It's Not Completely Over: Mourning Customs on the Tenth of Av

This year (5778), the Ninth of Av falls on Shabbat. Therefore, the fast is postponed to Sunday, which is the Tenth of Av.

In all years when we fast on the Ninth of Av itself, there are mourning customs that are also observed on the Tenth of Av, and we need to consider what the law is this year.

After the appearance of stars at the conclusion of the Ninth of Av fast, approximately twenty minutes after sunset, it is permitted to eat and drink. Some have the custom to wash their hands as they do every morning, since in the morning of the Ninth of Av they only wash their hands up to the knuckles, and therefore they wash their hands again. This is a good custom.

Our Sages stated in Tractate Taanit (page 29) that on the seventh of Av, gentiles entered the Temple, and on the ninth near nightfall they set it on fire, and it continued to burn throughout the entire day, meaning on the Tenth of Av. Rabbi Yochanan said, if I had been in that generation, I would have established the fast on the tenth, because most of the Temple burned on it. The Sages who established the fast on the ninth did so because they believed the beginning of the calamity was more severe.

We have already explained that the Ashkenazi custom is to be stringent not to eat meat or drink wine from the first day of the month of Av until the Ninth of Av. According to the Sephardic custom, on the first day of Av itself it is permitted to eat meat, and only from the next day, the second of Av, is it forbidden to eat meat and drink wine. Thus, in this matter, Ashkenazim practice more stringency than Sephardim.

In contrast, regarding the Tenth of Av, we find different customs between Sephardim and Ashkenazim, where Ashkenazim are lenient in eating meat and drinking wine on the Tenth of Av after midday. Sephardim, however, practice more stringency by not eating meat or drinking wine throughout the entire Tenth of Av. So regarding the Tenth of Av, the Sephardic custom is more stringent than the Ashkenazi one. But regarding haircuts and laundering, the Ashkenazi custom is more stringent than the Sephardic one, as Sephardim are lenient with this immediately after the fast ends, while Ashkenazim maintain these restrictions on the Tenth of Av as well.

Regarding this year (5778) when the fast day falls on the Tenth of Av, authorities disagree whether mourning customs should be observed on the day after the fast, which is the Eleventh of Av. According to the Maharil, one should not eat meat or drink wine on the night after the Ninth of Av, even in years when the Ninth of Av is postponed. The Rama (in section 558) ruled likewise, as did Maharshal and other great Ashkenazi rabbis.

However, Rabbi Chaim Vital himself would eat meat on the night after a postponed Ninth of Av (like this year). Rabbi Ovadia Yosef wrote that according to the Shulchan Aruch, it appears more correct to be lenient in this matter. Other leading Sephardic rabbis ruled similarly.

Therefore, in practice, Ashkenazim observe some mourning laws even this year after the Ninth of Av. But the Sephardic custom is to be lenient, as we do not observe any mourning customs from the time the fast ends, since we have already exited the period of "between the straits" (Chazon Ovadia page 414).