[Avodah] Showering during the 9 Days

[Joseph Kaplan]

1. R. Yosef Adler has said numerous times both publicly (as recently as 2 weeks ago) and privately ((to congregants sitting shiva) that the Rav permitted showering during the 9 days and shiva because today everyone is considered an istinis. 

2. R’ Micha repeats the story told in the Frimer’s’ article about the Rav and the woman who wanted to wear a tallit. I note 2 things. First, it was printed after the Rav died and he never told the story publicly in his lifetime nor did he have a chance to confirm, deny, or explain it after it became public. I searched to see if (a) the story was ever told in his lifetime or (b) if there’s any source other than the one in the Frimers’ article but I was unable to find any. 

Second, I was not a talmid of the Rav but I did discuss the story with several people who were his talmidim or who knew him well. A number told me that while the Rav would, of course, not see any value in wearing a tallit without tzitzit, the fact that he would put a women from his Boston community through such a test rather than handle it in a much more gentle and sensitive manner (can you imagine how she felt at the end if the story is accurate) is difficult to accept. Because of this as well as some  halachic questions about the story, I find it difficult to accept its accuracy. 
Joseph

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