5785: The Rarest Year of Them All Part XV - Havdalah on Sunday Night
Tisha B’Av on Sunday
Previous articles in this series discussed several ramifications of Tisha B’Av occurring on Motza’ei Shabbos this year. Another unique aspect with a Sunday Tisha B’Av, that starts as Shabbos Chazon ends, along with our not-too-common fleishig Erev Tisha B’Av Seudah Hamafsekes a.k.a. Seudah Shlishis [see Gemara Taanis (29b) – that for this Seudah Hamfsekes, as it is on Shabbos, one may partake in a fancy seudah, “Afilu k’seudas Shlomo b’shaato” – as great as one King Solomon himself would have hosted] and the fast commencing, is that Havdalah is not recited on Motza’ei Shabbos. Rather, most of this Havdalah actually gets pushed off until Sunday night, with small parts of it performed on Motza’ei Shabbos.
Half-Havdalah?
In Maariv in shul on Motza’ei Shabbos-Tisha B’Av, we recite “Attah Chonantanu” to allow the performing of melacha (or by simply saying “Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L’Chol”) once it is Tzeis Hakochavim at the conclusion of Shabbos. There is no bracha of Besamim at all as that is considered hana’ah (benefit or pleasure), which we minimize on Tisha B’Av. This bracha is also not recited on Motzai Tzom (Sunday night), as at that point it is no longer directly after Shabbos.
Regarding the bracha of Borei Me’orei Ha’Aish on the flame this Motzai Shabbos/Tisha B’Av, that is generally recited in shul (or at home) after Maariv as a stand-alone bracha.
On Sunday night Motza’ei Tisha B’Av, when the fast is over, the rest of Havdalah is recited before breaking the fast. Yet, this Havdalah we start from the bracha on the Kos and it only consists of that bracha and the bracha of “Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L’Chol.”
But there is still an unanswered question: What should be the contents of the Kos on which we are making this Motza’ei Tisha B’Av Havdalah? Generally speaking, many of the Nine Days’ restrictions are still in effect through the next day until at least midday (Chatzos Hayom), including those of eating meat and drinking wine. Hence, those restrictions still apply until Monday morning. However, Havdalah still needs to be recited when the fast ends. So, what do we do?
Wine or Beer?
In order to answer this question, a bit of background is in order. There is a famous three-way dispute about how to properly perform Havdalah on the Motza’ei Shabbos of the Nine Days (generally Motza’ei Shabbos Chazon), when wine’s consumption would already be prohibited.
The first approach to this is the Shulchan Aruch’s, ruling that whoever makes the Havdalah should just drink the wine himself, as in his opinion, the Nine Days’ restrictions were never intended to negate a Mitzvah. The Rema, on the other hand, maintains that it is preferable to find a child that has reached the age of Chinuch, and let him drink the Havdalah wine. That way, the one who actually makes the Havdalah does not have to transgress this prohibition. He concludes however, that mei’ikar hadin the Shulchan Aruch is correct, and if one cannot find a child to drink the wine, then an adult may do so.
Although many Ashkenazic authorities follow the Rema on this, there is a third opinion, that of the Aruch Hashulchan. He maintained that the best solution to our concern is to make Havdalah on Motza’ei Shabbos Chazon using beer instead of wine. Since beer is cited throughout the ages as a ‘Chamar Medina,’ a ‘drink of the land’ on which Havdalah is permitted to be made, it would therefore be the simplest resolution.
How to Make Havdalah
Although it would seem that the same debate should apply when Tisha B’Av falls out on Motza’ei Shabbos, nevertheless, it seems that this is actually dependent on whether Motza’ei Tisha B’Av is still considered part of the Nine Days. Although we know that the Nine Days’ restrictions continue until at least midday (Chatzos) of the tenth of Av, with some being stringent the whole next day for some of the restrictions, there is an interesting machlokes between the Mishnah Berurah and Aruch Hashulchan whether the Sunday night-Motza’ei Tisha B’Av Havdalah is more relaxed vis-à-vis drinking wine for Havdalah.
The Mishnah Berurah concludes that Motza’ei Tisha B’Av is not as restrictive as the rest of the Nine Days, and one may therefore personally drink from the Havdalah wine without necessitating finding a child to drink. Accordingly, the bracha of ‘Borei Pri Hagafen’ would be the bracha of choice on the Kos for this Sunday night Havdalah.
Yet, the Aruch Hashulchan disagrees, maintaining that the Nine Days restrictions are still fully in effect until the following day, and it is therefore preferable to make Havdalah on ‘Shaar Mashkin’ (Chamar Medina) and not wine. A third opinion, that of the Elyah Rabba and Pri Megadim, is that one may use wine, but should give it to a child to drink, similar to the Rema’s ruling on a standard Motza’ei Shabbos Chazon, due to Nine Days’ restrictions.
Most contemporary authorities seem to follow the Mishnah Berurah’s ruling that one may make this Havdalah with wine and personally drink it. Certainly, those who follow the Shulchan Aruch’s ruling of drinking the Havdalah wine during the Nine Days would do so here as well, as Havdalah is the same ‘Makom Mitzva’ that the Shulchan Aruch ruled is an exception to the Nine Days’ restrictions. And those with reservations as to beer being considered ‘Chamar Medina’ nowadays, would still have the same concerns this week as well.
As with all cases in halacha, one should ascertain from a knowledgeable rabbinic authority which opinion he should personally follow.
Although Tisha B’Av being observed on Sunday occurs not infrequently (as when 9 Av falls out on Shabbos, the fast day’s observance is also pushed off to Sunday), nonetheless, in this author’s mind, it is quite fascinating that this remarkable coincidence occurs in our exceptional year.
Our fascinating journey detailing the many remarkable facets of our rare year will iy”H be continued…
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch famously wrote that “the Jew’s catechism is his calendar.” It is this author’s wish that by showcasing the uniqueness of our calendar year and its rare minhagim, this article will help raise appreciation of them and our fascinating calendarical customs.
*This author wishes to thank R’ Yosef Yehuda Weber, author of ‘Understanding the Jewish Calendar,’ for being a fount of calendarical knowledge and for his assistance with this series.
Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive guide, rather a brief summary to raise awareness of the issues. In any real case one should ask a competent Halachic authority.
L'iluy Nishmas the Rosh HaYeshiva - Rav Chonoh Menachem Mendel ben R' Yechezkel Shraga, Rav Yaakov Yeshaya ben R' Boruch Yehuda.
