Bathing during the thirty days of mourning

Is it permitted to bathe during the thirty days of mourning?

According to Sephardic custom, one may bathe as usual, while according to Ashkenazic custom, it is customary not to bathe the entire body during the thirty days. However, in cold places or places with hot springs, it is permissible to bathe in cold or lukewarm water, as long as one does not derive pleasure from the heat.

Darkei Moshe in Yoreh De'ah, Siman 381, writes: "Mordechai (page 392, beginning of 73) (Siman 848) states that a mourner is permitted to bathe in hot water and wash immediately after seven days, and when the seventh day begins, all practices of mourning are permitted." These are simple matters, as the decree of thirty days only pertains to ironing and haircuts after seven days, but bathing is permitted. However, the custom is to prohibit bathing for all thirty days, as Maharil writes in his laws of mourning (Siman 25-26), and this is also implied in the glosses of Maimonides, Chapter 7 of the laws of Yom Tov (letter Nun) and Chapter 10 of the laws of mourning (letter Vav). See also below Siman 390 (letter Vav), where it is customary to prohibit washing the head for all thirty days.

The Rema, Siman 381, paragraph 1, rules: "Today it is customary to prohibit (all) bathing for all 30 days, and even washing the head is prohibited (see below Siman 390 and Ba'az); and one should not change the custom, as it is an ancient custom established by the pious.

We find two reasons for this custom: In Or Zarua, it is written that the reason for the custom is that there is a concern that one might come to comb the head, and according to their opinion, it is forbidden to comb for all thirty days. The halachic authorities write that according to this, we, who rule at the beginning of Siman 390 that a mourner may comb his head, have no reason to prohibit. In Maharshal, another reason for the custom is written: since in their time it was customary that one entering the bathhouse would shave the hair on his head, therefore it was prohibited to enter the bathhouse.

The Shach, Siman 381, letter 1, writes: "However, today it is customary to prohibit bathing for all 30 days, as written in ATZ, and not as printed in the books, that all bathing is prohibited for all 30 days, as bathing in cold water is not prohibited at all." From his words, it is implied that bathing in cold water is not prohibited.

The Alter Rebbe, Siman 548, letter 9, writes that the intention of the Shach is that even the whole body is permitted in cold water, and so writes Tepelman. However, in Rake and Dagmar, it is written that his intention is to permit in cold water only the face, hands, and feet, but the whole body in cold water is prohibited. Pitchei Teshuva, Siman 381, letter 2, writes: "See in Dagmar, where it is written that only the face, hands, and feet, but the whole body even in cold water is prohibited for us all thirty days." See also in Teshuvat Teshuvat Chen, Siman 31, where this is elaborated, and it is concluded that a God-fearing person should be concerned to prohibit himself even in cold water bathing of the whole body, but for others, it is permissible to be lenient, and only on Friday, when there is some need for a mitzvah, but bathing for pleasure in rivers should be prohibited.

The opinion of our teacher, the Gaon, Rabbi Ovadia Fried, shlita, is that in cold places and places with hot springs, it is permissible to be lenient and bathe in cold water the whole body, relying on those who are lenient to bathe in cold water.