Halacha According to the Sephardic Practice: The Three Weeks – Part 3: Shabbat Chazon and The Week of Tishah B’Av

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02 Jul 2024
The Three Weeks

Shabbat Chazon

  1. The Shabbat prior to Tishah B’Av is called Shabbat Chazon.[1]
  2. Some Ashkenazim do not wear Shabbat clothing on Shabbat Chazon. However, the custom for Sephardim is to wear Shabbat clothing just as one would on any other Shabbat.[2]
  3. One may shine his shoes on erev Shabbat Chazon, like he would on a regular erev Shabbat.[3]
  4. One may not recite kinot on Shabbat Chazon.[4]
  5. Some communities have the custom to read the three haftarot that are designated for three Shabbatot before Tishah B’Av in a special, solemn tune,[5] and some communities read them as they would any other haftarah.[6]
  6. It is proper to give the Aliyah of Maftir to a rabbi or elder of the community, since the Haftarah mentions rebuke and it not proper for an unlearned person to give others rebuke.[7]

The Week of Tishah B’Av — HaShavua Shechal Bo

Washing Clothing

  1. The Ashkenazic custom is to refrain from both laundering and wearing freshly laundered clothing from Rosh Chodesh Av, since freshly laundered clothing detracts from the appropriate feeling of mourning. According to Sephardim however, one may wash and wear freshly laundered clothing until the week of Tishah B’Av.[8]
  2. An Ashkenazi may not give his clothing to a Sephardi to wash between Rosh Chodesh and the week of Tishah B’Av, and a Sephardi, too, should not give his clothing to an Ashkenazi to wash.[9]
  3. One may not wash any clothing; Halachah makes no distinction between one’s shirt or pants and his undergarments.[10]
  4. It is prohibited to wash clothing even if one does not intend to wear the garment until after Tishah B’Av.[11]
  5. One may not even wash his clothing without soap.[12]
  6. One may not give his clothing to a non-Jew to have them laundered, or send them to be dry-cleaned.[13]
  7. One may not clean a non-Jew’s clothing since people will think that he is cleaning his own clothing. However, if it is clear that one is cleaning clothing for a non-Jew, then one may clean them at this time.[14]
  8. Spot-cleaning is allowed if the spot will not fade if one does not clean it immediately. However, if it can wait until after Tishah B’Av and the clothing will not be ruined, then one should wait.[15]
  9. One may iron his clothing with a hot iron to make them look more presentable, since they were already worn beforehand.[16]
  10. One may also not wash towels, tablecloths, and bed sheets during the week of Tishah B’Av. However, handkerchiefs may be washed.[17]
  11. One may wash a small child’s clothing that constantly become soiled. However, one should not wash more than the child needs.[18]
  12. Repairing and washing a wig should be avoided during this time since a wig is no different from any other type of clothing.[19]
  13. One may clean the dust from his hat.[20]
  14. A woman who needs white clothing for her shivah nekiyim may ask a non-Jew to wash them for her, since they are needed for a mitzvah.[21]

