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Week 48 - Tuesday - 24 October 2000

MOED KATAN: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 1

And these may shave on the Moed: one who comes from overseas, or form the house of captivity, and one who goes forth from prison, or the banned one whom the Sages released; and similarly whoever made inquiry of a Sage and was released, and the Nazirite and the leper rising from his uncleanness to his purification.

Kehati

The Sages prohibited shaving [including cutting the hair] during Hol Hamoed, so that people would not postpone doing so until Hol Hamoed, when they would be free from their work, and thus start the Festival in a dishevelled state (Gemara). This mishnah teaches that if one could not shave on the eve of the Festival, he may do so during Hol Hamoed.

And these - the following, may shave - i.e., cut their hair - on the Moed - Hol Hamoed: one who comes from overseas - during Hol Hamoed, or on the Festival eve close to nightfall, and who could not cut his hair before the Festival. This applies only if he had gone there on business or for similar matters, but not if he had gone on a pleasure trip (Gemara), or from the house of captivity - if he had been held captive by non-Jews, and he had been freed from them during Hol Hamoed, or on the Festival eve, close to nightfall, and one who goes forth from prison - even from Jewish prison in which he could have shaved, but because he was distressed he did not do so, or the banned one - who had been banned by the Sages, who was forbidden to shave or wash his clothes, whom the Sages released - from his ban during Hol Hamoed;

And similarly whoever - had taken a vow not to shave, and had - made inquiry of a Sage and was released - from his vow only during Hol Hamoed, e.g., if he had only asked a Sage on Hol Hamoed, to release him from his vow, because he could not find one to release him, or reason for releasing him from his vow had been found only during Hol Hamoed, and the Nazirite - who is prohibited from shaving during the period of his Nazirite vow (Num. 6:5), and the period of his vow ended during Hol Hamoed. He is obliged to shave his hair, as it is written, "And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings" (Num. 6:18), and the leper rising from his uncleanness to his purification - if the seven days of his purification ended during Hol Hamoed, for it is written of the leper: "And it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair…" (Lev. 14:9). Some read, "And one going up from his uncleanness to his purification"; i.e., this clause does not refer to the leper, but is an independent topic, referring to anyone who was unclean (e.g., if on had become unclean because of a corpse and concluded the days of his purification during Hol Hamoed (Rambam). A baraita in the Gemara teaches: "all those of whom it was said, 'they may shave on the Moed,' may do so if they did not have the opportunity (to shave before the Festival), but if they did have the opportunity to do so, they are prohibited [from shaving during Hol Hamoed]. A Nazirite and a leper, even if they had time, are permitted (to shave during Hol Hamoed), so that their sacrifices will not be delayed" (M.K. 17b). A Nazirite and a leper may bring their sacrifices only after they have shaved. If they do not shave during Hol Hamoed, they will delay their sacrifices which will not be offered at the proper time, on the eighth day. The Sages therefore said that the Nazirite and leper shall shave during Hol Hamoed, because it is better to bring forward the time of offering the sacrifices, rather than postpone them (Rashi; and Rambam rules similarly in Hil. Yom Tov 7:19).

MOED KATAN: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 2

And these may launder on the Moed: one who comes from overseas, or from the house of captivity, one who goes froth from prison, or the banned one whom the Sages released; and similarly whoever made inquiry of a Sage and was released; handwraps and barbers' wraps and drying wraps; men suffering from an issue and women suffering from an issue and menstruant women and women who have given birth, and whoever rises from uncleanness to purification, these are permitted; but every other person is prohibited.

Kehati

Just as the Sages prohibited shaving during Hol Hamoed, so they prohibited the washing of clothes, even if needed during Hhamoed, lest one intentionally postpone the washing of his clothes until Hol Hamoed, and he will start the Festival in a dirty state. This mishnah deals with those who could not wash their clothes before the Festival.

And these may launder - their clothes - on the Moed - during Hol Hamoed: one who comes from overseas - during Hol Hamoed, or on the eve of the Festival close to nightfall, or - one who was freed - from the house of captivity - during Hol Hamoed or close to the Festival, or one who goes forth from prison - as was explained in the preceding mishnah, or the banned one whom the Sages released - from his ban during Hol Hamoed. Until released, he was forbidden to wash his clothes, as we explained in the preceding mishnah;

And similarly whoever made inquiry of a Sage - regarding a vow he took not to wash his clothes, and was released - from his vow - during Hol Hamoed; handwraps - i.e., towels, as they are used frequently, they may be washed during Hol Hamoed, even if they had been washed before the Festival, and barbers' wraps - which barbers place on their customer in order to catch the hair that falls. Since the barber needs these wraps for those who are permitted to have their hair cut during Hol Hamoed, he may wash these towels during Hol Hamoed. Another version (quoted by Hameiri) reads "and scribes' (soferim, instead of saparim) wraps." - The scribes, i.e., the teachers of children, used to spread wool sheets on the benches where the pupils placed their papers, so that the writing would not be effaced from them. The sheets would become dirty from the oil and fat by the light from which the pupils would study at night. Another version reads "and scroll-wraps (sefarim)," i.e. the wraps in which the scrolls were rolled. These may be washed during Hol Hamoed because they are continually used (Rashi in the Rif; Rivav; Nimukei Yosef); and drying wraps - bath towels with which people dry themselves when they come out from the bathhouse. Even though these towels were washed on the Festival eve, they must be washed again during Hol Hamoed, since they become quickly dirty;

Men suffering from an issue and women suffering from an issue and the menstruant women and women who have given birth - whose clothes continually become dirty. Or it may refer to the time when they begin to count the days of purification, and they must change their clothes, and whoever rises from uncleanness to purification - during Hol Hamoed. The leper, for example, or one who became unclean because of a corpse, and who must wash their impure clothes, these are permitted - to wash their clothes during Hol Hamoed; but every other person is prohibited - for the reason explained above (in the introduction to this mishnah), except for the three types of "wraps" listed in the mishnah( "handwraps and the barbers' wraps and drying wraps"), which every one is permitted to wash during Hol Hamoed.

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