Is it the right thing to not eat meat during the 9 days?

catonmylap

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 5:10 am

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 551:9) records three different practices in this regard. Some refrain from meat only during the week that Tisha Beav is observed, some avoid eating meat during the entire Nine Days, and some avoid meat during the entire three weeks. The Rama (ibid.) notes the accepted practice among Ashkenazim is to refrain from eating meat during the Nine Days. Rav Ovadia Yosef notes that the practice among both Ashkenazim and Sefardim in Israel is to abstain from eating meat during the entire Nine Days. The members of Teaneck's Sefardic Congregation (who come from a wide variety of Sefardic sub-groupings) report that the custom to avoid eating meat during the Nine Days is practiced by Sefardim in the Diaspora as well. One difference, though, between Ashkenazim and Sefardim in this regard is that Ashkenazim do not eat meat on Rosh Chodesh Av (Mishna Berura 551:58) and Sefardim do eat meat on Rosh Chodesh Av (Rav Ovadia Yosef, Teshuvot Yechave Daat 1:41).

Tehilla

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 9:11 am

I'm sure there are people who feel they have to justify themselves.

I don't. we have several issues surrounding dairy, and fish, and showering, etc. so I asked a Rav years ago. and then once more with kids.

and trust me, I think about Moshiach daily, and golus and geulah...don't assume!

tovasmom

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 4:34 pm

FYI, although Sefardim start not eating meat on the second of Av, they continue not to eat meat through the tenth of Av - Beit Hamikdash still burning on the 10th. So it still is 9 days, although not the same 9 days. Ditto for music, we do not turn back on until the 10th of Av.

freidasima

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 4:51 pm

All so complicated.

There are so many different shitos as Cat brings in her post.

The problem is that so many people "think" they know the dinnim but dont and then when they see someone doing something else they start pointing fingers saying that this person is doing something wrong, when they are not.

There are so many things that people do which are either chumros or mehadrin or extras or whatever you want to call it, that's fine for them but after a while it appears to them that they are just doing "din" and don't even remember that it is much more than the din. Then there are people who start calling what is actually "din" "doing the bare minimum" in a demeaning way and it never ends...

Wheni t comes to meat, there are so many "buts". So many exceptions. When it comes to almost everything there are so many exceptions. Take shaving. The din for a person who works among non jews is that he can't shave in shavua shechal bo, that is his "din". It is the halachic minimum accepted but at the same time for that person, it is the din, he is not being "mekel". For someone working among yidden where there is no issue if they would only not shave in shavua shechal bo, that would be getting a heter.

The whole concept in many cases of "heter" differs from case to case, meaning you can't call it a "heter" if it is the minimum din allowed, right? But it is a "heter" for one person while not for the other.

I just heard this in a lecture we had near here this evening, I'm not explaining it right but it was an eye opener.

Maya

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 5:50 pm

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Quote:

Because the straight halacha is not "Do not bathe" but "Do not bathe for pleasure."So the question is legitamite on several levels.

ok so maybe today 'bathing for pleasure' refers to jaccuzis, swimming, long hot showers. But the SA wasn't written today. So what exactly was it refering to in the olden days when there were no jaccuzis or swimming pools or long hot showers?

There was pleasurable bathing back then, too. People travelled to certain countries to use their excellent bathouses, and they bathed in salts. Plus, I'm pretty sure they had swimming pools.

Maya

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 5:58 pm

Crayon210 wrote:

I just didn't realize you knew so much about bathing practices in the 16th century. ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_bath

http://64.233.169.104/search?q.....gl=us

I can bring more sources if you'd like. Wink

Last edited by Maya on Thu, Jul 31 2008, 5:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

Lechatchila Ariber

Thu, Jul 31 2008, 6:35 pm

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Quote:

Because the straight halacha is not "Do not bathe" but "Do not bathe for pleasure."So the question is legitamite on several levels.

I don't understand the question.
swimming is no modern invention. They had lakes, rivers, natural spas, bath houses etc'

now as far as comparing not eating meat and not taking showers.
If you don't eat meat, it doesn't affect me.
If you don't shower it does.

('you' is generic)