|
Erev Shabbat Shalom / Chag Same'ach, and welcome to Moed Kattan, which discusses Chol HaMoed!
General introduction: There is a broad assumption in the Gemara that although the days of Chol HaMoed are not identified by the Torah as days on which labor is prohibited, it is nonetheless clear in so many ways that these days are part of the Festival, and therefore ought not be treated as ordinary days. The Sages therefore constructed a system by which these days would retain a festive quality, even as essential work could be performed. The first perek introduces many of the the categories of permission / prohibition that the Sages formulated.
Mishnayot 1 - 4 teach us about the permission to engage in work on Chol HaMoed when that work will prevent a person from suffering financial loss. This permission is balanced by the instruction to perform this work in a manner that is as physically not onerous as possible. Mishna 2 contains the "bonus" category of work that needs to be done for the public good, which is permissible on Chol HaMoed in an almost blanket way.
Mishnayot 5 and 7 raise a different discussion, namely the hoped-for emotional quality of Chol HaMoed (i.e. joy), and the way in which this hope intersects with other human emotional experiences. Interestingly, not only are sadness and grief to be minimized on Chol HaMoed (more on that later in Moed Kattan), but so is joy that is unrelated to the festival, namely the joy of getting married! Either of these detracts form the hoped-for chag-centric joy.
Mishnayot 8 - 10 introduce another broad distinction in the permitted / prohibited discussion. A layperson is permitted to perform certain tasks in his or her amateurish manner, even as a professional may not perform these selfsame tasks in his / her expert way. The sewing example remains practical to this day of course, and opens our imaginations to a great variety of fixes around the house that we do ourselves first, until we finally decide we need to call in a professional :).
| 
