Friday morning? In addition, is it limited to something being done for Shabbos, or perhaps there is no issur at all, and everything is allowed?
THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and the Aruch Hashulchan write that one must wait for everything – haircuts, laundry, showers, etc. – until the morning. The Shaarei Teshuva and Eliyahu Rabu, in discussing haircuts, write that one must wait until the morning. On the other hand, the Sidur Yaavetz rules that everything is allowed even at night. The Machze Eliyahu discusses this at length and also rules that everything is allowed at night.
The Chut Shani and the Emes L’Yaakov allow specifically doing laundry right after the fast. The reason for this is because, as the Gemara tells us, it is proper to do laundry on Thursday, so a person will not be busy with the laundry on Friday, and have time to prepare properly for Shabbos. That being the case, although one cannot do so on Tisha B’Av, he can do it right after the fast.
Rav Shlomo Zalman left this case of doing laundry at night as a question mark and the Be’er Moshe rules that one should only start laundry on Thursday night if there are extenuating circumstances.
IS IT ONLY FOR SHABBOS
As far as the second question: Is the allowance to start earlier than other years specifically if being done for Shabbos or should we say that once the Chachamim allowed it for Shabbos, everything is allowed? Does the regular issur apply, except if it is for Shabbos, or perhaps since the issur was waived for Shabbos preparation, when the day after Tisha B’Av is Friday, they did not institute any issur at all? For example: Can one do laundry which is not for Shabbos? If one has a huge pile of laundry, can the weekday clothing be washed or is it only an allowance to wash the Shabbos clothing? When it comes to meat and wine, all agree that it is still asur, as in every year, because there is no kavod Shabbos element in having meat and wine before Shabbos.
The Chut Shani allows doing any laundry, even if it is not for Shabbos, and Rav Shlomo Zalman allowed only doing laundry which is for Shabbos. But, he adds, once laundry is being done, you can throw other clothes into the load, even if the other clothing thrown in is not for Shabbos. Taking a haircut is definitely allowed, since that is considered l’kavod Shabbos. A shower would depend if it is being done for Shabbos. If this is the only opportunity he has to take a shower – such as if he is going away for Shabbos and he won’t be able to take a shower later – it would definitely be allowed.
In conclusion, there is a machlokes about both points – if one can start on Thursday night, and if it is only for Shabbos preparations. Some allow everything already at night, and some allow only starting Friday morning. Some poskim allow only doing laundry on Thursday night. Some hold that the allowance to start earlier is exclusively if it is being done for Shabbos, and others hold that everything is allowed.
SUMMARY
- Being that this year it is Erev Shabbos, the Magen Avraham writes that, in honor of Shabbos, everything is allowed.
- Some allow everything – haircuts, laundry, showers etc. – already at night, and some allow only starting Friday morning. Some poskim allow just laundry on Thursday night.
- Some only allow this if it is being done for Shabbos, and others hold that everything – even if not for Shabbos – is allowed.
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