9 Days Laws - starts This Tuesday Night (tonight) with Rosh Chodesh

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Or Menorah
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Rabbi Doug Zelden – Rav
Dov Steinberg - Shul President
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7006 N. California Ave. Chicago, IL 60645

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-HALACHA CORNER-
Halachot of The 9 Days not including Tisha B’Av

Restrictions of the “Nine Days” With Rosh Chodesh Av the more intense period of mourning for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, known as the Nine Days, begins. Rosh Chodesh begins at sunset Tuesday night, 8:25pm, July 14th, 2026 and all of the restrictions of the “Nine Days” begin immediately with Rosh Chodesh. "As Av enters, we diminish our joy". This statement of the Mishna is manifest in many laws & customs observed during the first nine days of the month of Av. There is a dispute among authorities as to whether this means that one ceases all joy during this period, or whether one is only required to diminish joy. One way or the other, some of the manifestations of this concept are the reduction of business, the prohibition of pleasurable building, and other similar things. 1. Home Repairs. Building for beauty or pleasure not required for dwelling should be suspended. Therefore, painting, wallpapering and general home decoration should not be done. Similarly, one should not plant for pleasure. Functional home repairs can be made. 2. Purchases and Clothing Repairs. New clothing may not be worn. One may not buy new clothes or shoes even for use after Tisha B’Av, except in a case of great necessity for example for one’s wedding. One may also buy things - even "items of joy" – during the Nine Days, if they will be difficult to find after Tisha b'Av, or even it they will be more expensive then. If one forgot or was unable to buy special shoes needed for Tisha B’Av, he may do so during the nine days. Repairing torn garments or shoes is permitted. 3. Meat and Wine. The custom is to refrain from eating meat and poultry or drinking wine and grape juice during the nine days. This also pertains to young children. The prohibition of meat includes foods cooked with meat or meat fat.  However, foods cooked in a clean Fleshig vessel (used for meat) may be eaten. Eating meat and drinking wine is permitted for Shabbat. Even one who has ushered in the Shabbat on Friday afternoon before sunset, or extends the third meal of Shabbat into Saturday night may also eat meat and drink wine at those times. A child who eats early Shabbat dinner every Friday afternoon may continue to do so. Similarly, one may drink the wine of Havdalah. However, grape juice or Beer is preferable according to some. Meat and wine are also permitted at a seudat mitzvah such as a brit milah, Pidyon Haben, and a siyum on Shas. (One should not, however, intentionally schedule a siyum for the nine days. Even if a siyum falls out naturally during this time, one should consult the rabbi before preparing a meat meal.)   à ………. (Laws of the 9 Days continued)  4. Laundering. Laundering is prohibited even for use after Tisha b’Av. One may not even give clothing to a non-Jewish cleaner. (Although one may give it to him before the 1st of Av, even though he’ll wash during the nine days.) The prohibition of laundering includes linens, tablecloths, and towels. A person who has no clean clothes may wash what he needs until the Shabbat before Tisha b’Av. Children’s clothing that constantly gets dirty may be washed by need even during the week of Tisha b’Av, in private. One may polish shoes with liquid or wax polish, but should avoid shining shoes. 5. Wearing Freshly Laundered Clothing. It is forbidden to wear freshly laundered clothing during the nine days. However, this does not apply to undergarments and shirts or socks that are changed when one perspires. One can prepare before the nine days by wearing freshly laundered suits, pants, dresses and the like for a short time so that they may be worn during the nine days. Here too, the prohibition of using freshly laundered items applies to linens, tablecloths, and towels. One may wear freshly laundered Shabbat clothing, as well as use clean tablecloths and towels. Changing bed linen, in general though, is prohibited. Try on your clorthes for the week and then they are not freshly laundered. Some step on their clothes on the floor to change the category from freshly laundered, also. 6. Bathing and Swimming. The custom is not to bathe for pleasure even in cold water. Showering is permitted when necessary but should be done quickly in warm water and not in hot water. One may bathe on Friday in honor of Shabbat with hot water. Women may immerse in the mikveh until Tisha B’Av, and may prepare in their normal manner. Swimming is permitted until Rosh Chodesh Av. From Rosh Chodesh on, only instructional swim for young children is permitted. 7. Hair cutting and Shaving. Hair cutting and shaving are prohibited. Even those who shave during the Three Weeks should avoid shaving during the Nine Days or at least during the week of Tisha b’Av. One may also cut fingernails until the week in which Tisha b’Av occurs starting Saturday night. 8. Trips. Pleasure trips are forbidden only on Tish'a b'Av itself. However, one should refrain from purely pleasurable major trips from Rosh Chodesh. Trips abroad should specifically be avoided. Trips to Israel, on the other hand, are allowed because of the mitzvah aspect involved. 10. Business. It is generally agreed that in today's economy, the factors of financial loss - rent, salaries, utilities, etc. - would permit business as usual during the Nine Days. Depending upon the type of business and the possible effects of "closing shop" for more than a week, the applications of the halacha may vary. Call Rabbi Zelden if you have any questions. The Laws of Tisha b’Av will follow next week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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