21 Jul Psak Halachah on the Nine Days During the Pandemic

Haircuts and Music During the 3 Weeks

This Year The period of mourning beginning on Shiva Asar B’Tamuz (The Three Weeks), is patterned off of the classical laws of Avelius when mourning a deceased parent. When mourning the loss of a parent, we have a custom to abstain from listening to joyful music. However, one would be allowed to listen to music if they felt it was needed to help assuage their personal feelings of anxiety or depression. At the current time due to the ongoing pandemic, the entire world is in a state of uncertainty and concern. One who feels compelled to listen to music in order to help alleviate their tension or pressure would be allowed to do so. This would especially apply to Erev Shabbos, when listening to music would create a positive frame of mind in anticipation of Shabbos.

Washing Clothes During the Nine Days for Safety

Ashkenazic custom is to refrain from laundering clothing from Rosh Chodesh Av through Tisha B’Av (the Nine Days). A medical professional or anyone else who is concerned about the spread of infection on their clothing, may launder their clothing even during this time period.

Eicha and Kinos from Home

There are many communities who have been curtailing their tefillah b’tzibur in order to limit the amount of potential exposure between participants. On Tisha B’av, they may daven maariv and shachris b’tzibur and then continue as a community with the recitation of Eicha and Kinnos via zoom in each individual home.

Shortening Rosh Hashana Davening to Allow for Multiple Minyanim

Due to the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, there is a concern about adequate spacing in shuls for the Yamim Noraim. Minyanim will probably have to abbreviate the davening in order to accommodate the many who will be in need of an indoor space to daven. If need be, all of the Piyutim can be deleted as well as some of the extra shofar blowing that we have the custom to do throughout the davening. (The basic shofar blasts are the ones after maftir and those included in the chazaras Hashatz). Should there be a need to abbreviate the Pesukei D’zimra as well, one must still make sure that it is done based on the rules of priority that govern the Pesukei D’zimra. Either way, if the congregation will be convening after reciting Pesukei D’zimra on their own, they cannot begin from “Hamelech” or “Shochen Ad” but rather from Nishmas which is considered the beginning of the paragraph.