{"id":9427,"date":"2000-12-12T00:11:20","date_gmt":"2000-12-11T22:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=9427"},"modified":"2019-05-15T13:04:08","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T10:04:08","slug":"12-12-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/12-12-11\/","title":{"rendered":"11. Time-Sensitive Mitzva Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Permissible melakha<\/em> for a mitzva need is normally limited to unskilled labor. However, if the mitzva involved is a time-sensitive one, meaning that if it is not observed immediately the opportunity to do so will be lost, then even skilled labor is permitted. This permit is based on the principle of davar ha-aved<\/em> (above, section 2). Just as the loss of money is deemed a davar ha-aved<\/em>, so is the loss of a mitzva. In fact, to avoid losing out on a mitzva we even permit one to do a melakha<\/em> which could have been done before the festival but was pushed off; he is not penalized (BHL 545:3 s.v. \u201cle-atzmo\u201d). In contrast, if one pushed off doing a melakha<\/em> before the festival and as a result will now suffer a monetary loss, he is penalized by not being permitted to do the melakha<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> (above, section 3).<\/p>\n

Therefore, if a synagogue has only one Torah scroll and it is missing letters, even though its current unusable condition is the result of neglect, the letters may be written on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed <\/em>to enable a public Torah reading. It is even permissible to sharpen a quill in order to write the necessary letters. Although writing the letters and sharpening the quill are skilled labor, they are considered melakhot<\/em> undertaken to avoid a loss (since if people do not fill in the letters, they will miss out on the mitzva of reading from the Torah), and so they are permitted on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> (SA 545:2; MB ad loc. <\/em>7, 48). Even if there is a synagogue nearby with a kosher Torah scroll, one may still fix the invalid Torah scroll in order to avoid making things more difficult for the community members, who otherwise would have to arrange to transport a Torah scroll from a different synagogue (BH 445:2 s.v. \u201cshe-im\u201d).<\/p>\n

Similarly, if one did not build a sukka<\/em> before Sukkot, he may build it on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>. Since this is a time-sensitive mitzva, even skilled labor may be used if necessary. After all, if he does not build the sukka<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, he will lose out on the mitzva (SA 537:1; BHL s.v. \u201coseh\u201d). If one has a small sukka<\/em> and wants to expand it on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, whether to accommodate guests who do not have a sukka<\/em> or in order to hold the se\u2019udat mitzva<\/em> for a brit mila<\/em>, he may do so even using skilled labor, since these too are time-sensitive mitzvot<\/em> (BHL 640:6 s.v. \u201cse\u2019udat\u201d).[8]<\/a><\/sup> One may pick a large quantity of aravot<\/em> on Sukkot and sell them publicly, so that people can fulfill the mitzva (SSK 67:41).<\/p>\n

Anything necessary may be done to take proper care of a dead body, as kevod ha-met<\/em> (dignity of the dead) is a time-sensitive mitzva. Therefore, shrouds may be sewn (which is skilled labor), a grave may be dug, and death notices (to publicize the time of the funeral) may be printed. However, one may not publicly do certain melakhot<\/em> that eyewitnesses will not know are being done for one who passed away. This would include cutting stones for the tombstone and cutting down trees for the coffin (SA 547:10; MB ad loc<\/em>. 19; SSK ch. 67 n. 184; see above 10:5 about a funeral on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\n
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\n[8]<\/a>. One who has no other way to get tefilin<\/em> may write a pair for himself on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> so that he will be able to fulfill the mitzva of putting them on immediately after the festival ends. Since this is a time-sensitive mitzva, he may undertake skilled labor to fulfill it. However, one may not write tefilin<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> for someone else to use after the festival, as one should not compromise his \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> rest for someone else\u2019s mitzva afterward. Nevertheless, if a scribe does not have food, he may do any type of melakha<\/em> that people will pay for (SA 545:3; see the opinion of R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach cited in SSK ch. 67 n. 164). Similarly, one who has no way to get tzitzit<\/em> for himself may spin wool into tzitzit<\/em>, even though this is skilled labor. Doing so allows him to perform a time-sensitive mitzva, as he loses a mitzva each day in which he does not wrap himself in a talit<\/em>. He may also spin wool into tzitzit<\/em> for someone else, to enable him to fulfill the mitzva during the festival. Similarly, one may build a sukka<\/em> for someone else on Sukkot, so that the person can fulfill the mitzva to sit in the sukka<\/em>. He may accept payment for the work if that will allow him to spend more generously on the festival meals. However, one who is wealthy may not accept payment for spinning wool into tzitzit<\/em> or building a sukka<\/em> for someone else (SA 545:3; MB ad loc<\/em>. 14; SHT ad loc.<\/em> 21). Tying tzitzit<\/em> to a garment is considered unskilled labor, but is still only permitted on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> when one does not have another way to fulfill the mitzva. Only in such a case is it considered a mitzva need that carries the same weight as a festival need.<\/p>\n

If a mezuza<\/em> fell down, and a subsequent check reveals that it is invalid because some letters in the parchment have run together, the letters may be separated and the mezuza<\/em> may be reaffixed, as this is unskilled labor. What if the check reveals that the mezuza<\/em> is invalid and cannot be repaired, and there is no way to get another one on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>? If it is in a room which requires a mezuza<\/em>, a new one may be written. This is a time-sensitive mitzva, for which even skilled labor may be undertaken.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Permissible melakha for a mitzva need is normally limited to unskilled labor. However, if the mitzva involved is a time-sensitive one, meaning that if it is not observed immediately the opportunity to do so will be lost, then even skilled labor is permitted. This permit is based on the principle of davar ha-aved (above, section […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[149],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12-12"],"yoast_head":"\n11. 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