Wearing New or Freshly Washed Clothing

  1. As previously stated, one may not wear freshly laundered clothing during the shavua shechal bo.[22]
  2. Before the week of Tishah B’Av, one should prepare his clothing so that he will have enough relatively clean clothing without having to wear the same piece of clothing throughout the entire week.[23]
  3. If an Ashkenazi has only freshly laundered or new clothing after Rosh Chodesh Av, he may give his clothing to a Sephardi to wear (before the shavua shechal bo) for about an hour, and may wear the clothing afterward.[24]
  4. Fresh clothing should be worn before the week of Tishah B’Av for about an hour, depending on how long it takes for one to make his clothing lose their freshness either through perspiration, or by giving them a look and feel as if they have been worn.[25]
  5. One who forgot to prepare his clothing before the week of Tishah B’Av may prepare his clothing on Shabbat Chazon He should do so by first wearing one set of clothing on erev Shabbat, and then wearing another set of clothing the next morning. After Shabbat lunch, if one takes a nap, he should change his clothing again after waking up from his nap.[26]
  6. If one does not have enough time to continuously change his clothing, he may wear several articles of clothing at once, one on top of the other, as long as the clothing lose their freshness.[27]
  7. One who forgot to prepare his clothing before the shavua shechal bo may not wear fresh clothing. However, he may put his clothing on the ground until they lose their freshness.[28]
  8. A person who regularly changes his undergarments because he perspires frequently may wear fresh undergarments during the shavua shechal bo. However, he should try to prepare them beforehand.[29]
  9. A hotel may change the bed sheets and pillow covers for its guests. An individual may also do so for guests who are staying in his home.[30]
  10. One should not use freshly laundered towels during the shavua shechal bo, and one should try to wipe his hands once on them beforehand.[31]
  11. A parent whose infant is having a brit milah may wear Shabbat clothing on the day of the brit. However, he may not wear freshly laundered or new clothing.[32] This is also true for a boy on the day he turns bar mitzvah.[33]
  12. One who does not have presentable clothing before a date with a potential shidduch may wear Shabbat clothing.[34]
  13. A freshly laundered tallit may be worn.[35]

Cutting Hair and Shaving

  1. The Sephardic custom is to refrain from shaving and cutting one’s hair during the shavua shechal bo, regardless of where the hair is located.[36]
  2. One who did not cut his hair in previous years since the 17th of Tammuz like the Ashkenazic custom, and realizes that the Sephardic custom is to be lenient until the shavuah shechal bo, is permitted to shave until the shavuah shechal bo and does not need to perform hatarat nedarim.[37]
  3. A woman may cut her hair during the shavuah shechal bo. [38]
  4. Even though one may not shave his beard, if his beard or mustache interferes with his eating, he may trim it.[39]
  5. One who is making a brit milah, the mohel, the sandak, a chatan during the days of his sheva berachot, and a bar mitzvah boy must also refrain from shaving during the shavua shechal bo.[40]
  6. One who will incur a monetary loss if he does not shave (for example, his job will lay him off, or he will make a bad impression on customers) may shave.[41] However, in all cases, a rabbi should be consulted as to when it is permissible.
  7. If Tishah B’Av is on a Shabbat or Sunday, one may shave the entire week beforehand.[42] This is also true with the other customs of avelut, such as cutting hair, wearing new clothing, and laundering. However, one should try not to shave on erev Shabbat Chazon.[43]
  8. Anyone over the age of bar mitzvah may also not cut a child’s hair during this time.[44]
  9. Even though the Ashkenazic custom is to refrain from shaving and taking haircuts from the Seventeenth of Tammuz until after Tishah B’Av, a Sephardi may shave up until the shavua shechal bo, even if he learns in an Ashkenazic yeshivah and most people are not clean-shaven. However, it is praiseworthy to follow the custom of the yeshivah and to refrain from shaving and taking a haircut during this period.[45]
  10. Some poskim hold that an Ashkenazi may cut a Sephardi person’s hair from the Seventeenth of Tammuz until the shavua shechal bo; however, it is preferable to find a Sephardic barber. Similarly, a Sephardi should refrain from cutting an Ashkenazi person’s hair during this period.[46]
  11. One may comb his hair even during the shavua shechal bo even if some hairs may be pulled out in the process.[47]
  12. One may cut his nails with scissors during the shavua shechal bo, especially if they are long enough that they protrude past the skin by his fingertips.[48]

