ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

Question: When is one permitted to shave – if at all – during Sefirat Haomer? The various customs seem very confusing. 

Answer: There are actually three major customs about when to mourn during the Omer period as well as three major customs about shaving. As far as the period of mourning is concerned: traditionally, Sephardic Jewry accepted the mourning period from Pesach (or rather immediately after Pesach) until Lag Baomer, because the Gemara says that this is the period during which the students of Rabbi Akiva died. This is also known as Minhag Yerushalayim, and has also been accepted by many Israeli Jews who are not necessarily Sephardi. Rav Moshe Isserless (known as the Ramo) cites the major Ashkenazi custom to mourn from Rosh Chodesh Iyar until three days before Shavuot, when the Crusaders of the Eleventh Century destroyed the pious Ashkenazi communities around the Rhine river like Speyers, Mainz and Worms The Kabbalistic-Hassidic custom emanating from the holy A"ri is to mourn for the entire period from right after Pesach till until three days before Shavuot, with the exception of the days of Rosh Chodesh.

Regarding shaving: the major halakhic sources prohibit weddings and haircuts, which are generally enlarged to include group festivities (under the rubric of weddings) as well as shaving (under the rubric of haircuts). Since Yom Haatzmaut has been declared a festival by the Religious Zionist Community (on the basis of the Pri Hadash and the Hatam Sofer who maintain that it is incumbent to declare a festival for a national miracle which saves Jewish lives in Israel), most Jews in our 'camp' shave for Yom Haatzmaut and some even have weddings on that day. And obviously if it is permitted to shave in honor of Yom Haatzmaut it ought likewise be permitted to shave in honor of Shabbat, as has been halakhically stated by many prominent authorities such as Rav Shimon Minhahar and Rav Aharon Lichtenstein (the leniency of shaving in honor of the Sabbath applies only to the Sefira, and not to the Three Weeks).

If you have a question for Q & A, send it to ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il . We cannot guarantee that all questions received will be answered in this column.

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