Siman 551 – The Nine Days

הChelek 5

11. When the month of Av enters we don’t merry make at all. (ShA 1 – MB 1)

12. The following people may wear Shabbos clothes for a bris mila : The parents, the mohel, the sandek, and the women who brings the baby into the room of the mila. (Rama 1 – MB 3, 4)

13. Otherwise, Shabbos clothes should not be worn, even if not freshly laundered, because they look new due to their pressed appearance. (Rama 1 – MB 44)

14. In Vilna they conduct themselves according to the GR’A and wear Shabbos clothes on Shabbos Chazone as long as they aren’t new. (MB 6, 9)

15. From Rosh Chodesh Av it is forbidden to build onto your home or garden anything that isn’t necessary, unless you contracted a non-Jew to do the job beforehand. Even then, if you are able to persuade him to postpone the work you’ll get a beracha. (ShA 2 – MB 12)

16. For a man who has no children, it should technically be permitted to get married anytime during the Three Weeks because the mitzva overrides the mourning. However, it is not auspicious to do. But preparations for a wedding that will be held after Tisha B’Av are allowed, for example: making clothes and building a house for the new couple. (Rama 2 – MB 14)

17. Engagement parties where tenaim are written are permitted but no seuda or dancing. (MB 16, 19)

18. No dancing is allowed from the 17th of Tammuz until after Tisha B’Av. (MB 16)

19. No hair cutting from the 17th of Tammuz until after Tisha B’Av. (Rama 4)

20. Some poskim prohibit cutting nails if not for the sake of a mitzvah. (e.g. kavod Shabbos) (MB 20)

21. No laundering even just to leave the clothes clean for after Tish B”Av. (ShA 3)

22. No wearing clothes that were freshly laundered before Rosh Chodesh. This applies likewise to bed linens, towels, and tablecloths. (ShA 3)

23. A women may wash her white garments and sheets for her mitzvah of wearing them except for on Tisha B’Av itself. (Rama 3)

24. A clean white tablecloth may be spread out for Shabbos. (Rama 3 – MB 33)

25. No giving in laundry to a non-Jew to clean unless given in before Rosh Chodesh. (Rama 3)

26. A Jewish launderer may not wash clothes even of a non-Jewish customer unless either the clothes are obviously of a non-Jew or the launderer needs money from the job to buy food. (ShA 5 – MB 42)

27. No wearing, buying nor making new clothes, shoes even socks. (ShA 6, 7–MB 46, 47)

28. Between the 17th of Tammuz and Rosh Chodesh buying and wearing new clothes that don’t need a beracha Shehecheyanu is permitted. Some poskim allow wearing clothes that need a Shehecheyanu on Shabbos, as long as it is before Rosh Chodesh. (MB 45)

29. A Jewish tailor may make clothes for another Jew as long as the material was given in before Rosh Chodesh. He may make clothes for a non-Jew even if the material was given in after Rosh Chodesh, only if it is well known that the job is for a non-Jew, or if the tailor needs the income for food. (Rama 7 – MB 50, 51, 52)

30. We say Kiddush Levana on Motzay Tisha B’Av. (BaH25)

31. Our custom is to refrain from eating meat and drinking wine from Rosh Chodesh until Tisha B’Av except for on Shabbos and at a seudas mitzvah. (MB 58, 59)

32. We put away the shechita knife from Rosh Chodesh Av except for mitzvah needs. (Rama 9)

33. We refrain even from poultry, tendered meat, and meat broth. All types of wine and grape juice are also forbidden. (ShA 10 – MB 63, 66)

34. Exceptions:
    1. Someone who cannot tolerate dairy meals may eat poultry and tendered meat.
    2. If mother’s milk is adversely affected, she may even eat regular beef.
    3. A little bit ill.
    4. Seudas mitzvah. (ShA 9 – MB 61, 54)

35. Do not use a kos shel beracha during Birkas Hamazon of a weekday meal that is not a seudas mitzvah. (Rama 10 – MB 69, 71, 72)

36. When using wine for Havdalla give the cup to a child that has reached the age of chinuch but not the age to mourn over Yerushalayim. The child should drink most of the cup. (Rama 10 – MB 70)

37. If such a child is not available you may drink the wine yourself. (Rama 10)

38. Such a child should otherwise not be served meat and wine so long that he is healthy. (MB 70)

39. Do not hurry the learning or postpone the learning in order to have a seudas sium meseches during this time. Make a seuda only if you finish it naturally. (MB 73)

40. If you wouldn’t otherwise make a seuda for your sium, don’t make one now either. (MB 73)

41. All those who would generally be invited to the seudas mitzvah are allowed to attend. People who aren’t relatives or friends of the ba alay simcha and are attending just as an excuse to eat meat and drink wine have an avaira. (MB 75, 76)

42. During the week that Tisha B’Av falls in, the ba alay simcha are allowed to invite only ten friends (besides their relatives) to eat meat. All others are to eat only milchigs. (Rama 10, MB 77)

43. You are allowed to drink beer. (Rama 11)

44. The prohibition of hair cutting applies likewise to women. (MB 79)

45. The mustache may be trimmed if it interferes with eating. (ShA 13)

46. You are allowed to wash children’s clothes during this time, just do it discreetly. (Rama 14 – MB 83)

47. Our custom is to refrain from washing the whole body even in cold water fromRosh Chodesh onwards. You can wash your face, hands and feet i cold water.(Rama 16 MB 94)

48. If you customarily go to the mikva every erev Shabbos you can go to dip in a cold mikva on erev Shabbos Chazone, but not if you sometimes miss.(MB 95-Sh”H98)

49. If you use warm water to bathe every erev Shabbos you can wash your face and feet in warm water on erev Shabbos Chazone. You can also rub your head with warm water (without shampoo). (Rama 16 – MB 96, 97)

50. If Rosh Chodesh falls out on erev Shabbos it is permissible to bathe normally in warm water.If erev Shabbos Chazone falls out on erev Tisha B’av rubbing your head with warm water should lechatchila be done before chatzos. Bedieved after chatzos is also allowed. (MB 89 – BiH “bachfifa”)

51. Washing for a mitzva is allowed even in warm water. (e.g. A woman preparing to go to the mikva or her normal washing before wearing white garments.) Washing to heal scabs is also allowed in warm water. (Rama 16 – MB 93)

52. It is not appropriate to recite the beracha Shehecheyanu during the three weeks except for on Shabbos. Therefore under normal circumstances refrain from wearing a new garment or eating a new fruit during this time. (ShA 17 – MB 98, 99)

53. Do not postpone a mitzva that has a Shehecheyanu with it, like Pidyon Haben. Do the mitzvah and say the Shehecheyanu since the time has come. (ShA 17 – MB 100)

54. Beware not to walk alone between the fourth and ninth hour of the day from the first of Tammuz until Tisha B’Av. (ShA 18 – BiH “tzorich”)

55. Do not hit the students during these days. (ShA 18)