May one make tzitzis on Chol Hamoed?

As explained in last shiur, one may perform a meleches hedyot (non-professional craft) for a mitzvah, even for after Chol Hamoed. [1] Tying tzitzis onto a four-cornered garment is a meleches hedyot and permitted even for after Chol Hamoed. If one will have ample time after Chol Hamoed to fashion tzitzis one should avoid tying them during Chol Hamoed [2]

May one tie tzitzis at night or only during the day?

Tzitzis is a daytime mitzvah, as it says that one should “see” one’s tzitzis. (Although the Rambam and Rosh argue whether one is obligated to wear tzitzis on a daytime garment that is worn at night, it is nevertheless a daytime mitzvah). Consequently the question is whether tzitzis may be tied onto a garment at night, when it is not time for the mitzvah, or only during the day.

Several poskim wrote that daytime is preferred, [3] but the Chazon Ish, Ben Ish Chai and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach [4] wrote that one may lechatchila tie tzitzis onto one’s garment at night.

May one write a note advising the time of a b’ris that takes place a day after the last day of Yom Tov?

This question was posed to the gedolei hador a few years ago and the answer is not so simple. Based on the above it should be permitted because writing is a meleches hedyot and when done for a mitzvah it may be done even on Chol Hamoed for after Yom Tov. The point is how important is it to announce a b’ris when it is known that even without announcing the b’ris there will be a minyan of adult males. It is best to ask your rav.

May one pay bills and write checks on Chol Hamoed?

Although our writing is a meleches hedyot, to permit such writing there must be a tzorech moed – some necessity for Chol Hamoed.

For example, the Shulchan Aruch writes [5] that one may write a letter to a friend and relative on Chol Hamoed and the Mishna Berura explains [6] that writing to a friend is a necessity. The Rama however writes [7] that others prohibit writing a letter to a friend and the custom is to write implementing a shinui - either writing all the lines at a slant or at least the first line.

But the letter might only reach its destination after Chol Hamoed?

This is a very good point as raised by the Oruch Hashulchan, which  answers that the poskim omitted the requirement that the letter arrive on Chol Hamoed because writing a letter is effortless and performed in private. Consequently Chazal were not particular on this issue.

Accordingly, if necessary to pay bills and write checks on Chol Hamoed to prevent a loss or for another reason, one may do so.

But I cannot write a slanted check?

When writing for something necessary for the mo’ed one may do so even without writing at a slant, because our writing is accepted by most poskim to be a meleches hedyot and the slant is only a custom to be applied when possible. [8]

May I purposely set time for Chol Hamoed to write letters and pay bills?

Writing letters to friends and paying bills may only be done on Chol Hamoed when not purposely intending to do so. In other words, because people have extra free time on Chol Hamoed one might plan to use that time for writing letters and paying bills and this is not permitted. [9] One may pay bills and write letters if one did not have time to do so before Chol Hamoed or if the need arose on Chol Hamoed.

May one use a computer on Chol Hamoed?

Writing on a computer is not a meleches uman and is permitted on Chol Hamoed. [10] As stated above, even though it is not possible to write at a slant, it is unnecessary to do so when not possible.

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach added that there is a problem to write and store information on a disk on account of boneh – construction. [11] He explained that a disk without information is worthless and by feeding it and storing information on it, one is ‘constructing’ it. Consequently, writing and storing unimportant information [12] or typing without storing information is not a problem.

May one print one’s work on Chol HaMoed?

Typing on the computer is one thing and printing is another. One may only print that which one may write. The problem is that printing is probably worse than writing because the printout is usually block letters, as opposed to handwriting which runs. [13] If necessary to print to avoid a loss, it may be performed.

May one use a rubber stamp on Chol Hamoed?

It is also a meleches hedyot and permitted when necessary for the mo’ed. [14]