The ArtScroll siddur for Tisha B'Av includes instructions *not* to 
kiss one's tzitzis during Baruch She'amar and Krias Shema of 
Shacharis, even though we do wear the Tallis Katan that day, and we 
do kiss the tzitzis at these points the rest of the year. ArtScroll 
offers no explanation for this change, and I have long wondered what 
the reason is.

Yesterday, I asked two knowledgeable people, who both offered the 
same suggestion: That Tisha B'Av is comparable to a funeral, and so 
the problem of Loeg LaRash applies, so although the tzitzis are worn, 
they are not displayed.

I asked who the Rash is in this case? Who is the niftar that is now 
unable to wear tzitzis, that we hide ours so as not to make him feel 
bad? Of course we are aveilim on Tisha B'Av, but pushing the idea 
that far doesn't make sense (to me). They couldn't answer.

I understand that we avoid wearing our fancy Tefillin and Tallis 
Gadol until the afternoon, but that does not apply to the Tallis 
Katan, nor to the Tzitzis, so I do not understand why we would 
pretend that we really aren't wearing them. Can anyone suggest a 
reason? Thanks very much!

(Note: I have a sefer which points to Shut Riv'vos Ephraim 1:383 as 
the source for not kissing the tzitzis during Shema. I don't have 
access to that, but if someone else does, it might offer a reason.)

Akiva Miller