Is the prohibition of swimming during the nine days because of an increased danger during the nine days or is it because of the fact that you cant bathe for pleasure during the nine days? Or is it a combination of both factors?
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Why not say it's because of 2? – ertert3terte Aug 01 '12 at 00:51
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good point - ill edit – MosheY Aug 01 '12 at 01:42
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1both,if you look in the Shulchan Aruch you will see both reasons. Showering would be for pleasure and swimming in ocean can be because of danger and pleasure. – sam Aug 01 '12 at 16:18
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1Yeah, I thought the prohibition was for both reasons, danger and pleasure, too. @sam, if you have the source in the Shulchan Aruch, why don't you post it as an answer? Or even if you just remember which section of the Shulchan Aruch it's in, that would be great. – Shemmy Aug 01 '12 at 23:00
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@sam - why not - ill probably accept it – MosheY Aug 02 '12 at 02:21
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@shemmy , Shulchan Aruch 551:16 see Rama,and Shulchan Aruch 551:18 fir starters. – sam Aug 02 '12 at 04:04
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1Thank you so much, @sam. You really should get the credit for providing this in the answer section. – Shemmy Aug 02 '12 at 10:12
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@shemmy ,it is fine as long as u got the answer. – sam Aug 02 '12 at 16:07
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@sam, you say "it is fine as long as u got the answer" - but how can you let all your fellow mi yodeaians go without them knowing the answer - post an answer ;) – MosheY Aug 02 '12 at 20:48
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Similar: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/41261 – msh210 Jul 09 '14 at 15:52
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Why do you assume that such a prohibition exists? – mevaqesh Jul 24 '17 at 23:29
1 Answers
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It seems that both reasons are applicable.
See Rama in Shulchan Aruch 551:16 which says that bathing for pleasure is prohibited.
See Shulchan Aruch 551:1 and 551:18 which says that when the month of av comes in the more one should be careful and then says later on that certain parts of the day are more dangerous(see Mishna Brurah on 551:18).
The Medrash Eicha Rabbah 1:29 explains that from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av it is a dangerous time.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach in Shalmei Moed chapter 90 says that one should avoid dangerous activities.
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2I would assume it is if the gemara says one should teach their son to swim,and the fact we have lifeguards it seems water can always be dangerous. – sam Aug 03 '12 at 01:32
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But now that we have lifeguards it isn't dangerous. If this is just an instance of the general minhag to avoid dangerous things, then swimming alone in the woods may be forbidden, but not at a local pool. – Double AA Aug 03 '12 at 04:47
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I have to agree with @msh210. The question asked which of two categories a certain thing falls into. This currently only says both categories exist. – Double AA Aug 03 '12 at 04:51
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@DoubleAA, I was completely kidding. (It had been posted as a comment, and after much prodding was converted to an answer, so I joked that it should be a comment.) No, it's a good answer: +1. And I agree with the comment, above, "I would assume it is if the gemara says one should teach their son to swim,and the fact we have lifeguards" (though IMO that should be in the answer). – msh210 Aug 03 '12 at 04:54
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sam, I note your above comment distinguishing different types of bathing by danger level, so it seems even you agree that not all swimming is dangerous. Danger is something that would need to be evaluated case by case and wouldn't be the basis of a blanket prohibition. – Double AA Aug 03 '12 at 05:01
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@DoubleAA , yes I agree swimming in a bathtub vs swimming in the ocean is a big diff. I liked it as a comment but people wanted it as an answer. – sam Aug 03 '12 at 06:35
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@sam I think it still can be an answer, but you would need to clarify in your post how and what kinds of bathing fit into each prohibition. As it is now you don't discuss swimming in this answer at all. – Double AA Aug 03 '12 at 06:37
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@DoubleAA , that is why I made it a comment first,but the idea is that any activity which had some danger factor should be avoided during the nine days. To me it was pashut that swimming could be a dangerous activity even in a pool and forsure beach swimming. – sam Aug 03 '12 at 06:47