Lag BaOmer
[A] (Halacha 547)
Question: Regarding those who have the minhag to take a haircut on Lag BaOmer, when Lag BaOmer falls on Sunday, is it permitted to take a haircut on Erev Shabbos?
Answer: On this matter the Ashkenazic poskim are divided, as follows:
The Maharil1 wrote: 'And even if Lag BaOmer falls on Sunday, he did not permit shaving on the Erev Shabbos before it, similar to a mourner — that if his thirtieth day falls on Shabbos he shaves on Erev Shabbos, but if the thirty days end on Sunday it is forbidden [to shave] on Erev Shabbos. So too here it is no different, and the two are alike, for both are only a minhag.'
And so too wrote the Leket Yosher2: 'And one does not take a haircut on Friday in honor of Shabbos, for in what way is this Shabbos different from any other Shabbos in the Omer? And so too proof is found in the Maharil, and these are his words: a mourner who completed his mourning on Shabbos takes a haircut on Friday, but if he completed his mourning on Sunday he does not take a haircut on Friday; and the reason one does not take a haircut during the Omer is because of mourning.'
On the other hand, the Mahari Weil3 permitted it, and these are his words: When Lag BaOmer is on Sunday, I permitted taking a haircut on the Friday before it, and the proof that he permitted it is from the Maharam regarding a mourner whose thirtieth day occurred on Shabbos — to bathe on Friday — since it is only a mere minhag that they had the custom not to bathe within the thirty days; and here too, even though Lag BaOmer is on Sunday, nevertheless here there is not even a minhag, but only some people are stringent. And so too I heard that Maharar Chizkiyah z"l of Wishnoiltz also permitted it.'
In practice, the Rema4 wrote: 'If it falls on Sunday, the minhag is to take a haircut on Friday in honor of Shabbos (Maharil5).'
And from the words of the Rema it is clear that the reason to be lenient is on account of the honor of Shabbos, for on account of Shabbos it is fitting to take a haircut. And as the Erech Lechem6 explained: 'For a positive command from the words of tradition takes precedence, "וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג"7 ("And you shall call the Shabbos a delight") — for since on Sunday he will take a haircut, it is better that he take it on Erev Shabbos.'
But the Levush8 wrote that the reason for the leniency is because of the difficulty there was in taking a haircut on Sunday, and these are his words: 'And if Lag falls on Sunday, when the gentiles do not give haircuts because of their holiday, one may then take a haircut on the Friday before it, for since the great authorities are divided on it and it is an ancient mourning, we hold like the words of the one who is lenient — so it appears to me'9.
And the Eliyah Zuta10 explained that the Levush held that the essential ruling is to be stringent like the Maharil, and therefore he permitted it only for the reason that one cannot take a haircut on Sunday. But he himself wrote there and in the Eliyah Rabba11 to be stringent not to take a haircut at all, even in the case where there will be no barbers on Sunday.
Likewise, some have written that the words of the Rema were said only regarding those who permit taking a haircut from Lag onwards12, as the Sheyarei Knesses HaGedolah13 wrote there: 'One should not derive permission for our case from the words of the Mahari Weil regarding Lag, nor from the words of the Rav z"l when Lag falls on Friday, for there it is different, since the mourning has ceased entirely; this is not so here, where after Rosh Chodesh passes it returns to its prohibition, and they permitted shaving only on that day.'
And see also the words of the Alter Rebbe14 who brought this minhag: 'And if Lag falls on Sunday, the minhag is to take a haircut on Erev Shabbos on account of the honor of Shabbos.' This follows on from 'There are those who say that they begin from the first day of Sefiras HaOmer and conclude on Lag BaOmer.'
And the Chok Yaakov15 wrote: 'The minhag is to take a haircut from Friday in honor of Shabbos. This is the opinion of the Mahari Weil, and the Maharil forbids it, and so too is the opinion of some Acharonim. Nevertheless, where the custom of leniency is practiced, it is practiced, and one should not be stringent in these laws, as written in subsection 2.'
Thus the Acharonim are divided regarding those who have the minhag to take a haircut on Lag BaOmer, as to whether, when Lag BaOmer falls on Sunday, one may also take a haircut on Erev Shabbos, and some have held16 in practice to be lenient.
However, in practice this halacha is not applicable for those who follow the custom17 based on the words of the Arizal18, and so too the minhag of Chabad19, not to take a haircut at all during all the days of the Sefirah until Erev Shavuos. And in the language of the Rebbe Maharash20: 'Only that one does not shave until Erev Shavuos .. and there are those who shave on Lag BaOmer .. however, according to Kabbalah one should not shave until Erev Shavuos'21.
