Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Doing Laundry Motzei Tisha B'Av

Because Tisha B'Av falls out on a Thursday, we don't have to wait until chatzos 10 Av to bathe, do laundry and get a haircut because of kovod Shabbos. (see MG"A 558:1). The question is can one begin even Thursday night. I don't have time to go thru all teh mareh m'komos that I found so I'll just tell you to look at the Taz in 551:14 who brings a Tosfos that allows you to start washing and getting a haircut after chatzos of 9 Av! Although the Taz doesn't pasken like that Tosafos, nireh li that the Taz agrees to the sevara that once things are muttar l'kovod shabbos it doesn't have to wait until Friday morning. From here it would be mashma one could start Thursday night. The Piskei Teshuvos brings numerous poskim who all say you can start Thursday night.

However, before you fire up the washing machines there might be one caveat. The Shmiras Shabbos brings down from Rav Shlomo Zalman that the heter is due to kovod Shabbos. Therefore, only laundry needed for Shabbos can be done before chatzos on Friday. This might get into the question whether kovod Shabbos removes the whole "issur" of 10 Av or we just say that the issur is there but for a mitzvah (i.e. kovod Shabbos) it is muttar.

One could also ask whether even l'fi Rav Shlomo Zalman would one be allowed to mix weekday and Shabbos clothing in the same machine. M'sevara I would say no since it is not a tircha issue but a nihug aveilus issue.

L'ma'aseh I don't know what people do. I assume most people don't follow this psak of Rav Shlomo Zalman but I could be wrong. My Rav thought one could do all laundry not like Rav Shlomo Zalman.

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