עברית
Halachot and Customs
Is it Permissible to Wear New Clothes on Rosh Hashanah?
Question
Hello, we have the custom of not wearing new clothes on Rosh Hashanah. I wanted to know what the source of this custom is and what the reasoning behind it is? Thank you very much, and may you have a good and sweet year, to the entire team of the Hidabroot Channel.
Answer
Greetings,
It is permissible to wear new clothes on Rosh Hashanah (see Leket Yosher, part Orach Chaim, page 130, s.v. u'lovesh, and Shulchan Aruch and Rama, Siman Tishrei, section 2).
Indeed, there are those who avoid doing so, and Rabbi Yehuda Ayash zt"l wrote in the responsa Beit Yehuda (at the end of the book in the laws of customs of the community of Argil, section 4) that the reason for the custom is that one should wear joy, and it is inappropriate to rejoice on the day of judgment, similar to the fact that we do not say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah for the same reason: it is a celebration (see Tractate Rosh Hashanah, page 32b, where the ministering angels said before Hashem, 'Master of the Universe, why do Israel not sing a song (Hallel) before You on Rosh Hashanah? He said to them: Is it possible that the King is sitting on the throne of judgment with the Books of Life and the Books of the Dead open before Him, and Israel are singing?!).
May you have a good seal (for the year),
Hillel Meirs
