The Nine Days

  • You may not wear freshly cleaned clothes in the Nine Days (except Shabbos). 
  • To be able to wear freshly cleaned clothes (shirts, pants, blouses, skirts, etc..) during the Nine Days you should wear them for a short period of time before the Nine Days to render them not fresh (10-15 minutes is sufficient). 
  • You may wear freshly cleaned underwear (undershirts, underwear, socks, tights, etc…) even if you did not wear them before the Nine Days. 
  • You may not wear a freshly washed Sheital (unless you wore it before the Nine Days).
  • You may not wash the clothes of adults in the Nine Days. 
  • Your Nanny/Help may not wash your clothes (even if you don’t ask them). 
  • You may not give your clothes to a non-Jew to wash or dry clean in the Nine Days. 
  • You may dry wet clothes in the dryer during the Nine Days. 
  • You may bring home clothes from the cleaners (that you gave to clean before the Nine Days) during the Nine Days. 
  • You may wash young children’s clothes what is needed for the Nine Days. 
  • You may wash their linen if it got dirty. 
  • Clothes of children till Bar Mitzva/Bas Mitzva may also be washed if there is a need (Preferably, if possible, a non-Jew should wash them). 
  • You may spot wash even adults clothes. 
  • If the garment will get ruined if it is left without being washed, you may wash it (preferably by a non-Jew). 

Question:

 Can you make Havdolah on wine/grape juice or is it preferable to make on Chamar Medinah?

Answer:

Since we are not sure what is Chamar Medinah you should make Havdolah on wine/grape juice-Rabbi Miller Shlita

Question:

Is there a difference if you make Havdolah on wine or grape juice?

Answer:

If you make on wine the R’mo holds you should give it to a child to drink. If you make it on grape juice you can drink it yourself.
L’maseh, in order to give it to a child the child has to have reached Chinuch age but not reached the age to understand and mourn the Churban.
Since it is difficult to establish what age that is, it is best to drink it yourself.
If you make Havdolah every week on wine you should make it on wine and drink it yourself.(Reb. S.Z. Auerbach Zt”l).

  • If you wear the same shirts on Shabbos as during the week, you can wear a few shirts on Shabbos (in order to have shirts to wear during the week). 
  • For example you can wear one shirt friday night, another one in the morning and another one in the afternoon after your rest. 
  • To wear them just for ten minutes on Shabbos is not permitted, it is Hachonah (preparing for after Shabbos).
  • In the Nine Days you may not have a shower or bathe even with cold water. 
  • You may only wash your hands and face (or other parts of your body) with cold water without soap. 
  • The Isur of washing is only when you are doing it for pleasure. 
  • If you are only washing yourself because you are not clean (or uncomfortable) it is permitted, therefore in the following circumstance’s you may wash/shower/bathe, 
  • If your hands are unclean from oil etc.. you may wash with soap and hot water (if it will not come clean with cold water). 
  • If you sweat and feel uncomfortable you may have a shower (preferably with lukewarm water to minimize the pleasure). 
  • If you have a shower every day you may have a shower in the Nine Days with lukewarm water (Preferably every second day). 
  • On Erev Shabbos the Minhag is to have a regular shower (with hot water and soap/shampoo). 
  • You should try to minimize having showers etc. in order to feel the loss of the Bais H’mikdosh. 
  • You may not buy a new Sheital or have a new Sheital cut.
  • If there is a need you can order the Sheital have it cut etc…  but not buy it and only buy it after Tisha B’av. You must tell the seller you are not buying it till after Tisha B’av (you can promise them that you will compensate them if you don’t buy it).
  • You should not wash a Sheital.
  • You may set a Sheital.
  • You may put a Sheital into rollers.
  • You may blow dry a Sheital.
  • You may have an old Sheital cut. 

It is questionable if you may have a Sheital dyed in the Nine days.

  • You may add hair to an old Sheital.
  • You may dye hair extensions.
  • You should not buy any clothes including belts, ties, shoes.
  • You should not buy linen, bath towels, hand towels, table cloths etc…
  • If your shoes got torn and you do not have another pair, or your jacket got torn and you don’t have another one you may buy a new one.
  • If you are out of town and it starts raining you may buy yourself a new raincoat.
  • You may buy support stockings if you need them.
  • You may buy second-hand clothes.
  • You may buy cheap jewelry or a cheap watch.
  • Some hold you shouldn’t buy new frames for your glasses. If your frames broke you may buy a new frame.
  • You may rent clothes in the Nine days.
  • You may buy a bike helmet.
  • You may buy material to make clothes after the Nine days if there is a need.
  • You may buy Tfilin, tefillin bag.
  • You may buy Tisha B’av shoes (not fancy sneakers).
  • If clothes go on sale during the Nine days (and the sale will be over after Tisha B’av) you may buy them.
  • You should not do a needlepoint in the Nine Days. 
  • You should not change the linen on your beds in the Nine days.
  • You may change the linen for Shabbos if you change it every Shabbos. 
  • Rabbi Miller Shlita holds that you may take the tyenol, advil, aspirin, caffeine pills on Shabbos to be able to fast on Tisha B’av and there is no problem of Refuah and Hachona. 
  • When taking the pills you should not say you are taking them for the fast. 
 
  • Rabbi Miller Shlita holds that you may take the tyenol, advil, aspirin, caffeine pills on Shabbos to be able to fast on Tisha B’av and there is no problem of Refuah and Hachona. 
  • When taking the pills you should not say you are taking them for the fast.