Pleasure Trips During the Three Weeks
Q. Is it appropriate to go on trips for pleasure during The Three Weeks or The Nine Days? What about travel for other reasons?
A. The Sdei Chemed (Bein Hametzarim, siman 1:10) writes that there were communities that had instituted a ban against visiting gardens and beaches or taking similar pleasure trips during The Three Weeks. Although these types of communal bans are no longer widely observed, one should not lose focus of the message that they represent. The Shevet HaLevi (10:26) was asked whether it is appropriate for camps to go on trips during The Three Weeks (until Rosh Chodesh Av). He responded that it is permitted to take campers on trips during this time, but it is proper to limit these trips in some way, so that the children are taught that this is a time of communal mourning.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l (Halichos Shlomo – Hilchos Bein Hametzarim 14:24) writes that one should not travel by airplane during The Nine Days. During The Nine Days, one must be even more vigilant to avoid situations of danger. Although air travel is actually one of the safest modes of travel, since we recite Birkas Ha’Gomel when traveling by plane, it is considered a danger from a halachic point of view. It should therefore be avoided. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman writes that one may travel to Israel during The Nine Days and even on Tisha B’Av itself. For the sake of visiting Eretz Yisrael, one is permitted to put themselves in danger. Also, he would permit yeshiva students to travel home by plane during The Nine Days, rather than leave yeshiva early. The merit of remaining in yeshiva and studying Torah will protect them.
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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.