Can I hang up some more Sukka decorations on Chol Hamoed?

amother

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 7:55 pm

Dh says no.
Growing up, we always adjusted the decorations on Chol Hamoed.
Does anyone know the answer to this?

3Qts

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 7:58 pm

Just read yom tov in one of the magazines that you are allowed (you are not allowed to use decorations for other purposes) but you are allowed to put them up if they fell down or put new ones up

pecan

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 8:25 pm

yes, the mishpacha magazine (or family first) had a halacha page that said it is okay.

amother

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 8:59 pm

bubby wrote:

Why is it a Shailoh? (We don't decorate the sukkah, so I'm ignorant of this.)

Decorations are Miktza on YT. So I wanted to know if it's Muktza on Chol Hamoed as well.
Thanks everyone.

Tova

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 9:19 pm

Muktza does not apply on Chol HaMoed although the 39 melachos DO apply.

So - if someone wants to go apple picking as a family trip, muttar to pick apples you will use over the Chag but NOT extra ones. Can be assur d'oraysa as kotzer (picking) and me'amer (gathering). Per my husband, a lot of people don't realize this. May be better to go to the zoo and save apple picking for another time.

Tova

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 9:20 pm

To clarify, cannot do the 39 melachos UNLESS falls into one of the categories of permitted melacha on Chol HaMoed. ie - tzorech hamoed, etc.

Atali

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 10:27 pm

Adding or fixing sukkah decorations is tzorech hamoed and is permitted. For that matter, you can even build a sukkah.

But no apple picking, unless you are going to eat all of the apples.

grin

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 11:10 pm

Tova wrote:

Muktza does not apply on Chol HaMoed although the 39 melachos DO apply.

the sukkah decorations are muktza also on chol hamo'ed in the sense that they have been "set aside" for decorating the sukka and can be used for no other purpose until succos is over. but AFAIK, the'res no problem adding more.

sped

Sun, Oct 04 2009, 11:14 pm

Grin - I also grew up thinking that but have since learned otherwise. There doesn't seem to be a source for the idea that they are muktzah on Chol Hamoed. In fact, just last night we hung up decorations!

grin

Mon, Oct 05 2009, 5:56 am

sped wrote:

it's assur to take down a fruit that was hung up before YT as decoration and eat it (for example - it's in SA, don't have the exact source handy at the moment), but as I said earlier, there's no problem adding more.

greenfire

Mon, Oct 05 2009, 6:32 am

Atali wrote:

But no apple picking, unless you are going to eat all of the apples.

so we cannot go shopping for food unless we eat every last drop ?!?!?! shock

grin

Mon, Oct 05 2009, 6:37 am

greenfire wrote:

Atali wrote:

But no apple picking, unless you are going to eat all of the apples.

so we cannot go shopping for food unless we eat every last drop ?!?!?! shock

shopping is actually a lesser melacha than picking.

Atali

Mon, Oct 05 2009, 7:49 am

grin wrote:

greenfire wrote:

Atali wrote:

But no apple picking, unless you are going to eat all of the apples.

so we cannot go shopping for food unless we eat every last drop ?!?!?! shock

shopping is actually a lesser melacha than picking.

right. If you go shopping you can buy normal size packages of food, such as a 5-lb bag of flour (or even a 20-lb one if buying in bulk is cheaper) as long aqs some of it will be used on Yom Tov.

I'm not sure that applies to taking individual apples out of the apple bin at the store though. However, even if you think you may eat all of the apples it is for sure okay.

Tova

Mon, Oct 05 2009, 8:17 pm

OK, clarified with my husband.

We can use muktza in two different way. It literally means "set aside."

We commonly use it to refer to the Issur D'Rabbanan on Shabbos of handling something that has a designated purpose that desecrates Shabbos. In that sense muktza does not apply on Chol HaMoed.

However, in the sense that something set aside for the Moed can't be used for other purposes, muktza does apply. So, correct that you cannot eat fruit that was set up to be decorations in the Succa. The same term of muktza applies to the oil used to light the menora on Chanuka - it cannot be used for other purposes.

613

Wed, Oct 14 2009, 9:50 am

I heard about the picking apples shaila (after we went apple and veggie picking w/ 100s of other jews). But I had this reasoning for my dh: Why are we allowed to drive to the groves, or zoo, or amusement park... on chol hamoed?
similarly, we were not picking apples because we wanted some to eat. it's easier and much more convenient to get apples at the store. we were picking apples because that was our chol hamoed activity. Okay, I didn't run this reasoning by any competent halachik authority (yes, my dh is a competent halachik authority in some areas, but not this).