Explanation: "Both of them" means like R. Meir, who says (forbids) from Rosh Chodesh until the fast, and like R. Shimon ben Gamliel, who forbids only that week.

The Halachah follows both of them to be lenient, i.e. we forbid only that week, like R. Shimon ben Gamliel, and only until the fast. After the fast is permitted, like R. Meir, who forbids only until the fast.

Stringency: Even though they sent in the name of R. Yochanan that one may launder linen garments [in the week], our Rebbi Rashi was stringent upon us, [and forbade us] to give our [linen] sheets to a launderer in the week of Tish'ah b'Av before the fast.

Note: The Beis Yosef (OC 551) was astounded by the rest of this Tosfos (after this). The Gra deletes it from the text. The Taz (551:14) defends it.

Distinction: However, when Tish'ah b'Av falls on Thursday, one may launder and cut hair from midday [of Tish'ah b'Av] and onwards, for Kevod ha'Shabbos;

One should not wait until Erev Shabbos, due to the exertion of [preparing everything needed in time for] Shabbos.

Explanation: The two cooked foods are in two pots, like people say "we ate two kinds called Maishun. However, we do not forbid eating a Tavshil made from onions, cheese and eggs.

Note: The Maharsha understood that Tosfos forbids two different species in two pots, so it is not clear why we would think to forbid onions, cheese and eggs cooked together. Keren Orah explains that Tosfos forbids even one species cooked in two pots, and also two species cooked even in one pot. It is a Chidush to permit onions, cheese and eggs cooked together.

Implied question: People do not normally eat onions raw! (It and the eggs are like two Tavshilin!)

Citation (Eruvin 29a): If one ate [raw] onions and died the next morning [surely they killed him]. They are harmful for the entire body like swords (Kidushin 62a).

Answer: Even so, since we do not make a Tavshil of them by themselves, unless he puts in oil or something to give taste, it is not called a Tavshil to forbid the eggs put with them.

Implied question: Why may one eat the cheese cooked in the pot? (It is like a second Tavshil!)

Answer: Anything that is eaten raw like milk, cheese and apples, cooking does not apply to it at all.

Explanation: [This is because] one must reduce his honor.

Explanation: This means that more than two days have passed since it was slaughtered.

Distinction: Even so, we may not eat salted meat even [slaughtered] from a long time ago, since we often eat salted meat.

Explanation: Similarly, one must diminish his drinking. If he normally drinks 10 cups of beer or another drink, he should drink only five.

Also, one must change the place where he normally eats, like the custom of R. Yehudah bar Ila'i. On Erev Tish'ah b'Av he sat between the oven and stovetop, which is a disgraceful place.

Explanation: In the Melachah he normally does on Tish'ah b'Av, he will never see a sign of Berachah.

Pesak: One must pain [himself] and reduce his honor and pleasure. If he normally lies on two pillows, he lies on only one.

Distinction: However, nursing or pregnant woman need not do so much, for they cannot pain themselves.

Pesak: We eat the Seudah Mafsekes while it is still day.

Also on [Erev] Yom Kipur one must eat while it is still day, for Tosefes Yom Kipur (accepting Kedushas Yom Kipur before night) is mid'Oraisa;

Source: It says "me'Erev Ad Erev", and it says "b'Etzem ha'Yom ha'Zeh" (one must start fasting during the day).

Pesak: In any case, we do not forbid drinking after eating Seudah Mafsekes while much time remains in the day, like the Yerushalmi connotes;

Note: This is not in our Yerushalmi. Tosfos (Eruvin 41a) cites Eichah Rabah (3:6), which brings essentially the following episode, but there R. Yehudah ben Beseirah went to Netzivin, and the Reish Galusa invited him.

Citation (Yerushalmi): R. Yosi went to Batzrah. He ate Seudah Mafsekes. He went to the overseer of the Beis ha'Keneses, who was eating. He invited R. Yosi to eat;

Citation (cont.): R. Yosi said that he already ate and was Mafsik (finished eating before the fast). The overseer said 'heed me, lest people say that you did not heed me.'

Citation (cont.): R. Yosi ate from every loaf a small piece, from every Tavshil a small amount, and drank one cup from every barrel.

Conclusion: This is the Halachah. If much time remains in the day after he ate Seudah Mafsekes, he may drink, even on Erev Yom Kipur, and all the more so on Erev Tish'ah b'Av.

Explanation: He need not invert the bed.

Pesak: Nowadays we are concerned for [Nochri accusations that he does] witchcraft, so we do not invert the bed even during Avelus.

Explanation: This is why it is a Yom Tov.

Note: This attribute makes it a Yom Tov. Rav Yosef explains the second attribute (it is when Binyamin was permitted) to explain why it is greater than the other Yamim Tovim (Maharatz Chayos).

Explanation #1: This is like we say (introduction to Midrash Eichah, 33) that every Tish'ah b'Av, they used to make graves, and sleep in them. The next day they announced "the living should separate [from the dead]!"

