The Nine Days and the 10th of Av

This is just something that I learned that I was unaware of previously: while Ashkenazim wait until mid-day on the 10th of Av to lift the restrictions of the nine days, Sephardim are permitted to lift the restrictions of aveilut (laundry, hot showers, fresh clothing, haircuts, etc) immediately following Tisha B'Av.

However, Sephardim are NOT permitted to lift the restriction of eating meat and drinking wine until the 11th of Av, which this year is Shabbat. (See update below: as in nearly every area of halacha and minhag, nothing is universal). These restrictions are unrelated to the halachot of aveilut and are directly related to bringing korbanot in the Beit HaMikdash. The korbon, consisting of meat and wine, that would have been brought on the 9th of Av and eaten on the 10th of Av, was unable to be consumed because the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed.

This doesn't have any real practical implications for us since we rarely eat meat on a weekday, just as the restriction against meat and wine during the 9 days (excluding Rosh Chodesh for some Sephardim) doesn't have any practical implications for us. But, I find it interesting nevertheless.

What does, however, have very real implications for us this year, is the prohibition against wearing freshly laundered clothing. For the past two years, we have got off very easy in this area, as Sephardim don't prohibit wearing freshly laundered clothing until the week of Tisha B'Av. Being the Tisha B'Av started last year on Motzei Shabbat, we just continued to wear our Shabbat clothing. And, the year before, Tisha B'Av fell on a Tuesday, so we also were able to continue wearing what we had worn on Shabbat. But, this year, my husband reminded me to start doing the laundry early and start wearing clothing for an hour or two early, because we won't be able to pull of the same stunt of continuing to wear our Shabbat clothing until Thursday (especially since we can't change our clothing every hour on the hour during Shabbat and pretend that it is not preparing for Chol).

So, off I go to switch my laundry to the dryer. Glad I'm not waiting until the last minute on the laundry. . . one of my bad habits.

Back to more regular blogging later.

Update: Apparantely the Iraqi community of Bagdad, per the Ben Ish Chai, customarily broke their Tisha B'Av fast on meat. This appears to be something limited to Bagdad. Next year, I will have to have my husband ask our friend if his household breaks their fast on meat or it they have taken on the custom of the Ashkenazim and some Sephardim, and wait to eat meat until the afternoon of the 10th, or the if they have taken on the custom of waiting to eat meat until the 11th of Av.

In addition, while Sephardim are permitted to bathe, take haircuts, and do laundry at the cessation of Tisha B'Av, we refrain from listening to music until the afternoon of the 10th.