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# From a half hour before the time for sefira (according to some poskim, this refers to sunset, while others maintain that it refers to Tzet Hakochavim), one shouldn’t eat a meal until he counts sefira. More than a [[KeBaytzah]] of bread is considered a meal, however, even a lot of fruit isn’t a meal. There is a dispute whether [[Pas HaBah Bekisnin]] is considerd like bread for this halacha. Nonetheless, many poskim defend the minhag to eat before sefira if one regularly attends a later minyan.<ref> | # From a half hour before the time for sefira (according to some poskim, this refers to sunset, while others maintain that it refers to Tzet Hakochavim), one shouldn’t eat a meal until he counts sefira. More than a [[KeBaytzah]] of bread is considered a meal, however, even a lot of fruit isn’t a meal. There is a dispute whether [[Pas HaBah Bekisnin]] is considerd like bread for this halacha. Nonetheless, many poskim defend the minhag to eat before sefira if one regularly attends a later minyan.<ref> | ||
* Rama 489:4 writes that from the time of sefira, it is forbidden to eat until one counts. Mishna Brurah 489:23 writes that really the prohibition begins from a half hour before Tzet Hakochavim, while the S”A HaRav 489:17 and Kaf HaChaim 489:64 hold that the prohibition begins from a half hour before sunset. | * Rama 489:4 writes that from the time of sefira, it is forbidden to eat until one counts. Mishna Brurah 489:23 writes that really the prohibition begins from a half hour before Tzet Hakochavim, while the S”A HaRav 489:17 and Kaf HaChaim 489:64 hold that the prohibition begins from a half hour before sunset. | ||
* Kaf HaChaim 489:66 clarifies that it is forbidden only to eat a meal that fits the criteria given by S”A 232:3, meaning more than a KeBeitzah of bread; fruit, even in large quantities, is not considered a meal. Yalkut Yosef 489:43 and Hilchot Chag BeChag (p. 16) write that Pat HaBah Bekisnin is the same as bread for this halacha; | * Kaf HaChaim 489:66 clarifies that it is forbidden only to eat a meal that fits the criteria given by S”A 232:3, meaning more than a KeBeitzah of bread; fruit, even in large quantities, is not considered a meal. Yalkut Yosef 489:43 and Hilchot Chag BeChag (p. 16) write that Pat HaBah Bekisnin is the same as bread for this halacha; Nitei Gavriel 26:5 disagrees. | ||
* Sh”t Igrot Moshe 4:99 writes that the logic permitting a person to eat before maariv - namely, that if one usually prays in a minyan he won’t forget to pray - should also permit eating before sefira, even after Tzet Hakochavim. Az Nidbaru 6:52, Rav Elyashiv (quoted by Piskei Shemuot p. 47), and | * Sh”t Igrot Moshe 4:99 writes that the logic permitting a person to eat before maariv - namely, that if one usually prays in a minyan he won’t forget to pray - should also permit eating before sefira, even after Tzet Hakochavim. Az Nidbaru 6:52, Rav Elyashiv (quoted by Piskei Shemuot p. 47), and Nitei Gavriel 26:4 agree. See Aruch HaShulchan 232:16, who records this leniency regarding mincha. </ref> | ||
# Learning is permitted before sefira if one usually goes to a later minyan. <Ref> Regarding [[Shacharit]], Rashi Brachot 5b understands that Abba Binyamin wouldn’t learn before Davening, however, Tosfot disagrees. Rosh 1:7 explains that Rashi meant only that a person who doesn’t usually pray with a minyan shouldn’t learn before praying. Someone who usually prays with a minyan, on the other hand, is unlikely to forget to pray and thus may learn before praying. Tur and S”A 89:6 codify the Rosh as halacha. Mishna Brurah 232:11 writes that the same is true of mincha. Therefore, when Mishna Brurah 489:24 writes that doing any activity before counting sefira is the same as by mincha, he means that it’s permitted if one usually davens with a minyan. </ref> | # Learning is permitted before sefira if one usually goes to a later minyan. <Ref> Regarding [[Shacharit]], Rashi Brachot 5b understands that Abba Binyamin wouldn’t learn before Davening, however, Tosfot disagrees. Rosh 1:7 explains that Rashi meant only that a person who doesn’t usually pray with a minyan shouldn’t learn before praying. Someone who usually prays with a minyan, on the other hand, is unlikely to forget to pray and thus may learn before praying. Tur and S”A 89:6 codify the Rosh as halacha. Mishna Brurah 232:11 writes that the same is true of mincha. Therefore, when Mishna Brurah 489:24 writes that doing any activity before counting sefira is the same as by mincha, he means that it’s permitted if one usually davens with a minyan. </ref> | ||
