Washing Clothes in the Seven Days of Mourning for the Holiday

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Question

If someone's brother passed away on Yom Kippur, is it permitted to wash clothes for the holiday during the seven days of mourning?

Answer

A mourner is prohibited from washing clothes, even for wearing after the seven days (for Ashkenazim through another person), and even through others, as it is considered the mourner's work, which others are forbidden to do. However, for the needs of the holiday: those who follow the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch are permitted to wash from the morning of the eve of the holiday, and it is good to wait until midday. Those who follow the opinion of the Rema should not wash until after the Mincha prayer, close to nightfall on the eve of the holiday. (Even today, it is possible to do washing on a quick cycle)

Source

A mourner is forbidden to have others wash his clothes, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch, Siman 380, Seif 18: "If his work is in the hands of others, by contract, in his house, they should not do it; in others' houses, they may do it." The Rema writes: "Provided that the work was accepted before he became a mourner." Washing is considered work, and it is forbidden for his wife to wash his clothes even for needs after the seven days, as Ramban wrote and brought in the Tur: "Many wrote about washing and leaving, and I say it is forbidden as work, both by himself and by others. If his clothes are by contract in the hands of others, they wash it as usual, like other works in the hands of others by contract." In the Gemara Moed Katan 19: "Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: all agree (even Abba Shaul, who holds that part of the day is considered the whole) that if the third day falls on the eve of the festival, bathing is forbidden until evening." The Rosh writes in the name of the Raavad to differentiate between bathing, which is forbidden on the eve of the holiday until dark because one can bathe during the holiday, and washing, which is forbidden to do after dark, but permitted to do on the eve of the holiday. The opinion of the Riba is that permission is only close to dark, when it is considered as if the holiday has begun, but many of the early authorities hold that it is permitted from the morning, and regarding the prohibition of washing, which cannot be done after dark, they say part of the day is considered the whole. The Beit Yosef writes that it is still better to avoid washing until after midday, so it is noticeable that it is done out of respect for the holiday. Thus ruled the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim, Siman 548, Seif 10: "If one of the days of mourning, except the seventh, falls on the eve of the festival, it is permitted to wash, but not to wear until night; and it is good to avoid washing until after midday, so it is noticeable that it is done out of respect for the holiday." The Mishnah Berurah there, Seif Katan 37: "According to the Rema above, Seif 8, do not wash until close to evening," meaning after Mincha Ketana, as explained there in the Mishnah Berurah, Seif Katan 32.

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