Showering and Swimming

  1. The Sephardic custom is to take showers until the shavua shechal bo, unlike the Ashkenazic custom, which prohibits showering from Rosh Chodesh.[49]
  2. Even if a Sephardi is among Ashkenazim, he may take a hot shower with soap from Rosh Chodesh Av, including on erev Shabbat Chazon, until the shavua shechal bo.[50]
  3. One who lives in a very hot place and perspires profusely, causing considerable discomfort, may rely on the opinions that rule that one may shower during the week of Tishah B’Av with cold water.[51] Similarly, one who gets dirty easily from his profession (such as a painter or a gardener) may shower if necessary.[52]
  4. One may only use a dry sauna, not a wet one.[53]
  5. One who regularly goes to the mikveh may continue to go during the shavua shechal bo. However, if one is able to, he should go to a mikveh with cold water.[54]
  6. Strictly speaking, one may go to the beach or a swimming pool and swim, even during the shavua shechal bo. However, it is preferable that one be stringent and refrain from going.[55]
  7. An Ashkenazi may be a lifeguard in a pool that Sephardim are swimming in during the shavua shechal bo.[56]
  8. One may take swimming lessons during the shavua shechal bo.[57]
  9. A woman who just gave birth may even take a hot bath during the shavua shechal bo, since it is for medicinal purposes. Similarly, a woman who is in her ninth month of pregnancy may take a hot shower to ease the birth pangs.[58]
  10. It is permitted to take a hot bath if one needs to do so for medical reasons.[59]
  11. A woman may make all of her regular preparations to immerse in the mikveh at this time, including bathing in hot water.[60]
  12. One may bathe his child with warm water, even if he does not do so every day. However, if the child is already above the age of chinuch and is able to understand that the shavua shechal bo is a time of mourning, he should not bathe with hot water or more than one usually baths the child.[61]
  13. One may clean the floors during the shavua shechal bo, even with soap.[62]

[1]. This name is a reference to the haftarah read on this Shabbat, which begins with the words chazon Yeshayahu. See Rabbi Tzadok of Lublin, Pri Tzadik, Devarim§ 13 for a deeper explanation as to why specifically it is called by this name.

[2]. Radvaz 2:693; ibid. 3:645; Moreh BaEtzba §234; Kaf HaChayim 551:13. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 210, which cites Shabbat 113a that one must dress differently on Shabbat from the rest of the week, and explains that this Gemara does not differentiate between the different Shabbatot. See also Yabia Omer, vol. 3, O.C. 31:3; Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 207; and Orchot Maran, vol. 3, p. 80, which discuss this subject at length. Some Moroccan communities follow the custom of the Rama 551:1 and do not wear their Shabbat clothes on Shabbat Chazon. See also Ateret Shlomo §43 and Lebhar, Magen Avot, O.C., p. 266. Yafeh LaLev 3:2 also mentions the custom to wear colored clothing instead of white on Shabbat Chazon.

[3]. Yabia Omer, vol. 3, O.C. 31:3; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 210. See Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1, which also permits shining shoes during the shavua she’chal bo. See also Shalmei Moed, p. 481; Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:17; Igrot Moshe, O.C. 3:80; and Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 35:30, which all permit shining shoes, even according to Ashkenazic poskim, in honor of Shabbat.

[4]. Elya Rabba 551:38; Magen Avraham 551:8; Birkei Yosef 551:2; Moreh BaEtzba 8:234. See also Divrei Yatziv, vol. 2, 241:3 and Rivevot Ephraim 2:91, which state that one may not even sing parts of the tefillot, such as Lechah Dodi, with the tune from the kinot. See also Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 337.

[5]. See Shemesh U’Magen, vol. 4, 77:5; Keter Shem Tov, vol. 1, p. 405; ibid., vol. 5, p. 73. Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, p. 463 states that the custom in many Ashkenazic communities was to recite the haftarah for Shabbat Chazon to the tune of Echah.

[6]. See Nehar Mitzrayim, vol. 1, p. 35,3. See also Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 341, who says that one should annul the custom of reading the haftarah in a solemn tune since it is not proper to show signs of mourning on Shabbat.

[7] Nechamat Tzion, p. 172.

[8]. Shulchan Aruch 551:3. The Ashkenazic custom follows the Rama 551:4.

[9]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 237. See also Kovetz Teshuvot, vol. 1, 58:1 and Shevet HaLevi, vol. 10,81:4.

[10]. Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, pp. 163–164. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1.

[11]. Shulchan Aruch 551:3. Rashi on Taanit 29b states that the reason it is prohibited is because one is distracting himself from the mourning while he is washing his clothing. This reason is also brought in the Bet Yosef, Magen Avraham 551:12, and the Mishnah Berurah 551:21.

[12]. Moed LeChol Chai 10:11; Kaf HaChayim 551:58.

