Havdalah when Motzaei Shabbat Coincides with Tisha B’Av Eve
BY RABBI YOSEF ZVI RIMON
When Tisha B’Av falls on Sunday, the fast begins immediately after Shabbat. While we add “Atah chonantanu” in the Amidah prayer as on every Saturday night, we cannot drink from the wine. How, then, do we perform Havdalah on this Shabbat?
Halachot Gedolot suggests performing Havdalah on Shabbat itself from plag hamincha (without the candle blessing), but rejects this possibility, since immediately after Havdalah the fast would begin, and it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat.
In practice, there are three approaches among the Rishonim regarding how to make Havdalah on this Saturday night. The Geonim hold that Havdalah is performed at the conclusion of Sunday, after the fast ends. Tosafot wrote similarly: “When Tisha B’Av falls on Saturday night, it is customary to make Havdalah after the fast” (Pesachim 107a, “Ameimar”).
A second approach is that Havdalah should be made on Saturday night, but the wine should be given to a minor to drink. This is the approach written in Sefer HaManhig, who explained that there is no concern that the minor will become accustomed to drinking on Tisha B’Av in the future, because it is unusual for Tisha B’Av to fall on Saturday night, and this does not occur every year. However, the Meiri (Ta’anit 30b) believes that there is indeed concern that the minor will become accustomed to drinking on Tisha B’Av, and for this reason the Ramban also opposed this approach.
The third approach of Ramban, Rashba, and Ritva holds that when Tisha B’Av begins on Saturday night, no Havdalah is made at all. Their reasoning: unlike forgetting Havdalah (where the obligation exists but isn’t fulfilled, allowing completion until Tuesday), here the fast makes Saturday night inherently inappropriate for Havdalah, completely deferring the obligation. The Ramban suggests Havdalah was originally instituted with the exception that when Tisha B’Av falls on Saturday night, the obligation doesn’t apply at all.
We find a similar disagreement regarding a person who was an onen (a mourner before burial) on Saturday night and whether he should make Havdalah on Sunday when the period of aninut ends. According to Rabbeinu Yonah, since on Saturday night he was exempt from making Havdalah, the obligation lapsed and the mourner is exempt from the compensatory obligation. However, according to the Maharam, the time for Havdalah extends until Tuesday, and therefore even the onen, who was exempt on Saturday night, needs to make Havdalah on Sunday, since at that moment the obligation of Havdalah applies to him.
But there seems to be a simple distinction between an onen and Tisha B’Av: An onen is exempt from all commandments, and if so, he was exempt from the commandment of Havdalah, and therefore he cannot make Havdalah even after the period of aninut. However, mourning does not exempt one from commandments, and therefore on the night of Tisha B’Av a person was obligated in Havdalah, except that he had no technical possibility of fulfilling it because he is forbidden to drink. Therefore, even on Saturday night the person is obligated, and therefore he should make Havdalah on Sunday, by way of compensation! If so, how can the Ramban equate aninut with Tisha B’Av?
Rabbi Soloveitchik beautifully explains this matter. In his view, the main purpose of Havdalah is not to conclude Shabbat, but to distinguish between the meals of Shabbat and the meals of the weekday. Just as we begin the Shabbat meal with Kiddush, so we begin the weekday meals with Havdalah. According to this, the Ramban holds that since this Saturday night is not a time for eating, the commandment of Havdalah is completely removed. The inability to drink is a fundamental, not merely technical, defect – if one cannot eat and drink, the entire foundation of Havdalah is uprooted! Therefore, the obligation of Havdalah is completely removed, and it should not be completed at the end of the fast.
The Shulchan Aruch rules that Havdalah is made on Sunday, at the conclusion of Tisha B’Av. Although the Radbaz disagrees, the accepted opinion is in accordance with the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch, to make Havdalah at the conclusion of Sunday.
In any case, as mentioned, one should say “Atah chonantanu” in the evening prayer of Saturday night. If it is forgotten – one does not repeat the prayer, because one relies on the Havdalah over the cup that will be made on Sunday.
It is important to remind women who do not daven Ma’ariv to say “Baruch hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol.” According to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, it is preferable for women to daven Ma’ariv on this Saturday night, and say “Atah chonantanu.” In any case, one who cannot pray the evening prayer should say “Baruch hamavdil.”
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is the Nasi of World Mizrachi. He is the Founder and Chairman of Sulamot and La’Ofek, and serves as the Chief Rabbi of Gush Etzion, and Rosh Yeshivah of the Jerusalem College of Technology.