Crying on Shabbat – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Someone told me that one is not allowed to cry on Shabbat. How is this possible?
A. As a day of joy and delight, Shabbat should be dedicated to happy experiences.
Sad feelings must therefore be pushed into the background. Hence one does not sit shivah on Shabbat nor pray for one’s needs and wants.
The rabbinic writings (e.g. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayyim 288) discuss whether it is permitted to cry on Shabbat and conclude that crying is not appropriate – with the exception of people who derive pleasure, i.e. relief, from crying.
