The מחבר (סימן תקנ”ח סעיף א’) writes that the Bais Hamikdash started to burn on the ninth of Av, and burned until sunset of the tenth of Av. Therefore the minhag is not to eat meat or drink wine until after the tenth of Av. The Rema says that there is an opinion that this applies only until midday of the tenth, not the whole day. The Mishnah Berurah says the same applies to bathing, taking haircuts and doing laundry. It should only be done after chatzos. The ביאור הלכה brings an opinion that this minhag applies only to meat and wine and does not apply to bathing, taking haircuts and doing laundry. He rules that one cannot be lenient since many poskim say that the minhag applies to them as well.
This year Tisha B’Av falls out on Thursday, and the tenth of Av is Erev Shabbos. The Mishnah Berura says that it is permissible to bathe, take a haircut, and do laundry. There is a discussion amongst the poskim if these are permissible even on the night of the tenth, or one must wait until the following morning. The Mishna Berura does not differentiate between the night and day. It seems that he holds they are permissible even on the night of the tenth. However the words of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch are “שמותר לרחוץ להסתפר ולכבס מיד בשחרית” – they may only be done the following morning. This is also the opinion of the Aruch HaShulchan.
The יעב”ץ (סידוק בית יעקב) holds that these are all permitted immediately, meaning even on Motzai Tisha B’Av. This is also the opinion of Reb Nissim Karelitz, Reb Shmuel Wosner, and Reb Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l. Reb Shlomo Zalman says that even the קיצור שו”ע may agree to this. It’s possible he said the morning because in his times doing laundry was a big deal and it was done during the day. Reb Elyashiv zt”l holds that laundry should only be done Thursday night בשעת הדחק. This is also the opinion of R’ Shmuel Kamenetzky shlit”a.
There is a Machlokes Haposkim if all laundry is permissible or only what is needed for Shabbos. Reb Nissim Karelitz holds that all laundry is permissible. The minhag not to do laundry on the day after Tisha B’Av doesn’t apply. He holds the same is true regarding bathing. One may even go swimming. Reb Shlomo Zalman disagrees. He holds only laundry for Shabbos is permitted to be washed before chatzos. All other clothing must wait until after chatzos. This is also the opinion of Reb Shmuel Kamenetzky. However they also hold that one may add other clothing to the load of Shabbos clothing. Since not washing clothing on the tenth is only a minhag, and washing clothing today in a machine is not a great טירחא, one may be lenient. Some poskim are stringent.
In regard to bathing and taking haircuts, we mentioned earlier that it seems from the Mishnah Berura and the יעב”ץ that they are also permitted on Thursday night. However Reb Nissim Karelitz and Reb Shmuel Wosner are both of the opinion that only laundry is permitted on Thursday night. This is because of the תקנת עזרא (ע’ מחבר סימן רמ”ב) that clothing should be washed on Thursday in honor of Shabbos, so that people will have time on Friday to prepare for Shabbos. Bathing and haircuts, are only permitted in the morning. In a case of necessity one can be lenient and take a haircut by night. As for bathing for Shabbos some hold it may be done Thursday night with צונן if one won’t be able to bathe on Friday. Others hold that one can only bathe on Friday since there is a mitzvah to do so on Erev Shabbos (ע’ מחבר סימן ר”ס ובמ”ב ס”ק ה’). As mentioned earlier Reb Nissim Karelitz holds that all bathing is permissible even if it is not לכבוד שבת. However many poskim disagree and if one will be bathing for Shabbos later in the day he may not bathe in the morning.
Eating meat and drinking wine are prohibited until after chatzos.1
Prepared by R’ Avrohom Yehoshua Ziskind
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1Sources:משנה ברורה,דרשו,קובץ הלכות,נחמת ישראל