We daven and hope that Moshiach comes immediately, and that this long extended galus [exile] that we are currently in comes to a speedy end. We also hope that Tisha B’Av this year will be celebrated as a special Yom Tov, and not a day of fasting and mourning. However, if unfortunately, this doesn’t happen, this year Tisha B’Av will be on Thursday. The past two years Tisha B’Av fell on Shabbos, which gave us the opportunity to discuss some unique halachos regarding Tisha B’Av that falls on Shabbos. This year, although Tisha B’Av doesn’t fall on Shabbos, it still falls on a day which comes along with some rare halachos which differ to a regular Tisha B’Av. As we will see below, when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, given its close proximity to Shabbos, there are a number of halachos which differ from a regular year. Read on and be enlightened.
Cooking on Tisha B’Av for Shabbos
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 559:10) rules:נוהגים שלא לשחוט ושלא להכין צרכי סעודה עד אחר חצות - “the custom is not to slaughter or prepare food until after midday (on Tisha B’Av)”. The Levush explains:כדי שיהא יושב ושומם באבילות של ירושלים להתעסק ולהתאונן בנהי וקינות ולא בדברים אחרים המשמחים ומסיחים מן האבילות – “To ensure that one sits desolate and thinks about the sorrows of the destruction of Yerusholayim, and busies himself with lamenting over Yerusholayim and not with other things that distract one from his sorrows. The Mishnah Berurah (559:40) cites the Magen Avraham, however, that if one is cooking for a seudas mitzvah which is going to be on motzei Tisha B’Av, then one is allowed to cook even before midday. Based on the above, the Netei Gavriel (78:9) is mechadesh [issues a novel ruling] that when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, if there is a need, one is allowed to cook and bake food for Shabbos before midday.
However, seemingly one could differentiate between a seudas mitzvah on motzei Tisha B’Av, when the seudah is that very night, and cooking for Shabbos which is not for at least another 30 hours.
The Mishnah Berurah (551:60) rules, that when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, everyone agrees that one is allowed to shect [slaughter] an animal after midday in honor of Shabbos. Based on this, the Shevet HaLevi (Kovetz M’Beis HaLevi, Vol 13, p. 49) rules, that if there is a need, one is allowed to cook after midday in honor of Shabbos. However, he isn’t as lenient as Netei Gavriel, and doesn’t allow cooking before midday.
Does a Women Need to Wear Gloves to Avoid Washing Her Hands When Preparing Food on Tisha B’Av?
The Mishnah Berurah (554:19) cites the Magen Avraham who rules that if a woman cooks on Tisha B’Av, and she needs to wash meat in the process, she is allowed to. Although there is a prohibition for one to wash his/her hands on Tisha B’Av, and if a woman washes meat she may end up washing her hands in the process, there is no problem, as such washing is not considered a rechitzah shel tanug [pleasurable washing]. According to the above, if a woman needs to cook on Tisha B’Av, either for a seudas mitzvah or for Shabbos, she would be allowed to rinse the food, and she wouldn’t need to wear gloves to avoid washing her hands in the process.
R’ Falk has a long Teshuva (Shu”t Machzeh Eliyohu 1:87) where he talks about women washing up plates on Tisha B’Av that got dirty from children eating on them on Tisha B’Av and he says that they have to wear gloves to avoid washing themselves. However, when it comes to cooking for a seudas mitzvah it seems that a women can wash the food and there is no need for them to wear gloves.
However, it would seem that they should make sure to use cold water, to ensure that the rechitzah [washing] doesn’t turn into a rechitzah shel tanug (see Pri Megodim, Eishel Avraham 544:11). The Kaf HaChaim (544:46) points out that the poskim fail to mention such a distinction, and it would seem that using hot water is also allowed, as in the end of the day the women doesn’t intend to wash her hands. However, he concludes that if one doesn’t need to use hot water, it is best to avoid using it.