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* Mishna Brurah 493:6 explains S”A as saying that one may only cut one’s hair starting from the 34th in the morning because Miksat HaYom KeKulo only operates starting in the daytime. In 493:10 he writes that the same for the Rama regarding the 33rd. However, Mishna Brurah 493:11 quotes some achronim who argue that one may even cut one’s hair from the nighttime. Rav Shlomo Zalman (cited by Halichot Shlomo p 364, note 80) once permitted taking a hair cut on Lag BeOmer at night. </ref> | * Mishna Brurah 493:6 explains S”A as saying that one may only cut one’s hair starting from the 34th in the morning because Miksat HaYom KeKulo only operates starting in the daytime. In 493:10 he writes that the same for the Rama regarding the 33rd. However, Mishna Brurah 493:11 quotes some achronim who argue that one may even cut one’s hair from the nighttime. Rav Shlomo Zalman (cited by Halichot Shlomo p 364, note 80) once permitted taking a hair cut on Lag BeOmer at night. </ref> | ||
# The Sephardic custom on a year that Lag BaOmer falls out on Friday is that one may cut one's hair on Friday morning out of respect for [[Shabbat]] and if one is unable to cut one's hair on Friday morning, it's permissible to cut one's hair on Thursday night after [[Tzet HaKochavim]]. <ref> Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 431-2) </ref> | # The Sephardic custom on a year that Lag BaOmer falls out on Friday is that one may cut one's hair on Friday morning out of respect for [[Shabbat]] and if one is unable to cut one's hair on Friday morning, it's permissible to cut one's hair on Thursday night after [[Tzet HaKochavim]]. <ref> Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 431-2) </ref> | ||
# According to Ashkenazim, if there's a pressing need women may cut their hair during Sefirat HaOmer.<ref>Sh"t Igrot Moshe YD 2:137. See [https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.thehalacha.com/attach/Volume5/Issue8.pdf&pli=1 Halachically Speaking article on Sefirah]. See | # According to Ashkenazim, if there's a pressing need women may cut their hair during Sefirat HaOmer.<ref>Sh"t Igrot Moshe YD 2:137. See [https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.thehalacha.com/attach/Volume5/Issue8.pdf&pli=1 Halachically Speaking article on Sefirah]. See Nitei Gavriel (Pesach 49:11) who writes that the minhag not to cut one's hair during sefirah also applies to women. </ref> According to Sephardim, women may cut their hair during the Sefirah.<Ref>Chazon Ovadyah (Yom Tov pg 261)</ref> | ||
# According to some poskim, children under the age of bar mitzvah are permitted to get haircuts during the omer as they are not included in the mourning of the sefirat haomer. <ref> Sh"t Or Litzion 3:page 184 </ref> | # According to some poskim, children under the age of bar mitzvah are permitted to get haircuts during the omer as they are not included in the mourning of the sefirat haomer. <ref> Sh"t Or Litzion 3:page 184 </ref> | ||
# If one has a [[Brit Milah]] during the Sefira, the father of the baby, the Mohel, and the Tzandak may cut their hair that day. <ref> Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 432) </ref> | # If one has a [[Brit Milah]] during the Sefira, the father of the baby, the Mohel, and the Tzandak may cut their hair that day. <ref> Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 432) </ref> | ||
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# It is permissible to comb hair even if some hairs will be removed in the process. <ref> Mishna Berura 551:20 </ref> | # It is permissible to comb hair even if some hairs will be removed in the process. <ref> Mishna Berura 551:20 </ref> | ||
===Shaving=== | ===Shaving=== | ||
# Included in the minhag not to take hair cuts is not to shave. <ref> Tur 493 says that some have the custom "lo lihistaper." Masekhet Semachot (7:11) in regards to mourning writes that lihistaper means to cutting the hair of one's head, mustache, beard, and all other hair. | # Included in the minhag not to take hair cuts is not to shave. <ref> Tur 493 says that some have the custom "lo lihistaper." Masekhet Semachot (7:11) in regards to mourning writes that lihistaper means to cutting the hair of one's head, mustache, beard, and all other hair. Nitei Gavriel (Pesach vol 3, 49:2) and Chazon Ovadyah (p. 262) write that including in the minhag not to take a hair cut is not to shave.