Taanit

R. Papa said: Therefore a Jew who has any litigation with Gentiles should avoid him in Ab because his luck is bad and should make himself available in Adar when his luck is good. To give you a future and a hope:1 Rab Judah the son of R. Samuel b. Shilath said in the name of Rab: By this is meant [an abundance of] palm trees and flaxen garments.2 And he said: See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:3 Rab Judah the son of R. Samuel b. Shilath said in the name of Rab: As the smell of an apple orchard. DURING THE WEEK IN WHICH THE NINTH OF AB FALLS IT IS FORBIDDEN TO CUT THE HAIR AND TO WASH CLOTHES. R. Nahman said: This restriction only applies to the washing of clothes for immediate wear but the washing of clothes for storing is permissible. R. Shesheth said: It is forbidden to wash clothes even for storing. R. Shesheth said: A proof for this is that the fullers in the house of Rab4 are then idle. R. Hamnuna raised an objection: ON THURSDAY IT IS PERMISSIBLE IN HONOUR OF THE SABBATH.5 What is permissible? Shall I say it is to wash clothes for immediate wear?6 Where does the honour of the Sabbath enter into it? It must surely mean, washing clothes for storing [till Sabbath], and this is permissible only on Thursday but not during other days of the week! — In reality [the Mishnah refers] to the washing of clothes for immediate wear and it speaks of a case where a man has only one shirt. For R. Assi said in the name of R. Johanan: When a man has one shirt only he may wash it in the middle days of the Festival.7 So too it has been stated: R. Benjamin said in the name of R. Eleazar: The restriction applies only to washing clothes for immediate wear but washing clothes for storing is permissible. An objection was raised against this: It is forbidden to wash clothes before the ninth of Ab even for storing them until after the ninth of Ab. And our [Babylonian] laundry work is like their [Palestinian] plain washing, [in respect of this prohibition],8 but flaxen garments are not included in this prohibition against laundry work. This is indeed a refutation. R. Isaac b. Giyuri sent a message in the name of R. Johanan: Although the Rabbis declared that flaxen garments are not included in the prohibition against laundry work, yet it is forbidden to wear them [newly laundered] in the week in which the Ninth of Ab falls. Rab said: This applies to the days before the Ninth of Ab but on the days after it it is permissible to wear them. Samuel said: Even on the days after the Ninth of Ab it is forbidden to wear them. An objection was raised against this: The week in which the Ninth of Ab falls it is not permissible to cut the hair or to wash clothes, but on Thursday it is permissible in honour of the Sabbath. How is this to be understood? Should it fall on Sunday it is permissible to wash clothes the whole of the week, [but should it fall] on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday, before it it is not permissible, but after it, it is permissible; [should it fall] on Friday it is permissible to wash clothes on Thursday in honour of the Sabbath; if however he has not washed them on the Thursday it is permissible to wash them on the Friday from the hour of Minhah onwards. (Abaye, and some say, R. Aha b. Jacob expressed his strongest disapproval9 of any one who acted so.) Should [the Ninth of Ab] fall on Monday or on Thursday three people read the Law, and [of these the last] one also reads the prophetical lesson; but [should it fall] on Tuesday or Wednesday one reads the Law and he also reads the prophetical lesson. R. Jose says: Invariably three persons read the Law and the last one of these also reads the prophetical lesson. [Will not this Baraitha be] a refutation of Samuel [who holds that it is not permissible to wash clothes, even on the days after the Ninth of Ab]? — Samuel will reply: Tannaim are divided on this point. For it has been taught: Should the Ninth of Ab fall on the Sabbath, and likewise if the eve of the Ninth of Ab falls on the Sabbath, one may eat and drink as much as he needs and he may load his table with as many viands as Solomon in his time did, but it is forbidden to cut the hair and to wash clothes, from the beginning of the month until after the fast; this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Judah says: It is forbidden the whole month. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: It is forbidden only on that particular week. And elsewhere it has been taught: And mourning is observed from the beginning of the month until the fast; this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Judah says: It is forbidden the whole month. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: It is forbidden only on that particular week.10 Said R. Johanan: All three authorities adduced their ruling from the same scriptural verse. For it is written, I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her sabbaths.11 The one who says, from the beginning of the month until the fast of a material kind. days following the Ninth of Ab.