[13]. Rama 551:3. Similar to Rashi’s reason in Taanit 29b, the Terumat HaDeshen §152 states that even when one is not washing the clothing himself, he still feels satisfaction when they are clean and fresh. Kaf HaChayim 551:50 also adds that even according to Rashi, it would be prohibited to give clothing to a non-Jew to wash, since one is distracted from the mourning as he takes his clothing to the non-Jew. Furthermore, Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 169 adds that one may send his clothing to a non-Jewish cleaner before the shavua shechal bo, provided that there is enough time for the clothing to have been washed before the shavua shechal bo begins. See also Igrot Moshe, O.C. 3:79; Ohr LeTzion, vol.3, 27:1; and Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 35:16.

[14]. See Magen Avraham 551:19; Chayei Adam 133:12; Mishnah Berurah 551:42; Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:6; Kaf HaChayim 551:83; and Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 169.

[15]. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 233, which only permits spot-cleaning for a suit that one needs for Shabbat. However, in Chazon Ovadia, Avelut, vol. 2, p. 285, Chacham Ovadia Yosef writes that an avel may clean a spot that will not fade, and he cites the view of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Shalmei Moed, p. 481 and Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:15, who rules similarly for Ben HaMetzarim, which is unlike the view of Avnei Yoshfeh, vol. 1, 112:2. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1, which only permits one to spot-clean if the spot is in a noticeable place that people can see, and will thus embarrass the wearer. In such a situation, even soap may be used. See also Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:62; Kovetz Halachot 11:12; Shevet HaKehati 1:172; and Chut Shani, Yom Tov, p. 246.

[16]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 238. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:2, in the footnote, which only allows one to iron white shirts.

[17]. Shulchan Aruch 551:3; Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:6; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1. See also Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, pp. 163–164; Rivevot Ephraim, vol. 2, 155:9; and ibid., vol. 3, §354–355. Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:8 adds that if one regularly uses tissues to wipe his nose, then one should avoid even washing his handkerchief, since it is not necessarily needed.

[18]. Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 163. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1, in the footnote, which states that one may even launder many articles of clothing at once, provided that the child needs them. This is only if one uses a washing machine, since it does not require too much effort when washing. However, if one does not have a dryer, he should only hang a few articles of clothing at a time to dry afterward, so that it should not look as if one did more laundry than necessary.

[19]. Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim, 11:9; ibid. 13:11–14; Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim, 35:31, footnote 55; Piskei Teshuvot §20. See also Rivevot Ephraim, vol. 6, 291:3, which states that while one should not wash her wig at this time, she has what to rely on if she did.

[20]. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1, at the end of the footnote; Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:69; Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 35:12.

[21]. Rama 551:3. See also Birkei Yosef §4 and Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 232, which permit a woman to ask a non-Jew to wash her white clothing, even on Tishah B’Av. See also Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:25.

[22]. Shulchan Aruch 551:3. However, the Ashkenazic custom is to refrain from wearing freshly laundered clothing from Rosh Chodesh Av, as stated in the Rama, se’if 4.

[23]. See Tosafot on Moed Katan 24b, which states that an avel who needs clean clothing to wear may give them to someone who is not an avel to wear for him in advance. Here, too, one may wear the clean clothing beforehand so he should have enough clean clothing to last him through the week. See also Rav Pe’alim, vol. 4, O.C. §29 and Yechaveh Daat 1:39, which apply this ruling from Tosafot to the halachot of the shavua shechal bo. See also Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:6; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 229; Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 165; and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1.

[24]. The reasoning for this halachah follows the reasoning of Tosafot on Moed Katan 24b. I also asked this question to the Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, who told me that a Sephardi may do so for an Ashkenazi. This is also the ruling of Rabbi Nissim Karelitz in Chut Shani, Yom Tov, p. 345.

