Laughing, throwing acorns, holding baby, and playing games on Tishe Beav

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Laughing and frivolity:[1]

Laughing and frivol behavior is forbidden on Tisha B’av. Doing so can lead to physical danger.[2]

 

Throwing Beralach/acorns:

The Poskim[3] severely warn against the custom[4] of throwing acorns around in Shul on Tisha B’av and doing so is a great sin. Doing so is a desecration of a Shul, which is akin to the Temple, in addition to the prohibition of frivolity on such a day.[5] Nevertheless, this was the custom in certain Chassidic communities.[6]

 

May one hold a baby on Tisha B’av?

Some[7] write one is not to hold a baby on Tisha B’av for pleasure purposes, just as is the law of an Avel within the seven days of Aveilus.[8] One may hold a baby for his own benefit, such as to calm him down, feed him or change him

 

May one play cards or games on Tisha B’av?[9]

One is not to do so, in order not to remove one’s mind from the Aveilus.

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[1] Mishmeres Shalom 40:8

[2] Based on Rav Pinchas of Koretz in name of Baal Shem Tov. [Mishmeres Shalom ibid]

[3] Kitzur Shlah; Elya Raba 559:17; Chayeh Adam 135:17; M”B 559:22

[4] Seemingly this custom was widespread in certain areas; See also Divrei Yisrael 155

[5] See Sefer Ish Tzaddik p. 24 [memoirs of Rav Aryeh Levin] for a horrific story of how one Tisha B’av a youngster threw an acorn to the beard of an elderly Rabbis, and the elderly Rabbi began crying “The Beis Hamikdash was burnt today”. That night a fire erupted in the village and consumed the house of these youngsters together with them inside. Their ash was brought to burial on the day of Tisha B’av. [Nitei Gavriel 65 footnote 25]

[6] See Toras Menachem Hisvadyus 1951 2:262 “In Lubavitch they would play with Berelach on Tisha B’av, and it was not exactly against the spirit of the Sages.”; See also Sefer Haminhagim p. 98 [English] for a story regarding a prank that was played on the Ruziner Rebbe on Tisha B’av, and the Ruziner Rebbe’s response “If your children do not observe your Yom Tov, take it away from them”

[7] Nitei Gavriel 2 p. 653 based on GR”A 554:21

[8] Yoreh Deah 391:1

[9] Nitei Gavriel 79:5

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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