Notes:
1 מנהגים - דיני הימים שבין פסח לשבועות ↩
2 ח"א או"ח עמוד צז ענין ג ↩
3 חידושי דינין והל' סי' נא ↩
4 שו"ע או"ח סי' תצג ס"ב ↩
5 והעיר שכנה"ג הגב"י או"ח סי' תצג אות ה: 'ומה שהר"ב המפה כתב היתר בשם מהרי"ל, ט"ס הוא, וצ"ל מהרי"ו' ↩
6 או"ח סי' תצג ס"ב ↩
7 ישעיה נח, יג ↩
8 או"ח סי' תצג ס"ב ↩
9 וראה גם שכנה"ג הגב"י שם: 'לפי שביום א' לא שכיחי ספרים שהוא יום אידם, ואם לא יסתפרו ביום ו' לא ימצאו להסתפר ביום א', שהספרים הם גוים ואין עושים מלאכה, ונמצא שביום ב' אינו יכול להסתפר עד חגה"ש' ↩
10 סק"ח ↩
11 ס"ק ט ↩
12 אך יש כתבו שהסברא הפוכה וראה חכמת שלמה שו"ע שם ס"ב ↩
13 הובא באליה זוטא שם, וראה גם מאמר מרדכי על שו"ע או"ח סי' תצג ס"ב שכתב: 'והרי מור"ם ז"ל בס' המפה נראה ברור שהביא היתר מהרי"ו לנוהגים היתר מל"ג ואילך וכמ"ש הרב בשיירי בסוף דבריו'. [וראה שם שהעיר על סתירה בדברי השכהנ"ג] ↩
14 שו"ע או"ח סי' תצג ס"ה ↩
15 שו"ע שם סק"ז ↩
16 נטעי גבריאל פמ"ט סכ"ג ↩
17 טור ברקת סי' תצג, ברכ"י שו"ע שם ס"ק ג וה, כה"ח שם ס"ק יג, קדושת לוי פ' יתרו, שו"ת מנח"א ח"ג סי' סה ↩
18 שעה"כ דרוש יב. פע"ח שער ספה"ע פ"ז. וראה אגרות הרמ"ז סי' ב בסופו. (ולהעיר מאג"ק ח"ט ע' נח, ואכמ"ל) ↩
19 ראה לוח כולל חב"ד. ולהעיר מאוצר מנהגי חב"ד ע' רפג, מעשה מלך ע' 219. ומלוח יומי תש"ג ותש"ד. ואכמ"ל ↩
20 סה"מ תרכ"ט ע' קעז ↩
21 ולהעיר משיחת ל"ג בעומר תשמ"ו (תו"מ תשמ"ו ח"ג ע' 337) ↩
[B] (Halacha 548)
Orlah [H]
Question: What is the source for the minhag of eating carobs on Lag BaOmer?
Answer: In the Responsa Siach Yitzchak1 (Weiss) he noted: 'As a novel point, regarding those who are careful to hold a seudah on the day of Lag BaOmer for the hilula of Rashbi, and especially in Eretz Yisrael, that they did not institute the custom to eat carobs and dates at this seudah, in order to recount the miracle that occurred to Rashbi in the cave — that the carob tree turned into carobs for them every Erev Shabbos, as brought in the Midrash Talpiyos under the entry "carobs"; and I have proven this, b"h, from the Yerushalmi of Terumos, and the matter requires study.'
However, the Rebbe in the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Tazria-Metzora 5742 (1982)2 said: 'It is related in the Gemara3 and in the Midrashei Chazal4 that when Rashbi and his son Rabbi Elazar hid in a cave for twelve years (and afterward also the thirteenth year): "They went and hid in a cave5; a miracle occurred and a carob tree (a carob tree) was created for them, and a spring of water (a spring of water)." And from this they sustained themselves, as Rashi writes: "a carob tree was created for them — to eat its fruits, and a spring of water to drink."' And therefore the minhag is to eat carobs on Lag BaOmer6, in remembrance of the carobs from which Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar his son sustained themselves during the time they were in the cave. I recall that in my father's home they had the custom to eat carobs on Lag BaOmer. This fruit was expensive and rare, and only on Lag BaOmer would they eat it.
