[Avodah] chol hamoed

[Eli Turkel]

moved from areivim:
The subject was a chesed group that gathered thousands of volunteers
(many visitors to Israel)
on chol hamoed to pick tons of fruits and vegetables for the poor.
RYL questioned whether this was allowed on chol hamoed and I thought
it was included under davar ha-aved since these volunteers are only available
on chol hamoed and otherwise the poor would lose all this food. A similar
halacha applies to communal needs

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I wish to thank Prof Levine for getting me to review some laws of chol hamoed.
Since this is simchat Torah outside of EY I wont hear any remarks until
sunday and then I am without email for 2 weeks (is it possible?)

In siman 544 the SA says that one can do communal work on chol hamoed
such as fixing roads and cemeteries and mikvaot.
MB adds athat one can purposely leave these for chol hamoed when
people are not working
and so many people are available and if not done on chol hamoed it
wont be done later

If it requires experts then it can be done only if one benefits during
the holiday, if
it does not require expert skills it can be done even though the
benefit is after
the holiday

In 538:6  SA says that if one purposely left work for chol hamoed (ie
a kind that is not
permitted) the bet din punishes him by making it hefker. Ramah adds that
if this not feasible then the bet din can put the person in cherem or
give him lashes

MB adds that if it became hefker then after the holiday anyone can
acquire it and use it

-- 
Eli Turkel