Understanding Hilchos Chol Hamoed

The term Chol Hamoed gives us an important insight into understanding which actions are or are not allowed- the heter and issur melachah- during those days. That term itself - Chol Hamoed- is made up of two distinct opposites. Is it chol- weekday- everyday, or is it moed- chag-Yomtov? The answer of course is that it's a combination of the two.

So, too, the halachos of Chol Hamoed represent this duality. Many melachos which are assur during the first days of the chag are mutar; hence the term chol. On the other hand, some melachos remain assur, hence the term moed.

What are the guidelines used in determining issur and mutar in melachos Chol Hamoed? Let's go through some of them together.

One important guideline the chachomim used in setting up for us which melachos are permitted and which are not is based on the premise that we should not be doing activities which demand a large investment of energy- tircha- because that will take away from simchas yom tov. This being the case, even activities which don't actually contain a melacha in terms of Shabbos, will still be assur if they involve tircha. For example, moving from one dwelling to another, even if it may be within an eruv and not involving any issur of hotza'ah, since it requires a lot of physical strain, is forbidden on Chol Hamoed. It will demand a lot of tircha – exertion, hard work- and certainly take away from one's simchas yom tov.

In addition, zilzul hamoed- desecration of the yom tov- has to be taken into consideration. The classic example of this is mechavin melachto lamoed- to plan on doing something on Chol Hamoed specifically because “Well, I have off anyway so I'll do it then!” Or, “Hey, why don't I clean out the garage? This would be the perfect time!” This is a zilzul to yom tov. We don't have off on a moed to do the household chores- rather, it is a time to enjoy, pleasure and bask in our relationship with Hashem and with other Jews.

Besides being careful not to do zilzul-desecration- to the moed, our chachomim also instituted many practices especially to add kovod yom tov to a moed. We see this when looking at the issue of haircuts and nail-cutting. They specifically directed us to take haircuts and cut our nails before yom tov- not on Chol Hamoed- in order not to come into yom tov ungroomed. If someone was not careful about kovod yom tov and neglected to do this, he would not be allowed to take care of it on Chol Hamoed. However, if someone is an oneis- was forced- not to take care of these things before yom tov- either halachically because he was an avel, or if for example he was in jail- he would be permitted to take a haircut on Chol Hamoed. It is assur only if zilzul yom tov was involved. Smilarly, the Rema says, cutting nails is assur on Chol Hamoed, since they should have been cut before. However, if a person was careful to cut his nails before yom tov but they need to be cut again before the second days, many poskim do permit it.

In this same vein of focusing on the simcha of the chag, if doing a certain melacha will prevent a davar ha'avud- meaning if one doesn't do this melacha, one will sustain a large loss- it is permitted. Since the thought of the loss of money will detract from one's simchas yom tov, doing the melachah is allowed. In other words, doing this melachah will not take away one's simchas yom tov, it will add to it! Therefore it's muttar.

Sometimes there is more than one factor to consider. If there is a melacha which doesn't constitute zilzul hamoed, and there is davar haavud, it may be muttar even though there is a lot of tircha. For this reason for example, some poskim rule that if it is imperative to move on Chol Hamoed so as not to lose a large amount of money (i.e. double rent) to move within the same building is muttar. Why? Since this will not be very public, it will hardly cause any zilzul.

Another basic guideline to keep in mind when doing melacha on Chol Hamoed is tzorech hamoed. Even when doing melacha that is permitted, one may only do as much as is needed for yom tov. In front of our eyes must be the classic hanhaga of the Chazon Ish who used to check his pockets before he left his house on Chol Hamoed. This was not to make sure they were empty, as it's permitted to carry on Chol Hamoed letzorech hamoed, but to make sure there was nothing in his pockets he did not need for Chol Hamoed.

One more important factor that may make an action forbidden is maaseh uman- work done professionally. The poskim say that an act of sewing may be done by a housewife if it's tzorech hamoed and it is needed for the chag. However, for a professional seamstress to fix a garment is assur, even if it is tzorech hamoed.

The Mishna in Pirkei Avos (3:11) says that if someone is mevazeh es hamoados- defiles Hashem's special days- he has no cheilek in Olam Habah. Rashi defines mevazeh as doing non-permitted melachah and neglecting to eat a festive meal on Chol Hamoed. We see from here that properly honoring Chol Hamoed, meaning creating the perfect synthesis of Chol and Moed according to the guidelines laid out by our chachomim, will cause one to merit Olam Habah. May we all be zocheh to honor Chol Hamoed properly with pleasure and with joy, and to merit the geulah shleima bimhairah beyamainu.

(This compilation is based on the Shulchan Orech Orach Chaim, Hilchos Chol Hamoed, starting from Siman Taf Kuf Lamed. It is meant to be used as a general guide and not a psak for specific situations.)