From the Rav’s Desk: Plucking grass from the earth during Chol Hamoed

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Question: [Tuesday, 18th Nissan, 5782]

We were having a picnic in the park together with our family and out of mere habit I was plucking grass from the ground. Someone who was there mentioned to me that it is forbidden to do so on Chol Hamoed. Is this correct?

 

Answer:

Indeed, it is forbidden for one to uproot items from the ground on Chol Hamoed, unless it serves a need of the holiday, such as for one to pick vegetables to eat during the Moed, or to pick herbs to use for food or to smell during the Moed. Thus, one may not rip grass out from the ground for no reason during Chol Hamoed

Sources: See Michaber 533:1 “One may cut wood from the attached …for the need of the Moed. However, not for the sake of the Moed is forbidden.”; 547:12 in name of Hagahos Maimanis Yom Tov 8 “One may not tear grass or earth from ground on Chol Hameod [by a funeral] as is normally done during the week.”; Moed Katan 12b; Meiri Moed Katan ibid; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 104:9; Beir Moshe 7:11; Chol Hamoed Kehilchaso 2:91; 4:14; Shemiras Hamoed Kehilchaso 4:41

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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