[25]. The Rama, Y.D. 389:1 states that one should wear the clothing for an avel for an hour. However, the Shach, ibid., 4 explains that the Rama means that one may wear it even for a short period of time. Yalkut Yosef, Moadim, p. 564; Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, as cited in Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:51; and Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:3 state that one should wear the clothing for about a half hour. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1 says that the amount of time the clothing should be worn depends on the person — if the person perspires frequently, then he only needs to wear the clothing for a few seconds. However, if he does not, he may need to wear his clothing for even a half an hour to an hour. Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 11:27 says that one should wear his clothing long enough that he is no longer trying to keep them freshly clean. Rav Pe’alim, vol. 4, O.C., 29 states that one should try to wear the clothing for even two to three hours. See also Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 167 and Halichot Olam, vol.2, p. 140, which state that one should wear the clothing for about an hour. In any case, it seems that around an hour should be enough time for an article of clothing to lose its “freshness,” especially if one perspires frequently.

[26]. Yechaveh Daat 1:39, in the footnote; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 229. Rav Pe’alim, O.C. 4:29 and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1 rule that one should not prepare his clothing on Shabbat. See Orchot Shabbat, ch. 22, at the end of footnote 282, which states that when one is preparing the clothes for that week, the clothing themselves should not be conspicuously for a weekday. See also Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:20; Shulchan Shlomo 290:1; Shalmei Moed, p. 479; BaTzel HaChochmah 4:138; Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:52; Orchot Rabbenu, vol. 2, p. 130, halachah 18; Be’er Moshe, vol. 6, Hashmatot 105; and Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 11:29.

[27]. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1; Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:53; Kara Alai Moed, ch. 4, footnote 19, in the name of Rabbi Chayim Kanievsky. See also Piskei Teshuvot §114.

[28]. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 232, in the footnote, which cites poskim who write that one must put the clothing on karka olam, dirt ground. See also Minchat Yitzchak 10:44 and Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:4.

[29]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 229; Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, as brought in Rivevot Ephraim 3:340 and in Shamatata D’Moshe §17; Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, as brought in Halichot Shlomo 14:12, in Shalmei Moed, p. 480, in Rivevot Ephraim 1:373, and in Avnei Yoshfeh, vol. 3, 58:2; Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, as brought in Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:59 and in Rivevot Ephraim 1:373; Moadim U’Zemanim 5:338; Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 11:24; Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:5–6. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1, in the footnote points out that if one does not have many pairs of socks, and it becomes very difficult to continue wearing the same socks after a day or two because of their odor, then he may wear new socks. The same is true for necessary undergarments.

[30]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 232, in the footnote; Minchat Yitzchak 10:44; Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 11:47–48; Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 166. See also Avnei Yoshfeh, vol. 3, 58:2; Rivevot Ephraim, vol. 3, 340:1; ibid. 355:1; Lehorot Nattan 7:36–38; Piskei Teshuvot 551:17; Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 34:21–22; and Mesorat Moshe, O.C. 369. However, in Chazon Ovadia, Avelut, vol. 2, p. 281, end of footnote 3, Chacham Ovadia Yosef writes that an avel may not use a hotel’s freshly laundered sheets; rather, he should first put them on the floor for a bit so that they lose their freshness. He should also tell the hotel not to bring him any more sheets for the remainder of his stay. Accordingly, it seems that one should act likewise in a hotel during the shavua shechal bo.

[31]. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:1; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:9. See also Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 167, which is undecided whether a person may use fresh towels. However, in Tefillah LeMoshe, vol. 7, p. 384, Rabbi Moshe Levi writes that it is permissible.

[32]. Rama 551:1. This is also true for the mohel and sandak. See also Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 234 and on, which adds that even the mother of the child may wear Shabbat clothing and jewelry when bringing the child to the sandak for the brit milah ceremony. See also Mishnah Berurah 551:3; Aruch HaShulchan 551:9; and Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 69:8. Yalkut Yosef, Sova Semachot, vol. 2, p. 335 adds that one may also wear Shabbat clothing for a pidyon haben.

[33]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 224. See also Divrei Yatziv, O.C. 238; Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:11,footnote 25; and Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 11:45, footnote 45, which add that even the parents of the bar mitzvah boy may wear Shabbat clothing on the day of the bar mitzvah. See also Avnei Yoshfeh, vol. 1, O.C. 112:5.

