Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Shaving this Friday

For those people who don't shave during Sefira, this Friday is an opportunity to shave. Because it is both Rosh Chodesh and Erev Shabbos, the Mishna Berura (סימן תצ"ג ס"ק ה) writes that since there is additional simcha of both Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh, even those who are noheg not to shave from Pesach until Lag Baomer are allowed to shave on this Erev Shabbos which is also Rosh Chodesh.

In previous years I have always forgotten and when I came to shul Friday night and saw the shaven faces I kicked myself. This year I don't plan on forgetting and am going to trim my beard nicely (it doesn't seem worth the effort to shave it all off).

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

First off. I hate blogs. I can't stand the LH on them and the egos that bloggers have. However, your site is fresh air. I think you have put everything here in a very mature manner.

Second. I was under the impression that this halacha goes for haircuts as well. THEN something came up. Friday ITSELF is Rosh Chodesh, which means, I *THINK* that it's best to refrain from such things on Rosh Chodesh itself. I was wondering if that is the proper halacha...

bluke said...

You are right that the same halacha would apply to taking a haircut as well. I just mentioned shaving because most people take a haircut right before Pesach anyway and therefore don't need one, while those people who normally shave everyday could use a shave.

bluke said...

In fact the Mishna Berura there writes that you are allowed to get married this Friday as well.

Anonymous said...

Right, but what about shaving/haircut ON Rosh Chodesh, itself?

bluke said...

The minhga not to take a haircut on Rosh Chodesh is I believe based on the צווה of R' Yehuda Hachasid and I don't think is universally accepted. In fact the MB in Siman 260 sif katan 7 states that "there are places where they don't get a haircut or cut their nails on Rosh Chodesh", clearly implying that this was not the widespread minhag.

The fact is that according to the calendar Rosh Chodesh Iyyar is always 2 days and cannot fall out on Shabbos and Sunday (because Pesach can't start on Friday). Therefore if Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh Iyar, then that Erev Shabbos is always Rosh Chodesh as well and even so the MB allowed haircuts. In other words the MB here allowed haircuts on Rosh Chodesh.

Anonymous said...

Bluke - I offered this svara to a friend of mine - as i think isaw it in shmiras shabbos - and he siad he thinks that the MB is referring to RC sivan - for those who hold the 2nd half. I still disagree with him, but it *would* answer the questions

Anonymous said...

Good post.

I'm not suggesting that the positions can be reconciled, but I note that the Rav did not shave during the week and shaved for each Shabbat, as is RAL's practice to this date.

Anonymous said...

Would you know what the ravs mekor to shave on friday was?

bluke said...

The Mishna Berura is explicitly referring to Rosh Chodesh Iyyar. The Ravs' minhag was based on Kavod Shabbos.

Anonymous said...

Correct, Bluke.

The minhag of miyut simcha during this period is often confused with the 'aveilus' aspects of the 9 Days/Shevuah Shechal Bo. They often are, but simply are not, comparable in severity of application nor are they nearly on the same level of importance historically.

Weighed against that, Kavod Shabbat is understood as not only a competing value but a superior one.

This view of the importance of Kovod Shabbat/Yom Tov is also applied to shaving for the last days of Yom Tov, but that is based on a somewhat different analysis (the issur of shaving on chol hamoed being understood in the historical context of the Gemorah in Moed Katan of shaving once weekly - thus the limitation of not shaving on Chol HaMoed would not be applied in the face of Kavod Yom Tov, but solely to the extent that (i) one shaved immediately prior to Yom Tov, and (ii) as a regular matter, one shaves daily.)

bluke said...

The Rav holds that the aveilus of Sefira is patterned after the aveilus of י"ב חדש. Therefore just like by י"ב חדש you can shave (when people say you look bad) so too during sefira.

Anonymous said...

"The fact is that according to the calendar Rosh Chodesh Iyyar is always 2 days and cannot fall out on Shabbos and Sunday (because Pesach can't start on Friday). Therefore if Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh Iyar, then that Erev Shabbos is always Rosh Chodesh as well and even so the MB allowed haircuts. In other words the MB here allowed haircuts on Rosh Chodesh."

I guess that's a "Duh... I should have thought about that!" Thanks for the clarification!

bluke said...

You are in good company. The שונה הלכות quotes (סימן תצ"ג) the Mishna Berura that you can shave on Friday if Rosh Chodesh is Shabbos but then he adds, if Friday is also Rosh Chodesh then look at what I wrote in סימן ר"ס where he quotes the minhag of R' Yehuda Hachassid. This is very difficult because when Rosh Chodesh Iyyar is Shabbos, Friday is always Rosh Chodesh as well in our calendar.

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Bluke: Just as an FYI, I didn't see your blog with the info on it till after I sent in this tibit to Hirhurim. Had I seen yours (which will teach me for next to read yours daily) I wouldn't have sent in a comment to Hihurim.

Shavua Tov.

Unknown said...

hi, great blog site.
i was wondering, is it ok to shave for a job interview
thanks