</ref> Some authorities permitted someone who shaves daily after having waited 3 or 5 days of not shaving to shave during the Sefira. <ref> Rav Soloveitchik (cited by Rav Schachter in Nefesh HaRav pg 191-2) compared the Sefira to the 12 months of mourning in which a person who shaves daily may shave after waiting a few days. Rav Soloveitchik felt that this was the case because all customs have to be based on some opinion or patterned after another halacha. Therefore, he argues that the mourning of the Omer is parallel to the mourning during the year of mourning for a parent. Therefore since the halacha says that it is permissible to shave during the year once one's friends scold him to tell him that his hair is too long ("ad she-yig'aru bo chaveirav": Moed Katan 22b, Rambam Hilkhot Evel 6:3), it would be permissible during the omer also. | ||
Rav Schachter (“Halachos of Chol HaMoed”, min 67-70) clarified that not shaving for 3 or 5 days is sufficient. Rabbi Willig (“Hilchos [[Pesach]] and Sefira#1”, min 85-90) also quotes Rav Soloveitchik. Rav Aharon Lictenstein [http://vbm-torah.org/archive/halak65/24halak.htm vbm.org] says that it is even an obligation to shave for kavod shabbat on Friday incorporating Rav Soloveitchik's approach. </ref> | Rav Schachter (“Halachos of Chol HaMoed”, min 67-70) clarified that not shaving for 3 or 5 days is sufficient. Rabbi Willig (“Hilchos [[Pesach]] and Sefira#1”, min 85-90) also quotes Rav Soloveitchik. Rav Aharon Lictenstein [http://vbm-torah.org/archive/halak65/24halak.htm vbm.org] says that it is even an obligation to shave for kavod shabbat on Friday incorporating Rav Soloveitchik's approach. </ref> | ||
# Many Sephardic authorities are lenient regarding shave on [[Rosh Chodesh]] Iyar if it causes one pain not to shave, however, Ashekanzic authorities seem not to accept such a leniency.<ref> | # Many Sephardic authorities are lenient regarding shave on [[Rosh Chodesh]] Iyar if it causes one pain not to shave, however, Ashekanzic authorities seem not to accept such a leniency.<ref> | ||
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# Many authorities permit shaving if not shaving will cause one a loss of income; however, each case should be judged individually. <ref> | # Many authorities permit shaving if not shaving will cause one a loss of income; however, each case should be judged individually. <ref> | ||
* Rav Moshe in Igrot Moshe 4:102 rules that if one will lose money by not shaving, one may shave during sefira, because the minhag never applied in a case of monetary loss. In 5:24(9), he explains his position and says that only a person who is concerned about losing his income for the duration of the sefira is permitted to shave. If, however, he can simply borrow money and then repay it with later income, this leniency wouldn’t apply. See Maadanei Shlomo (p. 54) who quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman as also being lenient. | * Rav Moshe in Igrot Moshe 4:102 rules that if one will lose money by not shaving, one may shave during sefira, because the minhag never applied in a case of monetary loss. In 5:24(9), he explains his position and says that only a person who is concerned about losing his income for the duration of the sefira is permitted to shave. If, however, he can simply borrow money and then repay it with later income, this leniency wouldn’t apply. See Maadanei Shlomo (p. 54) who quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman as also being lenient. | ||
* Similarly, Sh”t Zera Emet 69 writes that for parnasa it is permitted, but each case should be judged independently. Chida in Machzik Bracha 493:4, Kaf Hachaim 493:19, Sh”t Yaskil Avdi 6:5, and | * Similarly, Sh”t Zera Emet 69 writes that for parnasa it is permitted, but each case should be judged independently. Chida in Machzik Bracha 493:4, Kaf Hachaim 493:19, Sh”t Yaskil Avdi 6:5, and Nitei Gavriel (49:8) agree. | ||
* However, Piskei Shemuot (p. 62) quotes Rav Elyashiv saying that nowadays it’s forbidden to shave for parnasa because it’s not considered strange to go unshaven. </ref> | * However, Piskei Shemuot (p. 62) quotes Rav Elyashiv saying that nowadays it’s forbidden to shave for parnasa because it’s not considered strange to go unshaven. </ref> | ||
# Many authorities hold that one is not permitted to shave during his custom of sefira in order to look presentable for a date. <Ref> [www.thehalacha.com/attach/Volume5/Issue8.pdf Halachically Speaking] quoting Rav Belsky, Piskei Shmuos (pg 62-63) quoting Rav Elyashiv </ref> | # Many authorities hold that one is not permitted to shave during his custom of sefira in order to look presentable for a date. <Ref> [www.thehalacha.com/attach/Volume5/Issue8.pdf Halachically Speaking] quoting Rav Belsky, Piskei Shmuos (pg 62-63) quoting Rav Elyashiv </ref> | ||
