Watering plants on Chol Hamoed

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Watering plants on Chol Hamoed:[1]

It is permitted to water plants on Chol Hamoed for purposes of damage prevention, such as to prevent the plants from withering if they were to not be watered. It is, however, forbidden to water plants if there will be no loss or damage involved with the plant if one were to refrain from watering it during Chol Hamoed. [Accordingly, each plant product that one has in his home, or garden, is to be individually assessed as to whether a lack of watering it during Chol Hamoed will cause it to wither, and only then is it allowed to be done. This applies whether to flowerpots, vegetable gardens, or fruit trees.[2] Accordingly, if it suffices for the plant to be watered only once a week then it should be done prior to the start of the holiday and it will hence not be necessary to water it during the holiday.[3]]

 

Summary:

It is permitted to water plants on Chol Hamoed for the purpose of loss prevention, such as to prevent it from dying or withering.

Q&A

May one spill water over grass or over a plant on Chol Hamoed, such as when washing hands or emptying his cup?

It is permitted for one to spill water over grass or over plants on Chol Hamoed if he is no intent to water the plant by doing so, such as while washing hands.[4] Nevertheless, some Poskim[5] are stringent not to spill water over plants during Chol Hamoed, even in the process of washing hands.

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[1] Michaber 537:1 “It is permitted on Chol Hamoed to perform Melacha in order to prevent loss, therefore a field in need of irrigation may be irrigated during the Moed, as otherwise it will cause loss to the field. However, a Sedei Habaal [which is watered by rainfall] may not be watered on Chol Hamoed, as it is only watered for purposes of fattening the produce not for loss prevention.”; Tur 537; Mishneh Moed Katan 2a “Mashkin Beis Hashlachin Bamoed”; Kitzur SHU”A 104:8; See Moed Katan 6b and Rishonim there; Shut Hamabit 2:64; Kaf Hachaim 537:13; Chazon Ish 134:14; Beir Moshe 7:107; Chol Hamoed Kehilchaso 11:9; Piskeiy Teshuvos 537:3; Shemiras Hamoed Kehilchaso 7

[2] See Beir Moshe ibid; Chol Hamoed Kehilchaso ibid

[3] Beir Moshe ibid; Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid

[4] Michaber 537:8 regarding making a water pond in order to catch fish; Shemiras Hamoed Kehilchaso 7:9

[5] Orchos Rabbeinu 2:121 that so was the custom of the Chazon Ish; See SSH”K 66 footnote 181

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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