Sefirat HaOmer: Difference between revisions

## Some observe this practice by mourning all the days of the Omer expect for Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Sivan. <Ref> Sh”t Igrot Moshe 1:159 explains that the reason for this minhag is that it holds that the students of Rabbi Akiva died on all the days between Pesach and Shavuot except for the 16 days when one can not say Tachanun (7 days of Pesach, 6 [[Shabbat]]ot, 3 days of Rosh Chodesh) and so the minhag forbids getting married and cutting hair the entire Sefira except for Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Sivan (and Pesach and [[Shabbat]] are already forbidden to get married). </ref>

# A fourth minhag followed by some is to observe sefira, in regards to not cutting one's hair, for the entire duration of the sefira from Erev Pesach until Erev Shavuot.<ref>Arizal quoted by Shaarei Teshuva 493:8</ref>

===Getting Married===

# The Sephardic custom is not to get married during the Sefira until the 34th day in the morning. <ref> Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 428) </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].</ref> According to Sephardim, women may cut their hair during the Sefirah.<Ref>Chazon Ovadyah (Yom Tov pg 261)</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>

===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. Nitai 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.

# 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>

===Cutting nails===

===Making Shehecheyanu===

# If something occurs that would require a shehecheyanu, one should recite it as usual. <ref> Mishna Berura 493:2. The minhag not to is quoted in the Eliyahu Zuta 493:1 quoting Rabbeinu Yerucham and Leket Yosher page 97 quoting the Terumat Hadeshen. </ref>

# If not listening to recorded music will result in depression, even the stringent authorities would permit it. <ref> Hilchot Chag B’chag p.63, Halichot Shlomo, Moadim 2:11:14. </ref>

# If one is reliant on playing live music to make an income, he is permitted to. <ref> Iggerot Moshe OC 3:87. </ref>

==References==

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