Question: When Tisha B’av occurs on Thursday, are there any concessions after the fast?
Discussion: Generally, on motzo’ei Tisha B’av the various “nine days” restrictions apply (Shulchan Aruch and Remo Orach Chayim Siman 558 se’if 1); i.e. we do not eat meat, drink wine, launder clothes, have haircuts, shower, recite shehechiyonu and listen to music until chatzos of the 10th of Av (Magen Avraham ibid s.k. 1 quoting the Maharshal prohibits bathing, cutting hair and laundering clothes until midday on the 10th of Av. The Sha’arei Teshuva (s.k. 2) quotes an opinion that restricts reciting shehechiyonu until this time as well. The Aruch Hashulchan (Siman 558 se’if 2) and Mishna Berura (Siman 558 se’if 2) prohibit listening to music until chatzos on the 10th of Av).
This year [5780] where Tisha B’av occurs on Thursday we find certain leniencies pertaining to motzo’ei Tisha B’av:
• It is permitted to launder clothes, cut hair and shower because of kovod Shabbos (Magen Avraham and Mishna Berura ibid).
• These three activities are permitted according to the letter of the law from nightfall after Tisha B’av even if one has the necessary time on Friday morning:
The aforementioned Magen Avraham and Mishna Berura do not clearly write if these activities are permitted from nightfall after Tisha B’av or only from the morning of the 10th of Av. Some authorities (Elya Rabba, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Klal 124:20, Aruch Hashulchan 558:2) write that the only concession to perform these three activities is from the morning of the 10th of Av. The Ya’avetz (Siddur Beis Yaakov) and several contemporary Poskim (Rav Y.Y. Neuvert in Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchoso volume 2, chapter 42, item 5 and footnote 15; Rav Nosson Gestetner in L’horos Nosson volume 2 Siman 38; Rav E. Falk in Machzei Eliyohu volume 1 Siman 68) maintain that the concession begins already from nightfall after Tisha B’av, and this is implied in the wording of both the Magen Avraham and Mishna Berura. Furthermore, these Poskim posit that when the other authorities wrote that the concession begins in the morning, they did not intend to exclude the night before; rather they intended to permit these activities before chatzos (unlike a regular year).
Therefore, in summary although some authorities wrote that the only concessions (regarding washing clothes, bathing and cutting hair) when Tisha B’av occurs on Thursday is from the morning of the 10th of Av, it is not conclusive that they intended to forbid these activities during the preceding night. Additionally, since we find that the Ya’avetz and several contemporary Poskim allow these activities from nightfall following Tisha B’av, and we are dealing with a minhag and not an issur, there is certainly room for leniency to begin these three activities from nightfall following Tisha B’av.
However, since some authorities (Rav Nissin Karelitz and Rav Wosner) only allow these activities from the morning of 10th of Av; if there is no pressing need it is preferable to wait until the morning of the 10th of Av [Friday morning] to cut hair and shower. Laundering clothes, however, is permitted from nightfall of motzo’ei Tisha B’av.
• One is allowed to launder all clothes; even ones that will not be needed for Shabbos (Rav Nissin Karelitz and Rav Wosner. Rav Falk in Machze Eliyohu infers from the fact that the Poskim do not differentiate between different clothes that it appears to be permitted to launder all clothes; even those clothes that will not be needed for Shabbos).
• The only leniencies (when Tisha B’av is on a Thursday) are to launder clothes, cut hair and shower because these activities involve kovod Shabbos. Eating meat, drinking wine, reciting shehechiyonu and listening to music are all still restricted until chatzos of the 10th of Av (c.f. Aruch Hashulchan Siman 558 se’if 2).