Chol HaMoed: Difference between revisions

Sheloshim Yom Kodem HaChag (vol. 1, p. 168) writes that one may only perform melacha via professional labor for a communal need, provided that all three of these conditions are met: 1) the melakha is l'tzorekh haguf (such as fixing public roads so people don't get hurt or eating/drinking), 2) the community needs it on the holiday itself, and not after the holiday, and 3) one can complete the melakha on the holiday.  If one of these conditions is absent, only maaseh hedyot (unprofessional labor) is permitted to accomplish the task (ibid). </ref>||Permitted <ref>Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 51) </ref>||Permitted<ref>Shulchan Aruch O.C. 540:2, 534:3</ref>

|Excessive Exertion||Forbidden (see footnote for exceptions)<ref>Chol HaMoed K'Hilchato (perek bet seif 36 & footnotes). Aruch HaShulchan 540:4 forbids great exertion. Pri Megadim M”Z 540:3 permits even great exertion. (Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 66:38 adds that the pri megadim means that it’s permitted if it’s a maaseh hedyot or shinui.) See Nishmat Adam 110:1. Netivei Moed 7:2 says tzorech hamoed must be hedyot and one should still minimize the exertion. Sheloshim Yom Kodem HaChag (Chol HaMoed p. 163) writes based on Zichron Shlomo that exertion is prohibited whenever the tircha is great relative to the desired outcome. According to this approach, great exertion would be permitted for a great need, and small exertion would be permitted for a small need. But great exertion would not be permitted for a small need. However, Chol HaMoed KeHilchato (perek bet footnote 98) quotes this position of the Zichrom Shlomo and writes that the purpose of his distinction is only to explain contradictions in the poskim and cannot be used to establish new halachic principles. See Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 17).  See also Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 17) </ref>||Permitted<ref>Ritva (Moed Katan 8b s.v. oseh isha), Meiri (19a s.v. k'shetitbonen), Biur Halacha (546:5 s.v. kol), Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 36) </ref>||Permitted<ref>Meiri (19a s.v. k'shetitbonen), Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 47) </ref>||Forbidden <ref>Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 52) </ref>||-

|Work Delayed for the Holiday<ref>Rashi 11a, 12b implies that the definition of someone who plans to do melacha on Chol Hamoed to avoid a loss only includes someone who had the ability to do it before the moed and intended to leave it for the moed. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 538:1 rules that if someone forgot to do the melacha before the moed or was lazy and thought there was time but he ended up without time, he isn't considered as though he planned it for the moed. Gra 538:1 writes that he's only considered as having planned it for the moed if he intentionally plans to do it on the moed. Chazon Ovadia p. 186 cites this from Meiri and Michtam as well. </ref>||Forbidden<ref>Meiri (19a s.v. k'shetitbonen), Aguda (Moed Katan 1:8), Pri Megadim (M"Z 533:1), [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=8020&st=&pgnum=26 Shulchan Atzi Shitim 1:2], Mishna Brurah 541:4, Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 12) </ref>||Permitted<ref>Rosh, Mordechai, Meiri (19a s.v. k'shetitbonen), Shulchan Aruch O.C. 533:1, Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 36) </ref>||Permitted<ref>Meiri (19a s.v. k'shetitbonen), Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 47) </ref>||Forbidden <ref>Moed Katan 11a and 12b, Chol HaMoed Zichron Shlomo (pg 61) </ref>||-