[34]. See Orchot Rabbenu, vol. 2, p. 130:1, which states that the Chazon Ish allowed one to wear Shabbat clothing on a first date in order to make a good impression. See also Shevet HaLevi, vol. 9, 131:4. However, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, as brought in Shalmei Moed, p. 481, holds that one may wear his Shabbat clothing only if he does not have any presentable prepared clothing. See also Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 310.

[35]. Rav Pe’alim, vol. 4, O.C. 29:4; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 232.

[36]. Shulchan Aruch 551:12. This is the general custom for Sephardim as brought in Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:12; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 158; and others. The Moroccan custom is to refrain from shaving beginning from Rosh Chodesh, as brought by Rabbi Shalom Messas in Shemesh U’Magen, vol. 3, O.C. 54:5. However, in Toledano, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 498:18, Rabbi Raphael Baruch Toledano writes that the custom of not shaving from Rosh Chodesh was only practiced by the older and more righteous people.

[37] Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 250.

[38]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 163; Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 292. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:3, which adds that if she does not need to have her hair cut, she should wait until after Tishah B’Av.

[39]. Shulchan Aruch 551:13; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 218.

[40]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 218, 2. See also Yechaveh Daat 6:36 and Yabia Omer, vol. 1, 34:5; ibid., vol. 5, Y.D. 31:3; Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:12; and Sdei Chemed, Ben HaMetzarim 1:3. Chacham Ovadia Yosef adds that one who shaved for one of these occasions has what to rely on, and does not need to be rebuked. However, one who is meeting a person of stature, such as a government official, and needs to look presentable, should try to be a sandak, and may rely on those views that a sandak may shave. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 225, which cites Rabbi Yosef Messas in Otzar HaMichtavim §1047, who allows one who is meeting a government official to shave. However, Chacham Ovadia Yosef writes that this reason alone does not permit one to shave, and he should also try to be a sandak. See also Shevet HaLevi, vol. 10, 81:3.

[41]. Igrot Moshe, vol. 3, O.C. §102; ibid., vol. 5, 24:9; ibid., vol. 1, C.M. §93; She’arim HaMetzuyanim BaHalachah 122:5; Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:7; Shalmei Moed, p. 477; Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 6:6.

[42]. Shulchan Aruch 551:4.

[43]. See Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:12, which states that even though, strictly speaking, one may shave the week before, it is proper to be stringent. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:4. Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 153 points out that it is proper to be stringent and not shave on erev Shabbat, so that one should not enter Tishah B’Av clean-shaven.

[44]. Shulchan Aruch 551:14. See Mishnah Berurah 551:81, which explains that the reasoning for this is because one is obligated to teach children about the avelut and the pain one must feel during this time. See also Shaar HaTziyun 551:91; Kaf HaChayim 551:173–174; and Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 151, which add that one may not even cut the hair of a boy below the age of chinuch. Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 6:14, states that one may not cut a child’s hair for the first time when he turns three, and should wait until after Tishah B’Av. This is also the ruling of Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 301. See also Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, 68:14 & 16. However, Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, as cited in Kovetz MiBet HaLevi, vol. 13, p. 20, 2, writes that one may cut a child’s hair for the first time even during the shavua shechal bo. However, if possible, one should do so before Ben HaMetzarim (and for Sephardim, before the shavua shechal bo).

[45]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 158. See also Yechaveh Daat, 3:39 & 4:36; and Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 155, which state that it is praiseworthy to refrain from shaving during Ben HaMetzarim if one is in an Ashkenazic yeshivah. However, if one feels the need to shave, he may (provided that he does not go against the rosh yeshivah). See also Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 245. This is also the view of many Ashkenazic poskim such as Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (as brought in Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:6 and in Shalmei Moed, p. 476), Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (as brought in the commentary Torat HaMoadim on the sefer Shoneh Halachot 12:1, in the name of Rabbi Chayim Kanievsky, who says this in the name of Rabbi Elyashiv, and in Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, p. 461), and Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky (as brought in Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 6:7).

