Siman - Moed Katan Daf 19
- Writing tefillin and mezuzos on Chol HaMoed
The Mishnah on the bottom of 18b states: אין כותבין ספרים תפילין ומזוזות במועד – One may not write a sefer Torah, tefillin or mezuzos on Chol HaMoed, ואין מגיהין אות אחת אפילו בספר עזרא – and one may not even correct a single letter in Ezra’s sefer Torah. Rashi says that he heard that the word עזרא should be עזרה, and that it refers to the sefer Torah in the azarah, from which all other sifrei Torah were corrected. Rebbe Yehudah says, כותב אדם תפילין ומזוזות לעצמו וטווה על יריכו תכלת לציציתו – A man may write tefillin and mezuzos for himself, and spin techeiles on his thigh, for his tzitzis. It was taught in a Baraisa that Rebbe Meir holds that one may write tefillin and mezuzos for himself, and spin techeiles for his tzitzis, ולאחרים לטובה – and he may do these things for someone else as a favor, but not for payment. Rebbe Yehudah says: מערים ומוכר את שלו וחוזר וכותב לעצמו – He may do a ploy and sell his own tefillin and mezuzos to others and then write new ones for himself. Rashi says that he can then sell his new tefillin and repeat this process throughout the chag. Rebbe Yose says: כותב ומוכר כדרכו כדי פרנסתו – He may write and sell them in his usual way to have enough for his sustenance. Rashi explains that this does not refer to someone who has nothing to eat. Rather it means to someone who wants to enhance his chag.
- Which restrictions are cancelled if someone buried his dead eight days before the regel?
The next Mishnah states: הקובר את מתו שלשה ימים קודם לרגל בטלה הימנו גזרת שבעה – If someone buried his dead three days before a regel, the halachos of shiva are nullified for him. שמונה בטלו הימנו גזרת שלשים – If the burial was eight days before the regel, then even the halachos of shloshim are nullified for him. Regarding the case of burial eight days before the regel, Rav and Rav Huna both said: גזרת בטלו ימים לא בטלו – The restrictions of shloshim are cancelled but the days are not cancelled, but Rav Sheishess said: אפילו ימים נמי בטלו – Even the days are cancelled. The Gemara asks what the meaning is that the days are not cancelled, and answers, שאם לא גילח ערב הרגל אסור לגלח אחר הרגל – that if the person did not shave before the regel, then he is forbidden to shave after the regel, until the sheloshim period from burial is over.
- The source that an avel does not cut his hair during sheloshim
The Gemara asks what the source is for not shaving during sheloshim, and answers that it is derived through the gezeirah shaveh of "פרע" "פרע" – growth, growth, from the case of a nazir. It says regarding Moshe telling Aaron and his sons not to engage in mourning, "ראשיכם אל תפרעו" – Do not let the hair of your head grow, and it says regarding a nazir, "גדל פרע שער ראשו" – the growth of hair on his head shall grow. Just as a nazir must grow his hair for thirty days, so too an avel must grow his hair for thirty days. The Gemara then asks from where it is derived that a nazir cannot cut his hair for thirty days, and Rav Masnah said that the passuk states referring to the hair: "קדש יהיה" – it shall be holy. The gematria of יהיה – it shall be, is thirty.
