Swimming Lessons During the Nine Days

Greetings,

If the child is of Sephardic descent, he is permitted to participate in swimming lessons during the Nine Days. If he is Ashkenazi and started the lessons before the Nine Days, he may continue during the Nine Days; however, if it is possible for him to be strict about this, it is proper for him to do so.

Sources: According to Sephardic custom, it is permitted to bathe in cold water during the Nine Days and even in the week in which Tisha B'Av occurs, as explained in the responsa Yabia Omer, Part 5 (Orach Chaim, end of Section 41) and in the responsa Yechave Da'at, Part 1 (Section 38) and in the book Hazon Ovadia, Four Fasts (page 278). Therefore, it is permissible for him to continue learning swimming during the Nine Days.

However, based on Ashkenazi custom, where one should not wash even in cold water from the beginning of the month of Av onward, as the Rema writes in Orach Chaim (Section 551, Paragraph 16), one could argue that since he has already begun the lessons before the Nine Days and does not intend to do so for pleasure, it would be permissible. This was also stated in the responsa Rav Pe'alim, Part 4 (Orach Chaim, Section 29, on the words 'Additionally, it is possible to see') that someone who went to row in a river to learn, and he had already started before the Three Weeks and has not yet completed his lessons, may go to row in the river even after the beginning of the month except for Tisha B'Av, because he is engaged in work, not for pleasure. However, it is indeed correct to be strict about this, but one should not protest against those who are lenient. End of quote.

Best regards,

Hillel Meirs