Which inyan is more imporant?

Seraph

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 9:19 am

You're supposed to dress nicely on chol hamoed, I.e. shabbos clothes.
You're also not supposed to do laundry.

Which is the more important inyan? Wear filthy clothes because no laundry? Or do laundry on chol hamoed so you can be dressed decently likavod chag?

I have 3 skirts that fit me now, and 1 pair of tznius pajamas, and I or my kids manage to make them absolutely filthy every single day. Now is it preferable that I wear dough encrusted, spit up caked, and infant poo covered clothes so that I don't do laundry? Or am I allowed to do laundry in cases like this?

iriska_meller

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 9:41 am

well, definitely one should not wear anything poo-covered on any day.
I have a feeling that if one has mamash nothing to wear, and not able for whatever reason to buy new stuff, one should be able to do some minimal laundry.

Seraph

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 9:51 am

iriska_meller wrote:

I assumed that as much, bec the reason you're probably allowed to wash little kids clothes is because they probably get their clothes very filthy just as quickly as I manage to...

iriska_meller

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 2:27 pm

Atali wrote:

According to what I learned it is halachicly preferable to wear not-nice clothes than wash them. And if one needs clothes, it is halachicly preferable to buy them.

There is a difference between "not-nice" and "covered in poop, spit-up, and smelly" Mad

GetReal

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 2:32 pm

Atali, some people can't go out and buy new clothes. I have never been in this situation over chol Ha'moed, but after both my kids there was a few weeks when I lived in two, three skirts because nothing else fit.

Seraph, did you speak to a Rav? I seem to remember something about clothes that your kids got dirty being allowed to be washed, as they are in the same category as baby's clothes, or similar, but DON'T quote me on this! Because I don't remember if I heard it from a Rav, a reliable source, or someone who made it up Smile

Mama Bear

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 2:34 pm

youre allowed to wash laundry for yourself in your little kids' loads if you dont have anything clean to wear.

and I wear my everyday clothes on chol hamoed. men in my velt wear their shabbos clothes but the ladies dont, since we get dirty easily from the little kids' pudgy hands... bh

Atali

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 2:35 pm

GetReal wrote:

Of course not, but that doesn't mean that one can wash the old clothes. You may well just have to wear the dirty clothes, as it seems to me from what I have learned (and I studied this topic extensively). One can spot clean but not wash.

Atali

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 2:35 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

Not everyone holds that way

Imaonwheels

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 3:06 pm

I realize that it is too late now but this is an organization thing. The reason for model's coats. I did what I saw once by a wise friend as long as I had small children. She was a teacher, now a menahelet, and dresses up nice for work and Shabbosdik on chol hamoed. At night she is a speaker. IOW always dresses nicely. She had a light not quite shmatty robe hung near the door. Whenever she came in she put this on over her clothing to make lunch, feed the kids, etc.

chocolate moose

Thu, Oct 08 2009, 3:53 pm

Imaonwheels wrote:

I keep a clean apron or 2 in the kitchen that I always wear, but - same difference.

Seraph, you need a few new clothing items!

shalhevet

Sun, Oct 11 2009, 11:17 am

This is what I do (hope it helps next time). I have one winter and one summer Shabbos chaluk (robe). I usually buy a new one before YT - either Shabbos or chol depending on what I need, but the chol one is still considered Shabbosdik since it is new. So now I have 3.

Usually in EY on Sukkos and Pesach you can get by some days/ evenings with winter and some with summer. I wear the chalukim when in the kitchen etc, and my Shabbos clothes the rest of the day - again, if I have 2 things each for summer and winter = 4 outfits = one for each 2 days, and otherwise chalukim. If you managed something new for YT (even something that you will take for chol afterwards, but now it is new) that will give you one more.

Getting a heter to wash a chaluk if you need one is probably easier, because it might be considered like underwear.

To some of the above posters - the whole world is not America, and in EY a new outfit is a major purchase compared to many people's income.

Atali

Sun, Oct 11 2009, 11:22 pm

shalhevet wrote:

I am the poster who wrote that and despite living in America I am in no position to buy a new outfit now. Not all Americans are wealthy. That does not change the fact that doing so is halachicly preferable to washing.

chocolate moose

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 10:36 am

shalhevet wrote:

To some of the above posters - the whole world is not America, and in EY a new outfit is a major purchase compared to many people's income.

Buying something for yomtov doesn't have to mean buying a three thousand dollar suit. It could mean just a new blouse.