{"id":9371,"date":"2000-12-11T00:02:09","date_gmt":"2000-12-10T22:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=9371"},"modified":"2019-05-15T12:30:41","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T09:30:41","slug":"12-11-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/12-11-02\/","title":{"rendered":"02. General Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

The prohibition of melakha <\/em>on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> is meant to allow us to enjoy the festival through Torah study and festive meals. Therefore, the basic rule is that melakha<\/em> involving tir\u1e25a<\/em> is prohibited. There are two ways in which an action may qualify as a tir\u1e25a<\/em>: 1) it is time-consuming; 2) it is difficult or demanding. Thus, craftsmanship (ma\u2019aseh uman<\/em>) is prohibited even when it can be completed quickly. In contrast, melakha<\/em> which is neither time-consuming nor demanding is permitted, even if it is not necessary for the festival. Therefore, if a piece of plaster can be easily removed from the floor or wall, one may remove it, even if it is in a room that is not being used on the festival. Similarly, one who enjoys photography may take pictures, even if it meets no festival need and they could be taken at a later time. Lighting a match or turning on a light is also permitted, even if there is no need for the light. One may also enter the public domain with unnecessary items in his pockets (see Har\u1e25avot<\/em> 11:2:1-5).<\/p>\n

Even time-consuming melakhot<\/em> may be undertaken, as long as they are done for the sake of the festival. These include picking fruit, hunting animals or fish, grinding wheat, squeezing fruits, and packing food into bags or boxes so they can be sold in stores (section 3 below). One may do melakhot<\/em> for other festival needs as well, such as repairing a window to prevent cold air from blowing in (section 5 below).<\/p>\n

Doing melakha<\/em> in order to prevent a loss (davar ha-aved<\/em>) is permitted. This permissibility is in fact a festival need, as one worried about sustaining a loss would find it difficult to enjoy the festival (see 12:2 below).<\/p>\n

In total, there are five justifications for doing melakha<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>:<\/p>\n