Parshas Matos-Maasei 5786

Halachos and Hanhagos of the Nine Days (3)

During the nine days between R”C Av and Tisha B’Av, one should minimize joyous activities. The mazel of Bnei Yisroel is weaker during the month of Av, so one who has a monetary dispute with a gentile should do his utmost to postpone any civil action until the month of Elul, or at least until after Tisha B’Av (1).

Refraining from Meat and Wine. One should avoid eating meat and wine during the Nine Days (2). This includes chicken (3) and grapejuice (4). Beer and liquor are permitted (5). Even food cooked with meat, such as potatoes from a cholent, should not be eaten (6). Parve food cooked in a fleishig pot is permitted (7). If one mistakenly made a beracha on meat, he should eat a small amount so that his beracha is not in vain (8). For health purposes, one is permitted to eat meat but if chicken is sufficient, he should refrain from eating meat (9). If one makes a siyum celebrating the completion of a Masechta of Gemara, he may serve meat at the accompanying meal (9). Many poskim hold (10) that this leniency applies only when the person finishes the Masechta at his normal pace during the Nine Days. If he speeds up or slows down his pace in order to be able to make the siyum specifically during the Nine Days, meat and wine would not be permitted. In some places, the custom is to rely on poskim (11) who permit this practice. Many food establishments and restaurants have the following dilemma: Their patrons are both observant and non-observant Jews. By not serving meat during the Nine Days, many of the non-observant Jews will go to non-kosher restaurants. Since refraining from meat during the Nine Days is a strict custom (which is derived from the actual halacha that prohibits eating meat on the 8th of Av during the seuda hamafsekes), it might be worthwhile to forfeit this custom in order to prevent non-observant Jews from eating treif food. A Rav should be consulted. On Shabbos Chazon, fleishig food is permitted, even if one makes early Shabbos (12). On Friday, one may taste the fleishig food to ensure it is a tasty cuisine worthy of ענג שבת (13). One may feed children on erev Shabbos Chazon from the fleishig Shabbos food (14). The wine from Havdalah is drunk by a child. If no child is present, the מבדיל may drink it (15).

(1) מ"ב תקנא:ב (2) או"ח תקנא:ט (3) שם:י (4) הגר"מ פיינשטיין זצ"ל, מועדי ישרון קל-קלא (5) רמא תקנא:יא (6) מ"ב שם:סג (7) שם (8) שדי חמד, בין המצרים א:ד (9) מ"ב שם:סא (01) רמא שם:י (11) מ"ב שם:עג (21) דעת תורה שם:י (31) מועדי ישרון קל-קלא (41) מקור חיים תקלז:ט (51) כף החיים שם:קנה (61) רמא שם:י

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