Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 389

Siman 389

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אָבֵל אָסוּר לְכַבֵּס כְּסוּתוֹ כָּל שִׁבְעָה יָמִים, אֲפִלוּ בְּמַיִם לְבַד; וּלְאַחַר שִׁבְעָה, מֻתָּר. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לְכַבֵּס, כָּךְ אָסוּר לִלְבֹּשׁ הַמְכֻבָּסִים קֹדֶם לָכֵן. וְאַחַר ז' שָׁרֵי, וְהָעוֹלָם נָהֲגוּ בּוֹ אִסּוּר (כְּדַעַת ריב"א וְסִיעָתוֹ). וְנוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאָדָם אַחֵר לוֹבְשָׁם תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לוֹבְשָׁם הָאָבֵל, וְהַמִּנְהָג עִקָּר (טוּר בְּשֵׁם סמ"ק וכ"כ הַמָּרְדְּכַי ה"א וְכָל בּוֹ). וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ לְאַחַר שִׁבְעָה; וְאִם לְבָשׁוֹ אָדָם אַחֵר רַק שָׁעָה אַחַת דַּי בְּכָךְ (כָּל בּוֹ וסמ"ק). וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁאָסוּר לִלְבֹּשׁ חֲדָשִׁים. וְגַם הַסְדִינִים וְהַמַּצָּעוֹת שֶׁל מִטָּה אָסוּר לְכַבְּסָן וּלְהַצִּיעַ הַמְכֻבָּסִין. וְכֵן מִטְפְּחוֹת הַיָּדַיִם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְכַבְּסָן בַּמּוֹעֵד; וְכֵן כָּל אוֹתָן שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְכַבְּסָן בַּמּוֹעֵד, כְּגוֹן הַיּוֹצֵא מִבֵּית הַשִּׁבְיָה וּמִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים, וְהַמְּנֻדֶּה שֶׁהִתִּירוּ לוֹ חֲכָמִים, וְהַנִּשְׁאָל לְחָכָם וְהֻתַּר, וְהַבָּא מִמְּדִינַת הַיָּם שֶׁהָלַךְ לְהַרְוִיחַ וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ פְּנַאי לְגַלֵחַ, אֲסוּרִים בִּימֵי אֶבְלוֹ, שֶׁאִם אֵרְעוֹ אֶחָד מֵהֶם, קֹדֶם הָאֲבֵלוּת וְנִכְנַס מִיָּד לְתוֹךְ הָאֲבֵלוּת, אָסוּר לְכַבֵּס אֶלָא אִם כֵּן אֵרְעוֹ אֶחָד מֵהֶם וּתְכָפוּהוּ מִיָּד שְׁנֵי אֲבֵלוּת זֶה אַחַר זֶה, אָז מֻתָּר לְכַבֵּס אַף בְּנֶתֶר וְחוֹל וַאֲפִלוּ תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ בְּצִנְעָא בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ. וְאַחַר שֶׁתְּכָפוּהוּ אֲבֵלָיו זֶה אַחַר זֶה, מְכַבֵּס בְּמַיִם אֲבָל לֹא בְּנֶתֶר וְאָהָל.

1 A mourner is forbidden to wash his garment during the entire seven days [of mourning], even [if washed] in water alone. However, after the seven [days of mourning], it is permissible. Just as he is forbidden to wash [garments], so also is he forbidden to put on [garments] that were washed prior to this. And after the seven [ days of mourning ] it is permissible, but people treat this as forbidden. However, it is customary that another person puts them on first, after which the mourner may wear them; and [ this ] custom is fundamental, and this is the common practice in these countries after the seven [ days of mourning ]. If another person puts it [ the garment ] on even for an hour, it is sufficient. Needless to say that it is forbidden to put on new garments. It is also forbidden to wash the sheets and bed-covers, or to spread out those already washed. And so too, hand-towels, although it is permissible to wash them during [ Hol- ] ha-Moed, and likewise, [the garments of] all those [persons] of whom we learnt that they may wash [their garments] during [ Hol- ] ha-Moed, e.g., one coming out of captivity or prison, or one under a ban and was released by the Sages, or one who applied to a Sage and was released [from a vow], or one arriving from beyond the sea [for the purpose of conducting business] in order to make profit and had no opportunity to cut his hair, — are forbidden [to be washed] during one's mourning, — for if one of these [aforementioned] things happened to him [the mourner] prior to the [period of his] mourning, and he [thus] entered forthwith into the [period of] mourning, — [the law is that] he is forbidden to wash [his garments], unless one of these [aforementioned] things happened to him, following which he suffered one bereavement immediately after another, [in which case only] is he permitted to wash [his garments], even in natron and lye, and even during the seven [days of mourning], provided he does it in privacy in his home; and after [the period wherein] he suffered one bereavement immediately after another [is over], he is permitted to wash [his garments] in water, but not in natron, or in the [ingredients of the] alcalic plant.

