[Avodah] How To Make Havdalah During the 9 Days 5776

[Professor L. Levine via Avodah]

From

http://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/6976


Have you given any thought to how you are going to make Havdalah this Motzai Shabbos? The proper way to perform Havdalah the Motzai Shabbos preceding Tisha B'Av (generally Motzai Shabbos Chazon) is one annual issue that seems to always have disparate approaches.


The main problem is that the very essence of Havdalah is ending Shabbos, resulting in the fact that it is actually recited during 'chol', weekday. That is fine for an ordinary week, but Motzai Shabbos Chazon is halachically part and parcel not only of the Nine Days, but actually considered 'Shavua Shechal Bah Tisha B'Av'. This means that even the Sefardim, who are generally lenient with the Three Weeks' and Nine Days' restrictions[1]<http://ohr.edu/6976#_edn1>, are still required to keep them during this week. And one of these restrictions prohibits drinking wine[2]<http://ohr.edu/6976#_edn2>, the mainstay of Havdalah[3]<http://ohr.edu/6976#_edn3>. So how are we supposed to synthesize making Havdalah while not transgressing this restriction?


Actually, this year, 5776 / 2016, this dilemma is doubled, as there are two Havdalahs in question, but interestingly, neither is truly on Motzai Shabbos Chazon. The first Havdalah is this week, Motzai Parshas Masei (well, Motzai Parshas Mattos - Masei for those in Chutz La'aretz), and the second, with the Taanis Nidcheh of Tisha B'Av being observed immediately after Shabbos's conclusion, gets pushed off until Sunday night (see Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 556, 1). Yet, the Nine Days' restrictions are still in effect until the next day and Havdalah needs to be recited[4]<http://ohr.edu/6976#_edn4>. Hence, the compounded confusion.


See the above URL for more as well as for the two postscripts at the end of this article. YL

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