One of the prohibitions that apply during "Shabua She’hal Bo Tisha B’Ab" – the week of Tisha B’Ab, from Mosa’eh Shabbat until after the fast – is haircutting. Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his work Or Le’sion (vol. 3, p. 250), addresses the question of whether this prohibition applies only to men, or even to women. He cites the ruling of the Peri Megadim (Rabbi Yosef Teomim, 1727-1792) that there is no distinction at all between men and women with regard to the laws of mourning the Bet Ha’mikdash. Both men and women alike are required to mourn, and thus all the Halachot concerning mourning practices in this period apply equally to men and women. This ruling is codified by the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933).
However, Hacham Ben Sion writes that there is room for Sephardic women to be lenient in this regard, in light of the Shulhan Aruch’s ruling in a different context, regarding mourning for a deceased family member, Heaven forbid. The Shulhan Aruch rules that a woman is permitted to take a haircut immediately after the seven days of mourning, and does not have to refrain from haircutting for thirty days, as is required of men in mourning. The week of Tisha B’Ab, Hacham Ben Sion writes, should certainly be no stricter than the first month of mourning, and thus if women are allowed to take haircuts during the first month of mourning (after Shiba), then they should also be allowed to take haircuts during the week of Tisha B’Ab. It stands to reason, then, that women may take haircuts during the week of Tisha B’Ab.
Hacham Ben Sion acknowledges that one may refute his argument by noting that laundry is permissible during the month of mourning for a deceased family member, and yet is forbidden during the week of Tisha B’Ab, which might indicate that the restrictions during the week of Tisha B’Ab are indeed stricter than those that apply during the month of mourning. Still, he insists, since overgrown hair is especially unsightly for a woman, there is room to allow haircutting for a woman during the week of Tisha B’Ab if she needs a haircut urgently. Although it is preferable to delay the haircut until after Tisha B’Ab, a woman who urgently needs a haircut may have one during the week of Tisha B’Ab. This is in contrast to the ruling of the Kaf Ha’haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939), who ruled that women may not take haircuts during the week of Tisha B’Ab.
Hacham Ben Sion adds that it is forbidden for an adult to cut a child’s hair during the week of Tisha B’Ab.
Summary: It is forbidden for men to take haircuts during the week of Tisha B’Ab. Women may take haircuts during the week of Tisha B’Ab if this is urgently needed, though it is preferable, when possible, to delay the haircut until after Tisha B’Ab. An adult should not cut a child’s hair during the week of Tisha B’Ab.