★ ★ ★
Question: How did Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar eat from the carob tree, and not wait three years on account of orlah?
Answer: This question was brought in the name of the holy Maharid of Belz7. And we have found several approaches to resolve this difficulty8, and below two approaches will be brought:
Approach A There is no orlah in a miraculous act — so wrote many of the Acharonim9, and so too the Rebbe explained in the sicha there: 'Now, there is a well-known discussion as to whether there was a law of orlah, terumos and maasros, etc., with regard to the carobs that Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar ate while they were in the cave. For behold, since this is a matter of a miraculous act — [for besides the fact that the very matter that "a carob tree was created for them" is a matter of a miracle, the growth of the fruits immediately is an additional miracle, since ordinarily one must wait tens of years until a carob tree gives fruit10] — it is reasonable to say that there is no obligation of orlah, terumos and maasros, etc. And especially if we say that there is an obligation of orlah, neta revai, etc. — the question arises: from what did Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar sustain themselves during the first three years, when there was a prohibition of orlah on the carobs?'
Approach B Orlah of that which grows on its own in a rocky place — the Acharonim11 wrote to explain it based on the Mishnah in Maseches Orlah12: 'And that which grows on its own is obligated in orlah.' And the Yerushalmi13 wrote: 'Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yotzadak: a vine that grew up in a place of woodlands is exempt from orlah. Rabbi Yose said: even if he planted it. But we learned: that which grows on its own is obligated in orlah! There — when he planted it in a settled place; but here — when he planted it in a place of woodlands.'
And so ruled the Rambam14, and the Mechaber15: 'That which grows on its own in a rocky place is exempt; even that which one plants in a place that is not a settlement is exempt, provided that he does not perform the labor of tending its fruits until he brings them to a settlement; but if he was performing the labor of tending it, it is obligated in orlah.'
And based on this, since their cave was in the wilderness, as explained in the Zohar Chadash16: 'רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי אֲזַל לֵיהּ וַעֲרַק לְמַדְבְּרָא דְלוּד, וְאִתְגְּנֵיז בְּחַד מְעַרְתָּא, הוּא וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ. אִתְרְחֵישׁ לוֹן נִיסָּא, וּנְפַק לְהוֹ חַד חֲרוּבָא, וְחַד מַעֲיָינָא דְמַיָּיא. אָכְלֵי מֵהַהוּא חֲרוּבָא, וְשָׁתָאן מֵאִינוּן מַיִין. הֲוָה אֵלִיָּהוּ ז"ל, אָתֵי לוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, וְאוֹלִיף לוֹן. וְלָא יָדַע אֵינַשׁ בְּהוֹ'. And the wilderness is a rocky place, and if so, it would be exempt from orlah.
Notes:
1 סי' רצד ↩
2 תו"מ ח"ג ע' 1395 ↩
3 שבת לג, ב ↩
4 ב"ר וישלח פע"ט סי' ו. קה"ר פרשה י. פסיקתא דרב כהנא פיסקא יא - ויהי בשלח ↩
5 בירושלמי שביעית פ"ט ה"א נקרא *מערת חרובין דתרומה* וראה שם בפירוש עלי תמר ↩
6 ראה נטעי גבריאל פסח ח"ג פנ"ט הכ"א ↩
7 שו"ת גבעת הלבונה בסופו בקונטרס נס על הגבעה ע' 6 אות ז, ובכרם אפרים מאמר ט ע' עד ↩
8 וראה באור הצפון גליון מא ע' יב ואילך ↩
9 גבעת הלבונה שם ע' 10 ובדעת משה הערות סי' סח. כחו דרשבי מערכה א אות ו בהערה בשוה"ג. מאור ישראל שבת לג, ב. דרך אמונה הל' מע"ש ונטע רבעי פ"י ה"ו אות פב ובביאור ההלכה ↩
10 ראה מהרש"א על הגמרא שם ↩
11 גבעת הלבונה שם. באמרי דעת פרשת קדושים מהר"מ שפירא מלובלין. כחו דרשב"י שם. דובב מישרים ח"ד ליקוטי תשובות והערות סי' קס. מאור ישראל שם. דרך אמונה שם ↩
12 פ"א מ"ב ↩
13 ערלה פ"א ה"א ↩
14 הל' מע"ש ונטע רבעי פ"י ה"ו ↩
15 שו"ע יו"ד סי' רצד סכ"ז ↩
16 פר' כי תבא עג, א (נדפס גם בתיקו"ז בתחילתו) ↩
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