ב מֻתָּר לְכַבֵּס בִּגְדֵי קְטַנִּים שֶׁמֵּת אֲבִיהֶם.

2 It is permissible to wash the garments of minor children whose father died.

ג אָסוּר לִלְבֹּשׁ תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה כֵּלִים חֲדָשִׁים צְבוּעִים וִישָׁנִים יוֹצְאִים מִתַּחַת הַמַּכְבֵּשׁ. (פי' כְּלִי לַעֲצֹר בּוֹ הַבְּגָדִים). הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאָסוּר לִלְבֹּשׁ בִּגְדֵי שַׁבָּת תּוֹךְ ד' שָׁבוּעוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, אֲבָל אַחַר כָּךְ מֻתָּר אֲפִלּוּ עַל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, וְכֵן לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּגָדִים חֲדָשִׁים (כָּל בּוֹ בְּשֵׁם מוֹהֲרַ"ם), אָבֵל נָהֲגוּ אִסּוּר כָּל י"ב חֹדֶשׁ.

3 It is forbidden to wear during the seven [days of mourning] new dyed garments or old clothes coming out of the press, i.e., an instrument for pressing clothes. Rema: Some say that it is forbidden to wear Sabbath garments during the first four weeks [ of mourning ], but subsequent to that it is permissible, even [ for one who is in mourning ] for his father or mother. So too, [ is it permissible ] to make new garments [ after the first week of mourning ]. However, the common practice is to treat this [ matter ] as forbidden for the entire twelve months.

ד אָסוּר תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה לְכַבֵּס וּלְהַנִּיחַ, בֵּין עַל יְדֵי עַצְמוֹ בֵּין עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים. וְאִם הָיְתָה כְּסוּתוֹ בְּקִבֹּלֶת בְּיַד אֲחֵרִים, מְכַבֵּס אוֹתוֹ כִּדַרְכּוֹ כְּמוֹ שְׁאָר מְלַאכְתּוֹ בְּתָלוּשׁ שֶׁבְּיַד אֲחֵרִים, בְּקִבֹּלֶת.

4 [The mourner] is forbidden during the seven [days of mourning] to wash [garments] and put [them] away [for later use], whether he himself [does the washing] or through others. However, if his garment was in the hand of others on a labour contract, [the laundryman] may wash it in his usual manner as [in the case of] other work of his, [viz., his] loose material that is in the hand of others under a labour contract.

ה כָּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם אָסוּר לִלְבֹּשׁ אוֹ לְהַצִּיעַ תַּחְתָּיו (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם רַבֵּנוּ יְרוּחָם) בֶּגֶד מְגֹהָץ, וְהוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא לָבָן וְחָדָשׁ, וַאֲפִלוּ הוּא שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן. וְעַל אָבִיו וְעַל אִמּוֹ, אָסוּר עַד שֶׁיַּגִיעַ הָרֶגֶל אַחַר שְׁלֹשִׁים וְיִגְעֲרוּ בּוֹ חֲבֵרָיו.

5 [During] the entire thirty days [the mourner] is forbidden to wear, or to spread out under him a pressed garment, provided it is white and new, and even if it is a flaxen [garment]. [One in mourning] for his father or mother is forbidden [to wear pressed garments] until the [first] Festival after the thirty days arrives and his friends rebuke him.

ו גִהוּץ יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים צק"ל בִּלְשׁוֹן עֲרָב, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּהַיְנוּ כִּבּוּס בְּמַיִם וְאֵפֶר אוֹ בְּנֶתֶר וּבֹרִית.

6 [As to the meaning of] laundry work, some say [that it corresponds to] SQL in the Arabic language; others say that it means washing [garments] in water and ashes or in natron and soap.

ז אַחַר שִׁבְעָה מֻתָּר לְגַהֵץ, בֵּין לְעַצְמוֹ בֵּין לַאֲחֵרִים; וְלֹא אָמְרוּ שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם לְגִהוּץ, אֶלָא לִלְבֹּשׁ.

7 After the seven [days of mourning, the mourner] is permitted to do laundry work both for himself and for others. The [prohibition against] laundry work for thirty days was stated only with respect to wearing [laundried garments].

ח יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר דְּהָאִידָּנָא לֵיכָּא אִסוּר גִהוּץ, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמְרוּ גִהוּץ שֶׁלָנוּ כְּכִבּוּס שֶׁלָהֶם.

8 There is an authority who states that nowadays there is no prohibition against laundry work, for they said, 'Our laundry work is like their washing.'

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