Tasting Food
On a regular fast day, the Mishnah Berurah (567:6) rules that if one is cooking on the fast for a seudas mitzvah taking place that night, one is allowed to taste the food, and then spit it out. However, on Tisha B’Av the Mishnah Berurah rules that one shouldn’t. The Mishnah Berurah (s.k 4) explains, that the regular fasts that we have throughout the year are dependent upon our kabolah [acceptance], however, Tisha B’Av isn’t. The Biur Halachah explains, although the other fasts don’t actually need our acceptance, the Beis Yosef cites a Rivosh which says, that they are not as strict as Tisha B’Av.
Washing the Floor in Honor of Shabbos
The Shu”t Hisororus Teshuvah (Orach Chaim 339 and 3:30) rules that it is forbidden for one to wash the floor on Tisha B’Av unless the floor is extremely dirty. The Shevet HaLevi (Kovetz M’Beis HaLevi, Vol 13, p. 49) adds, that even during a year when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday and one washes the floor in honor of Shabbos it is still forbidden.
When To Say Kiddush Levonah – Before Tisha B’Av or on Motzei Tisha B’Av?
In Hilchos Tisha B’Av the Rema (551:8) writes:נוהגין שלא לקדש החודש עד אחר ת"ב - “the custom is to refrain from reciting kiddush levonah until after Tisha B’Av”. However, many people have the custom, especially in Yerusholayim to recite kiddush levonah immediately on motzei Shabbos Chazon. The Gaon in Ma’aseh Rav (159) writes: “Don’t delay in the performance of the mitzvah – and don’t wait until after Tisha B’Av”. Similarly, the Aruch HaShulchan (551:22) writes that many argue on the Rema, and say, “how can we delay a mitzvah that has come to our hands”. Similarly, one has to worry that he may get ill or even die chas vesholam and he will lose out on the mitzvah. However, he concludes, if one has the custom to follow the Rema, he should continue to do so.
Eating and Putting on Leather Shoes Before Reciting Kiddush Levonah, and the Advantage of Reciting it With a Tzibbur [A Group]
In Hilchos Kiddush Levonah the Rema (426:2) writes that on motzei Tisha B’Av itself, one shouldn’t recite kiddush levonah as one is not in a happy mood. However, the Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 11) cites from Achronim that the custom is that we do recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av, however, one should first eat something and put on his leather shoes.
There are some poskim (see Sefer Tisha B’Av Shechal B’Shabbos 10:26) who maintain that if one has respectable Tisha B’Av shoes there is no need to specifically change into leather shoes. However, presumably one should, as the reason one needs to wear shoes is because of the simcha [happiness] of being mekabel pnei haShechinah [greeting the Shechinah] and if one is wearing his Tisha B’Av shoes he isn’t going to be properly besimcha (see Ishei Yisroel, Perek 40, He’orah 51, quoting R’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l).
The Sha’ar HaTziyon (426:9) cites the Elyah Rabbah that due to the specialty of rov am hadras melech [the more people present performing a mitzvah, the greater honor there is for Hashem], it is preferable to recite kiddush levonah together with a large group of people before eating, than it is to wait until one has eaten something, and then end up reciting it by himself.
The poskim mention the above in regards to eating, however, they fail to mention it in regards to wearing leather shows. It would, therefore, seem, that wearing leather shoes whilst reciting kiddush levonah overrides the specialty of rov am hadras melech, and it is better for one to recite kiddush levonah with leather shoes - even if one recites it alone, than it is to recite it with a group of people without wearing leather shoes. Therefore, one who does not have leather shoes prepared for himself when the tzibbur recites kiddush levonah, it is better for him to go home, put on his leather shoes and recite kiddush levonah alone (Netei Gavriel 77:5).
When to Recite Kiddush Levonah When Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday?
When Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, should one recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av, or is it perhaps better to wait until motzei Shabbos when one is in a good mood, satisfied from Shabbos and adorned in his special Shabbos clothes. In a regular year, when Tisha B’Av falls during the first half of the week, if one waits until motzei Shabbos to recite kiddush levonah he may end up losing out on the mitzvah, however, this year when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, motzei Shabbos is only the 12th of the month and there is still plenty time left. In fact, that Mishnah Berurah (426:10) writes, it’s clear from the Darkei Moshe that when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, one should wait until motzei Shabbos to recite kiddush levonah.
However, the Mishnah Berurah is going according to the Rema who holds that one shouldn’t recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av altogether, however, we who have the custom to yes recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av shouldn’t wait until motzei Shabbos Nachamu, even when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday. Especially, after the Be’er Heitev (551:25) cites from the Arizal that one should specifically recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av, as that is the time Moshiach was born and the renewal of the moon represents that the Jewish people will return to a renewed state. (See Levushai Serad on Taz s.k. 8 who writes that “so is the custom”).
Alone on Motzei Tisha B’Av, or With a Minyan on Motzei Shabbos?
We mentioned above that in a regular year, the advantage of reciting kiddush levonah alone whilst wearing leather shoes overrides reciting it with a tzibbur without leather shoes. What happens, however, when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday, and one has no leather shoes in shul straight after Ma’ariv on motzei Tisha B’Av, and he has no way of reciting kiddush levonah with a minyan later on with leather shoes: is it better for him to wait until motzei Shabbos which is the 12th of the month and recite it with a minyan or should he recite it by himself on motzei Tisha B’Av?
The advantage of reciting kiddush levonah on motzei Shabbos, is that one is in a good mood, satisfied from Shabbos, adorned in his special Shabbos clothes and there will be a minyan. Ideally one should recite kiddush levonah with a minyan, and one should even delay reciting it to ensure to have a minyan (see Biur Halachah 426:2, d.h. eleh). Therefore, although we cited from the Arizal that one should specifically recite kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av, as that is the time Moshiach was born, it would seem that the advantage of waiting until motzei Shabbos, when one is in a good mood, satisfied from Shabbos, adorned in Shabbos clothes and with a minyan comes first, especially as according to the Darkei Moshe in a year when Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday one should ideally wait until motzei Shabbos anyway.
Dancing After Reciting Kiddush Levanoh on Motzei Tisha B’Av
Before we talk about dancing after reciting kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av, it’s worth writing a few words about what the inyan [idea] of dancing after reciting kiddush levonah is about altogether. The Rema (426:2) writes: שעושין שמחו ת ורקודין בקידוש החודש דוגמה שמחת נישואין – “it is customary to rejoice and dance after kiddush levonah, similar to the way one dances at a wedding”. The Rema in Darkei Moshe explains that this is because the rebirth of the moon is reflective of the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people, which will be renewed with the coming of the Moshiach.
R’ Moshe Sternbuch in his Teshuvos V’Hanagos (1:203) brings that he heard from R’ Betzalel Stern “that the one place we find that the Rema encourages dancing is by kiddush levonah, and people refrain from doing it”. R’ Moshe adds, that one has to dance properly, the same way one would dance at a chasunah.
Now that we have shown the importance of dancing after kiddush levonah, what is the din when one recites kiddush levonah on motzei Tisha B’Av? The poskim are lenient in regards to the above and they allow it. Either because it is not considered proper dancing (see Netei Gavriel 87:9 and 49:4) or because motzei Tisha B’Av doesn’t have the stringencies of the nine days.
It may very well be, that this is why the Rema held one shouldn’t recite kiddush levonah before Tisha B’Av. It may be that the Rema held that since one is supposed to dance after reciting kiddush levonah and one should refrain from dancing during the Nine Days, it is best to wait until after Tisha B’Av.
However, on motzei Tisha B’Av where the halachah is that if one makes a seudas mitzvah he may serve meat and wine, similarly, one is allowed to dance after reciting kiddush levonah (see Teshuvos V’Hanhogas 1:206).
