Are you allowed to buy clothing in the 9 days?

amother ↓

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 11:32 am

Are you allowed to buy ANY clothing in the 9 days?

I went to Century yesterday to return something (there's a time limit), and saw frum women buying.

Do some hold that you are allowed to buy cheap stuff?

How about linen?

What CAN and CAN'T you buy, other than food?

TzenaRena

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 11:42 am

Wow, I spoke to the Rav after Rosh Chodesh and he asked me why didn't you buy before? I explained tht I didn't have money then, but he is really not happy about buying now and didn't give a heter. I said my daughter is iyh going to camp the day after Tisha B'Av in the evening, and I have to get her ready, so he said, so nu, you can buy then, you have a whole day! (I wonder if the Rav knows how long it takes a teenager to try on things and choose Wink

).

I said that it's going to be too hard to fit it all into one day, and asked if I could shop now, and pick up the stuff afterwards, which he said I could do that.

Also, he said I don't need to wait till chatzos on 10th of Av to shop. (I don't know if that's just for my circumstance or b'chlal.)

I forgot to ask about linens, towels, underwear...

Mimisinger ↓

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 11:46 am

I was told you def. can not shop or buy. What's the use of shopping but not buying, you're still getting the pleasure out of shopping.

Also, you should def. ask Rav. For ex. we can do laundry if it's REALLY needed like no more clean underwear, but like we have to ask if we can do that (and only those items, you can't throw any others in) maybe you can buy some too? I don't know but we never do laundry or buy anything...

shalhevet ↓

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 11:50 am

AFAIK you are not allowed to buy anything at all, except shoes for Tisha B'Av if you don't have. If there's something you really need then ask your LOR. I am amazed that a big frum children's clothing chain here in EY has been widely advertising special sale prices this week - clearly to get people into their shops and I'm shock

Linen usually has the halachos of clothes.

You also shouldn't make any big purchases which bring you simcha - eg furniture, electrical appliances etc. You can buy ordinary, everyday items like food, paperware etc.

As much as possible it's inappropriate to go on shopping trips, but if it's something you need and can't wait you should ask your LOR. We actually even asked about buying school books and were told no (I'm quite sure not every LOR holds like this) because it is a purchase which brings simcha. (Wish it still brought the kids simcha in Cheshvan when they need to do their homework Tongue Out

)

This might possibly a cultural thing too. Perhaps things which bring simcha to one person are everyday purchases to another. Which is another reason to ask your own LOR where you live. For example I think many clothing items which may be an exciting purchase for a kolel couple in EY, might be the sort of thing which a wealthy couple in NY buy every week.

↑ amother

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 12:21 pm

Maybe the people in Century are buying for business. Now is their biggest sale time with all the leftovers and things are below wholesale.
Don't know for sure if that's allowed or if that's what they were actually doing but just a thought.

chocolate moose ↓

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 12:41 pm

amother wrote:

I went to Century yesterday to return something (there's a time limit), and saw frum women buying.

That’s so funny – I also was in Century the other day, to return, and wondered, what are all those frum women doing here, during the 9 days !!!!!

↑ shalhevet

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 12:42 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

amother wrote:

I went to Century yesterday to return something (there's a time limit), and saw frum women buying.

That’s so funny – I also was in Century the other day, to return, and wondered, what are all those frum women doing here, during the 9 days !!!!!

They are all returning things.

Marion

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 12:44 pm

Also, are you Sefardi? If I'm not mistaken, all those things which Ashkenazim don't do during the 9 days, Sefardim only keep for shavua shechal bo.

Also, we were told that if there would be a significant financial loss (and that's totally subjective, based on your situation), we could buy during the 9 days but pick it up/have it delivered/assemble it (etc...) after 9 Av.

greenfire

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 12:45 pm

hey everybody wonder ... everybody seems to be bored and women like to shop ... is it right ... I don't know ... however, I have heard that is something is a real sale opportunity it is possible to purchase ... also, if something is really needed like a shirt for shabbos ... but is buying better than washing ... who knows ... not I ...

southernbubby

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 1:00 pm

Rabbi Werner said the following:
1)It is preferable not to buy clothing but if a loss of money will occur because the price will go up, it is allowed.
2)If a person runs out of clean underwear, it is preferable to buy new than to wash the underwear.
3)The laws of the 9 days become more stringent on zayin av. There was originally a debate over whether to observe zayin or tes as the official day of mourning.

chen

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 2:21 pm

shalhevet wrote:

many clothing items which may be an exciting purchase for a kolel couple in EY, might be the sort of thing which a wealthy couple in NY buy every week.

100%. For example, ordinarily you don't say shehecheyonu on second-hand clothes, but if your circumstances are such that you get very excited to get secondhand clothes, you do say shehecheyonu.