Washing "what you need" during Chol Hamoed

raizy

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 12:23 am

off course I didnt do laundryon yom tov . !! I meant washing what u need for the second half so u will have enough clothing to last u till the end.!!!in middle of yom tov like CHAll hamoued!!!

and why is washing such a big issue. what is so hard about throwing in a load of laundry . I think cooking and cleaning and going in a car to be much harder. so if u dont wash laundry did u also not go in a car the whole chal hamoud. if u said that u went in a car but did not wash arent u a bit hypercrital. u choose what u want to do and what u dont want to do!!!

shalhevet

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 3:27 am

raizy wrote:

if u think that I didnt wash laundry on chol hamoed you got anther thing coming. whatever I used the first half was all dirty and I hate dirty clothes. so sue me.

Why do you think you have to answer to other people? A person only has to answer to Hashem.

Quote:

I want the kids to look clean. and I hate dirty laundry lying around. what with the no washing whatever . forget it . tell me who u are so I will not come near you at all!!!!

and everyone who did not do laundry do u really have 9 of everything for every kid and adult???? or u just dont change for 9 days???

Do you launder on Shabbos and Yomtov as well if you hate dirty laundry lying around? Most people have somewhere between 1 and 9 things, so you need to plan and wear your clothes for 2 to 3 days as you need. I think most people today can afford enough underwear. And the halacha is that you can launder for small children.

Marion wrote:

to me "ein m'chabsin b'moed, afilu l'tzorech hamoed" means you don't wash on yomtov, even if you need it on yomtov.

Go and check in a Mishna Brura the rest of the siman. The rest of the siman deals with exceptions such as for small children or someone released from jail on erev YT - so do you think you are allowed to wash baby clothes b'moed, according to your interpretation? And it is one siman of many on the topic of Chol Hamoed in the same place. Halachos of YT are in another place. Anyway in halacha "moed" always means either the whole YT from beginning to end or chol hamoed.

raizy wrote:

and why is washing such a big issue. what is so hard about throwing in a load of laundry . I think cooking and cleaning and going in a car to be much harder. so if u dont wash laundry did u also not go in a car the whole chal hamoud. if u said that u went in a car but did not wash arent u a bit hypercrital.

This thread has taken a Reform direction. Now, not only can we pick and choose which halachas we keep, we also decide that people are hypocritical if they don't do something which is assur and do do something which is muttar. Sounds like the old, 'well, once it was hard work to rub two stones together to make a spark but today you just flick a switch so that's not work' Reform Shabbos argument.

Quote:

u choose what u want to do and what u dont want to do!!!

And choosing to do laundry on Chol Hamoed against the halacha is ....

mali

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 7:14 am

Marion wrote:

To me "ein m'chabsin b'moed, afilu l'tzorech hamoed" means you don't wash on yomtov, even if you need it on yomtov. But CHOL hamoed is not yomtov, it's chol, and so I can do laundry. And my Rav doesn't have a problem with that.

Marion, I hope you yourself realize your post doesn't make a bit of sense! We may not do laundry on the Yom Tov itself, no matter what! And the reason isn't because we might get soiled while doing it, as the Shulchan Aruch writes in this case. The SA here is talking about Chol Hamoed. We are required to honor Chol Hamoed, and not do our laundry as usual, because the piles are in our way.

As for the question itself: I've been told that there's a big difference between the nine days and Chol Hamo'ed. During the nine days, we shouldn't be wearing freshly laundered clothing, and we shouldn't be doing laundry at all. These are things that bring us enjoyment. During Chol Hamo'ed, however, we don't do laundry in order to honor the day by not doing the usual chores. Therefor, in the nine days, if you have to do laundry for a child, you may not add your own clothing, but during Chol Hamo'ed, if you're putting up a load anyway, you may add in other necessities. This is the P'sak I got. Ask your own LOR.

chocolate moose

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 9:53 am

I was thinking about this thread this morning, on my walk to the subway.

