When Rosh Chodesh Iyar Falls on Friday & Shabbos - Haircuts & Shaving on Erev Shabbos 5786

Here's the inside scoop. This is a special presentation regarding the Halachas of shaving and taking a haircut this Friday Arab Shabbos Kodesh. Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh Iyar, but this Friday is also Rosh Chodesh Iyar. Friday is Lamed Nissan, Shabbos is Aleph Iyar. What are the Halachas regarding shaving and taking a haircut? So basically, there are two general observances of Sefirah aside from some who are Makpid Kabbalah do not shave and take a haircut the entire Sefirah. There are basically two approaches to Sefirah. Everyone agrees that we have to abstain from haircuts shaving for 33 days. Possibly the more commonly practiced observance of Sefirah is starting Erev Pesach at Chatzos. Already we don't shave or take a haircut then. Obviously on the first day of Pesach. And then when Sefirah begins on the second day of Pesach, it goes all the way until Lag Baomer. That is the first Sefirah. Then there are those who when Pesach is over they do shave, they do take a haircut and their Sefirah observance begins on Rosh Chodesh Iyar and it continues until the Shloshim Yemei Hagbalah, but they take a a break for Lag Baomer. By the way, Rav Moshe says the Ikkar Sefirah is the second one beginning Rosh Chodesh Iyar going until the Shloshim Yemei Hagbalah. So there are those who start it right away and it ends with Lag Baomer or according to Sefardim the day after and there are those who start with Rosh Chodesh Iyar and it goes until the Shloshim Yemei Hagbalah. So what are the Halachas regarding this Friday? Well, it would seem that if you observe the first Sefirah, how would you be be allowed to shave and take a haircut? You're in the middle of Sefirah. On the other hand, if you observe the second Sefirah there is a possibility of observing the second Sefirah starting from Rosh Chodesh Iyar, meaning Aleph Iyar. So then one would think you would be allowed to. However, it's not so simple. Let's go to the Mishna Berurah in Siman 493 Sif Katan Hey. >> [snorts] >> Says the Mishna Berurah Va'af L'hanoyag In Issur Gam Ad Rosh Chodesh Iyar. Even those who observe the first Sefirah M'chamo Koin Im Chodesh B'Shabbos. If Rosh Chodesh comes out on Shabbos, which this year it does. Keivan Sheyeish Kan Tosefes Simcha Shabbos Rosh Chodesh says the Mishna Berurah, this year it's not just Erev Shabbos. You see if it would just be an ordinary Erev Shabbos and you're observing Sefirah according to Mishna Berurah, you can't shave during Sefirah on an Erev Shabbos, but this year it's not only Shabbos, it's also Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. The Mishna Berurah says Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Sheyeish Kan Tosefes Simcha. You have additional Simcha, not just Shabbos, not just Rosh Chodesh, Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. You could listen to one of our Shiurim from this week. It's called The Magical Fusion of Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. We are we were Zocheh to explain that normally on Rosh Chodesh it was once upon a time a Yom Tov. The Torah says originally Rosh Chodesh was given to the 12 Shvatim. But when we sinned with the Egel, it was taken away from Klal Yisrael, it's no longer a Yom Tov as it was, it's given to the Nashim. There's also an idea that on Shabbos we're impervious to the Cheit Ha'Egel, we transcend the Cheit Ha'Egel. If ever Rosh Chodesh would come out on Shabbos, in on such an occasion Rosh Chodesh is restored to its original status. Or the way the Mishna Berurah says it, it's Tosefes Simcha Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. Perhaps the mechanism is that on such an occasion Rosh Chodesh is restored to being a Yom Tov. Therefore, says the Mishna Berurah, Yeish L'hatir L'histaper B'Erev Shabbos Midnei Chodesh Shabbos. You can permit shaving on Erev Shabbos out of the honor of Shabbos. Mishna Berurah says he could even get married and the Seudah will be Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. So the Mishna Berurah says that those who observe the first Sefirah would be allowed to shave this Friday. Obviously those who observe the second Sefirah Halachically would also be allowed to shave on Friday if they start the Sefirah the next day. However, there's a little bit of a curveball. And the curveball is the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid. Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid said that on Rosh Chodesh one should refrain from shaving and taking a haircut. Now observing this restriction of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid is not absolute Halacha, but many customarily are concerned for this uh uh Halacha for this warning of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid. It's not universally observed, but there are those who are concerned for it. Well, for those who are Choshesh for the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid, would they be allowed to shave on this Friday? I understand Shabbos is Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. So even those who observe the first Sefirah would be allowed to shave because of Sefirah, but what about the fact that this Friday is not only Erev Shabbos and Erev Rosh Chodesh, it is Rosh Chodesh. And on Rosh Chodesh according to Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid one is supposed to refrain from taking a haircut and shaving. Now if you ordinarily are not concerned for Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid, so there's nothing to talk about. If whether you observe the first Sefirah or the second Sefirah, you'd be allowed to shave. But what about those who are concerned for the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid? Typically I would refrain from taking a haircut or shaving on Rosh Chodesh unless unless it's Erev Shabbos. On Erev Shabbos even though usually I'm concerned for the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid, I would shave and take a haircut on Erev Shabbos. There are those by the way who say Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid on Erev Shabbos only applies to haircuts and not shaving. But what about those who are concerned for Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid even on an Erev Shabbos, what would be regarding this Erev Shabbos? So I remember from decades ago when I was learning in Yeshiva in Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen on the bulletin board they posted a copy of a P'sak of Rav Moshe Feinstein in the the Ma'asef in the journal Le Torah U'Mitzvos Chelek Beis page 20 and I'll read it to you. I even photocopied it myself. Says Rav Moshe, Ein B'Rosh Chodesh Iyar Shechal B'Erev Shabbos U'V'Shabbos Shum Issur L'Oseisan Es Ha'Omer B'Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid. That when Rosh Chodesh Iyar comes out on Shabbos and Erev Shabbos, there is no prohibition for those who are ordinarily careful in the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid not to shave Af L'Chavod Shabbos. Even those who typically don't take a haircut on Friday L'Chavod Shabbos when Friday is Rosh Chodesh, in such a scenario you're allowed to. The Chayei Adam Maidem D'mistaprim. Such a case everyone agrees you're allowed to. Why? Keivan Shelo Hayah Yachol L'histaper M'koidem Lifnei Min Ha'Goy. Because they were not able to do it before. Because since they observed Sefirah, the first Sefirah when do we say that for those who observe Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid even on Erev Shabbos they shouldn't take a haircut Erev Shabbos? That's only if they could have taken a haircut before. But for those who observe the first Sefirah, they were unable to take a haircut before. So under this circumstance even those who ordinarily do not take a haircut Erev Shabbos even if Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh in this circumstance you're allowed to because there was no other option. But then it comes out for those who observe the second Sefirah if they are also careful not to shave and take a haircut on Rosh Chodesh even on Erev Shabbos, they would not be allowed to. So look at the irony of this. For those who are typically concerned for the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid then you could only shave this Friday if you keep the first Sefirah. If you keep the second Sefirah, you can't shave. Now if you're not concerned for the Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid everyone would be allowed to shave and take a haircut. If you're if you are concerned, then if you observe the first Sefirah, says Rav Moshe, you can. And if you observe the second Sefirah, you would you would not be allowed to. My friend Rabbi Aryeh Taichman pointed out that in the newest volume of the Igros Moshe Chelek Tes, Orach Chaim Vav, Orach Chaim Chelek Vav, Siman Lamed Vav, they published this P'sak of Rav Moshe as a Teshuvah, a Teshuvah Lamed Vav. Likewise Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, based on the report of his son Rav Nosson Kamenetsky, also Pasken that those who observe the first Sefirah can shave this Friday even if ordinarily they're Makpid on the Tzava'ah of Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid. So that's the uh that's the inside scoop. If you keep the first Sefirah you could shave and take a haircut on Friday. If you keep the second Sefirah you can only shave and take a haircut if you're not ordinarily Makpid on Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid. If you are then uh one would not be allowed to for this particular Friday. Wishing everyone a good Shabbos and a good Chodesh.