Question:When exactly on Lag Bo’omer do the aveilus restrictions end; from nightfall on Lag Bo’omer or only from the beginning of the day? Discussion: The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim Siman 493 Se’if 2) writes that the minhag is to refrain from cutting hair [during the sefira period] until Lag Bo’omer, and this is in effect until the morning of the 34th day of the omer (i.e. the day after Lag Bo’omer). The Remo (ibid) writes that this is not the custom in his district; rather hair cutting is already permitted on Lag Bo’omer. However, the Remo writes that one should only cut hair on Lag Bo’omer itself and not “from the eve” (“mibo’erev”). This last statement of the Remo is subject to discussion among the Poskim: Rav Ya’akov Emden in Mor u’Ktzi’ah (quoted in Sha’arei Teshuva s.k. 1) writes that “the eve” [of Lag Bo’omer] refers to the day preceding Lag Bo’omer (just like “Erev Shabbos” where “erev” refers to the preceding day) but the night of Lag Bo’omer is subject to the same leniencies as Lag Bo’omer itself. The Chok Ya’akov (Siman 493 s.k. 6) also rules that those places that have the minhag not to recite Tachanun during Mincha on the day preceding Lag Bo’omer are allowed to cut hair on the night of Lag Bo’omer. (Whereas those places that recite Tachanun during Mincha on the day preceding Lag Bo’omer are not permitted to cut hair on the night of Lag Bo’omer because they do not consider the night of Lag Bo’omer to have a special status.) However, the understanding of the Vilna Gaon and the Levush is that the aveilus restrictions continue to apply during the night of Lag Bo’omer, and according to the Remo it is only permitted to cut hair on the day of Lag Bo’omer. The brief explanation given by the Vilna Gaon is that “miktzas hayom kekulo”. In other words, according to the Remo it is only permitted to cut hair on the day of Lag Bo’omer because of the concept of “miktzas hayom kekulo”, i.e. that once one has observed aveilus restrictions for part of a day, it is considered as if one has observed the aveilus restrictions for the entire (33rd) day. And in a similar way to regular aveilus (for a close relative) this concept only applies when one has observed aveilus restrictions for part of the day specifically, but not when one has observed aveilus for part of the night (as we find in Yoreh De’ah Siman 395). According to the Vilna Gaon (and the Machatzis Hashekel) the requirement to wait until the day of Lag Bo’omer to cut hair is a general aveilus concept and independent of the minhag of not reciting Tachanun during Mincha on the day preceding Lag Bo’omer. The Mishna Berura (ibid s.k. 10) writes that the permissibility of the Remo regarding haircutting on Lag Bo’omer applies specifically to the day of Lag Bo’omer (after honetz hachamo) because of miktzas hayom kekulo. The Mishna Berura explains in Sha’ar Hatziyun (s.k. 12) that this ruling is based upon the Vilna Gaon and Levush and applies even in places where the minhag is not to recite Tachanun during Mincha on the day preceding Lag Bo’omer. Conclusion: The Shulchan Aruch rules that the minhag is to refrain from cutting hair until the morning of the 34th day of the omer (i.e. the day after Lag Bo’omer). It appears from context that the opinion of the Mishna Berura himself is that one should be stringent and refrain from cutting hair until the day of Lag Bo’omer. |
Sefiras Ho’omer
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