Some things are takeh ossur - eating bread on Pesach. No one would do that. (The only leniency would be medicine, and that's not derech achilah, right, so the fact remains, no chometz on Pesach. Period.)

And some things are minhagim.....not doing laundry on Rosh Chodesh. Some do and some don't.

But with most other things you have leniencey - like driving on Shabbos (alowed for a baby's birth, right)?

Eating on Yom Kippur - allowed in makon sakonoh, right?

The point being - there are many opinions about the (right) way to do things.

We are many kind of women on this board. We interpret things different ways.

And I see no need to be judgmental or preachey when after all, we are here for fun, aren't we?

Crayon210

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 2:07 pm

SaraG wrote:

The point being - there are many opinions about the (right) way to do things.

We are many kind of women on this board. We interpret things different ways.

And I see no need to be judgmental or preachey when after all, we are here for fun, aren't we?

1. Yes, there are many opinions about the right way to do things.

2. "We" should not be interpreting halacha. That is for a rav to do. I hope there are no rabbonim on this board.

3. Defending halacha is not judgmental or preachy.

shalhevet

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 6:52 pm

SaraG wrote:

Some things are takeh ossur - eating bread on Pesach. No one would do that. (The only leniency would be medicine, and that's not derech achilah, right, so the fact remains, no chometz on Pesach. Period.)

And some things are minhagim.....not doing laundry on Rosh Chodesh. Some do and some don't.

But with most other things you have leniencey - like driving on Shabbos (alowed for a baby's birth, right)?

Eating on Yom Kippur - allowed in makon sakonoh, right?

The point being - there are many opinions about the (right) way to do things.

Let's clarify some of these points.

Like you said there are basic halachas, both Torah and Rabbinic in origin. All of these halachas are not open to different opinions. The part about makom sakana (which, incidentally also applies to eating chametz on Pesach) is part of the halacha and not a 'leniency'. Every Rabbi you ask will tell you that you can't drive on Shabbos. And that you can drive a woman in labour to the hospital.

That is, the basic halachas are not open to discussion. What determines the psak of different rabbanim is the interpretation/ definition of the halacha. EG - everyone agrees that cooking is forbidden on Shabbos, but how do we define cooking? Does it include warming up soup? Or kugel? In what way? Does something get cooked halachically by pouring hot water onto it? At what temperature? etc etc.

You also mentioned minhagim, bringing the example of laundry on Rosh Chodesh. These things depend on what was/is done in someone's community and/or family. Someone is not more or less frum because they eat kreplach on Hoshana Raba or don't launder on Rosh Chodesh, even though someone may be obligated to because of his minhag.

So let's get back to the Chol Hamoed laundry.
No rav is going to tell you that you can launder whatever you want on Chol Hamoed (if he does he is either an ignoramous or an apikorus). The Shulchan Aruch itself brings down various exceptions. The differences in opinion lie in the details/definitions. You can launder for a small child. You need to ask your rav how small is small. What if someone is sick, ch"v. Or doesn't have enough clothes to last him all of yomtov. These are going to be the areas of difference of opinion, and, of course, anyone who is following their rav is following a valid opinion.

Marion

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 12:04 am

lubcoralsprings wrote:

You don't need to ask a rav about washing your laundry on Chol Hamoed..sorry but I think that is pushing limits. If it's a necessity such as soiled diapers, you need underwear, or the smell is bothering you then in the spirit of enjoying the holiday you can do the laundry to be comforable. Some things take common sense and not asking a rav! Rolling Eyes

Thank you! That's been my point, but you put it so much better than I could (obviously).

Crayon210

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 1:15 am

lubcoralsprings wrote:

Really? Even though the issue is raised in the Shulchan Aruch?

Do you do laundry on Shabbos when it smells? Why not?

shalhevet

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 3:01 am

Marion wrote:

lubcoralsprings wrote:

Thank you! That's been my point, but you put it so much better than I could (obviously).

