Siman - Chagigah Daf 18
- Sources for the prohibition of doing melachah on Chol HaMoed
The Gemara brings a Baraisa regarding the source for the prohibition of doing melachah on Chol HaMoed. According to Rebbe Yoshiayah, when the passuk states: "את חג המצות תשמר שבעת ימים" – You shall guard the Chag of Matzos for seven days, לימד על חול המועד שאסור בעשיית מלאכה – This teaches that it is forbidden to do melachah on Chol HaMoed. Rashi explains that the word תשמר – you shall guard, is a warning not to do melachah. Rebbe Yonasan says that the passuk is not needed, for it can be derived from a kal v’chomer. מה ראשון ושביעי שאין קדושה לפניהן ולאחריהן אסור בעשיית מלאכה – If the first and seventh days of Pesach, where there is no kedushah before or after them, are nonetheless prohibited from doing melachah, חולו של מועד שיש קדושה לפניהן ולאחריהן אינו דין שיהא אסור בעשיית מלאכה – then the days of Chol HaMoed, where there is kedushah before and after them, is it not logical that they are subject to the prohibition of doing melachah? After the Baraisa attempts to challenge Rebbe Yonasan’s kal v’chomer but is unsuccessful, the Gemara brings three more sources for the prohibition of doing melachah on Chol HaMoed.
- Different levels of purification depending on the degree of kedushah
The next Mishnah states: נוטלין לידים לחולין ולמעשר ולתרומה - We wash our hands for chullin, maaser sheni, and terumah. Rashi says it is sufficient to use a kli that has a revi’is of water. ולקודש מטבילין – But for kodesh we immerse our hands in a mikveh. Rashi explains that to eat from a shelamim, or for Kohanim to eat from a chatas or asham, the Rabbanan made an extra stringency and required immersing the hands in a mikveh of forty se’ah, even if they did not come in contact with tumah. ולחטאת אם נטמאו ידיו נטמא גופו – And in regard to handling mei chatas, which is the water mixed with the ashes of the parah adumah, if one’s hands became tamei then his entire body is considered tamei, and he must immerse his entire body. Rashi explains that this is referring to a d’Rabbanon tumah which makes the hands tamei but not the body, such as a rishon, or a sefer of Tanach.
- When one washes his hands for chullin
The Gemara questions whether chullin and maaser sheni require handwashing, based on a Mishnah in Bikkurim which states that maaser sheni does not require it, which implies, all the more so that chullin does not need it. After addressing the contradiction regarding maaser sheni, by stating that the Mishnah in Bikkurim is Rebbe Meir, who does not require hand-washing for maaser sheni, and our Mishnah is the Chochomim that do, with regard to chullin it concludes that there is also no contradiction. כאן באכילה דנהמא – Here, in our Mishnah that requires hand-washing, it is dealing with eating of bread, כאן באכילה דפירי - whereas here, in the Mishnah in Bikkurim. it is discussing the eating of other produce. For Rav Nachman said: כל הנוטל ידיו לפירות הרי זה מגסי הרוח – One who washes his hands for eating of food other than bread, is from the arrogant.