[46]. See Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 248. Kinyan Torah BaHalachah 6:30 states that while it is permissible for an Ashkenazi to cut a Sephardi’s hair, an Ashkenazic barber should put a sign on the door of his shop stating that he is only servicing Sephardim during these days (or Ashkenazim who have Halachic permission to shave before the shavua shechal bo, such as a chatan or a sandak). This is also the opinion of Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, as brought in the sefer Kara Alai Moed, ch. 2, footnote 13 and Kovetz Halachot, Ben HaMetzarim 6:7. See also Piskei Teshuvot, footnote 135. However, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, as brought in Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:8, holds that it is preferable for a Sephardi to get his hair cut by a Sephardic barber.

[47]. Mishnah Berurah 551:20; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 216, in the footnote; Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 160. See also Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:14, which says that a man should try to be stringent.

[48]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 227. Yabia Omer 11:56 adds that one should not cut his nails on Tishah B’Av. See also Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:13; Rav Pe’alim, vol. 4, O.C. 29; and Kaf HaChayim 551:49. However, Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:4 states that one may only cut his nails with a shinui, such as with his teeth. See also Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim 14:26. However, Shemesh U’Magen, vol. 1, 15:8 says that one should not cut his nails even if they protrude past his skin. Each person should follow his custom in this matter.

[49]. The custom of Ashkenazim follows the view of the Rama 551:16, which says that one may not even shower with cold water starting from Rosh Chodesh. However, the custom of most Sephardim, not including that cited in Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:16, is to refrain from showering only during the shavua shechal bo, as brought in Palagi, Ruach Chayim 551:7; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:5; Yabia Omer, vol. 5, O.C. §41; Yechaveh Daat 1:38; and Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 238.

[50]. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 238 and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:5, in the footnote. See also the footnotes in the sources cited above on Sephardim shaving and taking haircuts in an Ashkenazic yeshivah.

[51]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 238. However, Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:5 states that one who is experiencing much discomfort may shower with cold water and soap, while one who is experiencing less discomfort may only wash his hands, feet, and face. It also says there that the water does not need to be freezing cold, and that one may even add a little bit of hot water to make it lukewarm. This is also the view of Igrot Moshe, E.H., vol. 4, 84:4, which states that in very warm places where people are very uncomfortable, one may take a cold shower. See also Teshuvot VeHanhagot 2:269 & 4:129; Halichot Shlomo, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 423; Shevet HaLevi 8:127; and Rivevot Ephraim, vol. 5, 376:10.

[52]. Aruch HaShulchan 551:37.

[53]. This is the opinion of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv as cited in the sefer Ashrei HaIsh, O.C., vol. 3, 69:45. This is because a wet sauna is no different from a hot shower taken for pleasure. However, see Sdei Chemed, Pe’at HaSadeh, Ben HaMetzarim 1:9, which adds that one may not use a dry sauna if one goes into a pool of water afterward. See also Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 196.

[54]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 244. See also Moed LeChol Chai 10:26; Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:16; and Kaf HaChayim 551:190. See also Shevet HaLevi, vol. 7, 77:2, 3; ibid., vol. 8, 127:1; and ibid., vol. 10, 81:6.

[55]. See Yaskil Avdi, vol. 8, Y.D. 14:3 and Ohr LeTzion, vol.3, 25:5. See also Yechaveh Daat 1:38 and Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 238.

[56]. Nitei Gavriel, Ben HaMetzarim 42:15.

[57]. Rav Pe’alim, vol. 2, O.C. 29.

[58]. Ben Ish Chai, Devarim 1:16; Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 246. See also Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 178, which adds that this is true for anyone who needs to shower for medicinal purposes.

[59] Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 327.

[60]. Rama 551:16; Torat HaMoadim, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 177.

[61]. See Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 245, in the footnote; Yalkut Yosef, Ben HaMetzarim, p. 325. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 27:5, which allows all children below the age of bar or bat mitzvah to shower or bathe. However, if the child knows how to clean himself, the parent should not help him. See also Shulchan Yosef, p. 67, 194, which states in the name of Chacham Ovadia Yosef that one may be lenient with children under the age of bar or bat mitzvah when necessary.

[62]. Chazon Ovadia, Arba Taaniyot, p. 248. See also Chazon Ovadia, Avelut, vol. 2, p. 286, which even allows an avel to mop and sweep his home.

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