Sorry, I'm confused. Are you Orthodox Jews who run your lives according to halacha or 'common sense'? shock

So you eat on YK if you're hungry; turn on the light on Shabbos if it's too dark to read and eat treife if that's the only restaurant available when you go out? Exploding anger

Sounds like a lot of common sense to me.

(Incidentally you are allowed to wash soiled diapers al pi halacha)

Crayon, we also learnt that you can't add adults' clothes.

Marion

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 3:42 am

mummyof6 wrote:

Marion wrote:

lubcoralsprings wrote:

Thank you! That's been my point, but you put it so much better than I could (obviously).

Sorry, I'm confused. Are you Orthodox Jews who run your lives according to halacha or 'common sense'? shock

So you eat on YK if you're hungry; turn on the light on Shabbos if it's too dark to read and eat treife if that's the only restaurant available when you go out? Exploding anger

Sounds like a lot of common sense to me.

(Incidentally you are allowed to wash soiled diapers al pi halacha)

Crayon, we also learnt that you can't add adults' clothes.

Mummy of 6:
I won't answer for lubcoralsprings but on my own behalf:

Halacha doesn't pre-empt using common sense. In answer to your questions above:
No I don't eat on YK, unless I have a psak allowing me to eat shiurim.
Yes I use a Shabbat clock so that the lights go on by the time it's too dark to read. (And by the time the Shabbat clock goes off it's late enough I should be in bed!)
And I pack a lunch if I know there's not going to be anything kosher available to eat and I'll be out (a rare occurence since I live in Jerusalem!).

Are you always this judgemental of people whose opinions or whose learning doesn't match yours?

shalhevet

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 4:21 am

Marion wrote:

Halacha doesn't pre-empt using common sense. In answer to your questions above:
No I don't eat on YK, unless I have a psak allowing me to eat shiurim.]

Why do you think there are some halachas you have to ask a rav and others that you rely on your 'common sense'? Please explain the difference to me.

Quote:

Yes I use a Shabbat clock so that the lights go on by the time it's too dark to read. (And by the time the Shabbat clock goes off it's late enough I should be in bed!)
And I pack a lunch if I know there's not going to be anything kosher available to eat and I'll be out (a rare occurence since I live in Jerusalem!).

You haven't answered my question at all, since what you do is according to halacha. I asked whether you put on a light on Shabbos if it's too dark. Isn't that common sense? Or if there is only treif available and you want somewhere to eat? Please answer my original question.

Quote:

Are you always this judgemental of people whose opinions or whose learning doesn't match yours?

I brought a halacha from the Shulchan Aruch. You countered that by saying that you don't follow the halacha, but rather use your common sense. Since this is a site for frum Jewish women I think it is important to show that someone is making light of halacha. I don't consider that a valid opinion.

The Torah is pretty judgemental too. It says:
"והמבזה את המועדות...אין לו חלק לעולם הבא (avos 3,11)
Those who dishonour Chol Hamoed ... have no portion in the World to Come.

So I'll ask you again. Are you an Orthodox Jew who lives her life according to halacha?

realeez

Tue, Oct 17 2006, 9:18 am

Crayon210 wrote:

SaraG wrote:

Halachah, minhagin aside...........what if the smell is driving you batty? What if the mountain of it is causing sholom bayis problems?

No one here said they're washing for fun. Everyone is washing out of necessity; just what that necessity is may vary.

ASK A RAV.

(To whoever asked in another thread, yes the phrase still exists:

I FEEL LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.)

lol crayon Smile

sarag, most laundry that we wash is not that dirty that it smells!
if something were to be that smelly, so then call a rav for that circumstance. how often does it really happen that your child throws up in your bed exactly during chol hamoed.

most G-d fearing husbands would not have an issue w/ a wife not doing laundry when one is not supposed to! if it would cause shalom bayis problems, I would say there is a bigger issue! then again there could be very machmir (not) that do not do laundry the whole month of tishrai or thru all of sefira or something Wink