Healthcare on Chol Hamoed
Is it permitted to make a doctor appointment on Chol Hamoed?
A. Melacha to Relieve Pain
Shulchan Aruch[1] permits healthcare on Chol Hamoed. What remains unclear is whether he permitted it for everyone and whether this permit includes melacha or only taking medicine. Magen AvrahamCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many treating pain should be permitted even with skilled labor since it is considered like ochel nefesh, for which even skilled labor is permitted.[2]
B. Well Visits and Checkups
All of the above is regarding treating an illness or relieving pain, but is it permitted to practice healthcare just to guard one’s health?
Meiri[3] writes that it is permitted to do medical care on Chol Hamoed because that is considered dvar ha'aved. He adds that it is even permitted to treat someone to protect his health even if he's not sick. It isn't clear if he permits melacha for someone who isn't sick, or he only permitted that person to take medicine.
Rav Elyashiv[4] allowed a regular cleaning at the dentist during Chol Hamoed. The reason is that he considers this to be included in doing melacha for healthcare that is permitted. Rav Sheinberg[5] goes further and permits scheduling a doctor appointment for Chol Hamoed. His reason is that he compares treating a person’s health to ochel nefesh, preparing food, which is permitted even if he planned to do it on Chol Hamoed. Rav Schachter[6] and Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata[7] agree.
However, Rav Moshe[8] writes that it is forbidden to go to the dentist for a well visit since there the dentist is going to do melacha and there is no reason to permit it. Since a person isn’t in pain there’s no reason to permit the melacha.
Similarly, the Debretziner[9] forbids making an appointment with a Jewish doctor for a well visit since the doctor is going to need to do melacha and that is forbidden for someone who is well. Also, it is only permitted to go to a non-Jewish doctor if he didn’t plan to go before the Moed. He may not schedule the visit before the Moed.
C. Elective Surgery
Mishmeret Moed[10] writes that it is forbidden to schedule an elective surgery on Chol Hamoed since that inflicts pain on a person on Chol Hamoed, which diminishes his simchat hamoed. This concept that it is forbidden to diminish a person’s simchat hamoed in the Mishna.[11] However, Aruch Hashulchan[12] dismisses this concept. He writes that it is permitted to do medical treatment that is painful on Chol Hamoed because of its ultimate purpose.
D. Personal Needs
The concept of treating personal needs like ochel nefesh is found in the Ramban,[13] Ritva,[14] and Biur Halacha,[15] however, Hilchot Chol Hamoed Zichron Shlomo[16] argues that it is not accepted as the halacha. His proof is from Rashba and Kol Bo.[17]
- ↑ O.C. 532:2
- ↑ Shulchan Aruch O.C. 533:5, Mishna Brurah 530:1
- ↑ m"k 10b s.v. makizin
- ↑ Hilchot Chol Hamoed Zichron Shlomo (p. 62 fnt. 12)
- ↑ ibid.
- ↑ Rav Schachter (Hilchot Chol Hamoed, min 29-30)
- ↑ ch. 66 fnt. 88
- ↑ Igrot Moshe OC 3:78:1
- ↑ Hilchot Chol Hamoed Zichron Shlomo (teshuva n. 35)
- ↑ by Rabbi Tzion Boaharon p. 76
- ↑ m”k 7a regarding declaring a metzora to be tameh.
- ↑ 532:2
- ↑ Piskei Chol Hamoed s.v. Kishut Haguf
- ↑ m"k 8b s.v. oseh and 14a s.v. vshaar
- ↑ 546:5 s.v. kol
- ↑ Biurim 6
- ↑ cited by Magen Avraham 251:5
