Learning on Shabbos Tisha B’Av

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

The Rema in Ohr Hachaim, siman taf kuf nun gimmel brings down in the name of the Maharil that we have a minhag not to learn regular limudim from Erev Tisha B’Av after chatzos until the end of Tisha B’Av. There are special limudim that are relating to sad things that may be learned on Tisha B’Av. The Rema concludes that if Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos, we don’t learn Pirkei Avos.

The Levush says that it makes no difference if Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos or if Erev Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos. In both of these cases, one should not learn regular limudim. The Magen Avraham in Seif Koton Zayin writes that if Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos, one should definitely not learn his regular limudim. The Taz in Seif Koton Bais asks, if there is no issur of eating meat or drinking wine why should there be an issur of learning? In response to this question the Taz ends off that if someone learns on Shabbos after chatzos his learning will not be wasted.

The Bechor Shor differentiates between eating and drinking meat or wine and learning Torah. Eating or drinking is called Oneg Shabbos, which applies even on Tisha B’Avthat falls out on Shabbos, whereas learning Torah brings simcha and there is no chiyuv of simcha on Shabbos. Because of this, when Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos, we do not learn. The Divrei Yatziv argues with this position and says that there is simcha on Shabbos as we can see in Shabbos davening we say, “Yismechu Bemalchuscha.”

The Chasam Sofer in the Teshuvos on Ohr Hachaim, siman kuf nun vov writes a different reason why it is forbidden to learn on Erev Tisha B’Av. He explains that whatever a person learns after chatzos stays in his memory until the evening and he will enter into Tisha B’Av with the simcha of the Torah that is still on his mind from Erev Tisha B’Av. We therefore stop learning earlier so we can go into Tisha B’Av in the proper frame of aveilus. 

The Mishna Berurah says that one can be someich on the Taz who said that such learning would not be wasted. Even if one were to say there are plenty of things that one may learn that are muttar, the fact is that many people don’t learn at all. It is better to learn the regular limudim rather than being mevatel. The Divrei Yatziv does say that if there is a shiur kavua, one should learn regularly since it should not be aveilus befarhesya.

May we all be zocheh to learn the regular limudim on Shabbos when Moshiach will come and we will therefore celebrate the Yom Tov of Tisha B’Av.

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