The year that the decree ended, all of them arose (no one died). They thought that perhaps they erred about [which day was Rosh Chodesh, so it was not really the ninth of] the month.

[They slept in graves again the next night, and the night after...] until they saw the moon full. Then they knew that the decree ended, and they made a Yom Tov.

Note: How could they think that Hash-m did not agree to the day they were Mekadesh to be Rosh Chodesh? If so, almost everyone transgressed Melachah on Yom Tov, eating on Yom Kipur, and they did not fulfill Mitzvos such as Shofar, Sukah, Lulav, Matzah and Korbanos of Mo'adim and Rosh Chodesh in the proper time... And why were they in Safek until the 15th? How could they think that they erred six days about Rosh Chodesh, which is once the new moon is seen! Also, on the ninth, the moon is about 60% full. Already on the 13th, it looks almost full! (It is difficult to say that [in summer!] every day until then was cloudy, and the moon was not visible. It connotes that they saw the moon every night, but were in Safek until it was full!) They knew which day people died the previous year. How could they think that they were Me'aber six months too many since last year? (It would be more reasonable to assume that Hash-m considered it a leap year, so now is Tamuz! Perhaps the year already was Me'uberes, or they knew from calculation that it cannot be a leap year, e.g. two of the last three years were leap years.) This must be like the opinion that manna fell on Yom Tov. (Midrashim argue about this - Tosfos Beitzah 2b DH v'Hayah. We hold that one must bless on two loaves on Yom Tov (OC 529:1), unlike this opinion.) If not, from the lack of manna on the first [or seventh] day of Pesach (they cannot both fall on Shabbos), they knew the correct day of Rosh Chodesh Nisan. Even if they erred about every month after this, Rosh Chodesh Av would be at most four days too early!

Explanation #1 (cont. - Rashbam): The entire 40 years, they died only on Tish'ah b'Av.

Every Tish'ah b'Av, of the 600,000, 21,000 and a Prutprut (remainder less than 1000) died. There [the Rashbam] explains that the Prutprut, over the course of 40 years, amounts to 15,000. (R. David Ofenheim (b'Sof Teshuvos Chavos Ya'ir, Teshuvah 2) defends this text. He says that when Tish'ah b'Av fell on Shabbos, people did not die that year. They did not die the year that the Meraglim returned (the second year). In the 37 remaining years, Tish'ah b'Av falls on a weekday 28 times. Twenty-eight times 21,000 is 598,000. About 536 others died each of the 28 years (the Prutprut); over the course of 40 years, amounts to 15,550; the decree was on 603,550 Yisre'elim).

Note: He connotes that the Lu'ach Shanim (calendar) was fixed, like it is nowadays. Therefore, Tish'ah b'Av fell on Shabbos nine times. This is difficult. It was fixed after the second Churban, lest people in Galus not find out in time! Also, our Lu'ach ensures that Hoshana Rabah will never fall on Shabbos, lest we omit the Nevi'im's enactment to take the Aravah that day. This did not apply in the days of Moshe! Normally, we would expect Tish'ah b'Av to fall on Shabbos once very 7 years; the average amount in 37 years is about 5.3. Perhaps Hash-m's mercy caused it to happen nine times. Alternatively, Beis Din can b'Mezid make a month 29 or 30 days, whether or not witnesses saw the new moon. Perhaps whenever Tamuz 29 fell on Wednesday or Thursday, the Beis Din chose to make Rosh Chodesh Av on Friday, so Tish'ah b'Av would be on Shabbos. (They did not want to be so bold to "rig" previous months to make Rosh Chodesh (and the 29th of) Tamuz fall on Wednesday or Thursday.) This normally happens twice in seven years; the average amount in 37 years is 10.6. Perhaps it happened only nine times, for initially they did not know to do so, until Tish'ah b'Av "naturally" fell on Shabbos. However, if so, they knew that Hash-m accepted their Kidush ha'Chodesh. Why did they err in the last year? Also, why did they rejoice on the 15th? They should have assumed that Tish'ah b'Av was on Shabbos, and therefore people did not die! Perhaps they knew that this was the last year of the decree, so since they did not die now, they were pardoned (PF). Maharsha fixes the text of Tosfos to say that 15,000 and a remainder died every year. If people died only in 37 years, more than 16,000 died every year! Rather, Hash-m decreed for 38 years, but pardoned those destined to die the last year (Baruch Ta'am). Alternatively, perhaps less than 16,000 died each Tish'ah b'Av, for more than 12,000 of those who died due to Korach's rebellion, the Slav, the Ma'apilim... were among the count of 600,000, i.e. male Yisre'elim (not Leviyim) above 20 (PF).

Explanation #2: Some say that they died every day, but most died on Tish'ah b'Av. On the 15th, the decree ended, and they did not die at all, and they made a Yom Tov.