Cleaning the House for Passover During Shiva
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Question
A woman in mourning a few days before Passover, is she allowed to clean the house during her mourning for Passover preparation?
Answer
She is permitted to clean what is necessary for Passover, as she will not be able to clean later.
Source
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah, Siman 380, Paragraph 22: "Respect for the house, washing dishes, and making beds are not considered work for a mourner; likewise, a woman is allowed to bake and cook during her mourning days." Rema: "All that she needs, but what is not needed is forbidden. Also, a woman serving in a homeowner's house, if she is in mourning, is allowed to bake, cook, and perform other household needs, whether for free or for pay." And the reason why household tasks were not prohibited is written in the Levush: "Not everyone is wealthy enough to have servants to perform these tasks during their mourning days, and it would be a decree that most of the public cannot uphold, therefore they did not decree it and allowed doing all that is needed and no more."
And the opinion of our teacher, the Rav, shlita, is that even in such a case where there is a household task that she will not be able to perform later, it is permitted during her mourning days.