Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 538

Siman 538

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א מִי שֶׁהָפַךְ אֶת זֵיתָיו אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה יֵינוֹ בַּבּוֹר, וְאֵרְעוֹ אֹנֶס אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁכַח אוֹ נִתְעַצֵּל שֶׁהָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁהָיָה יָכוֹל לִשְׁהוֹת לְאַחַר הָרֶגֶל וְלֹא עָשָׂה קֹדֶם הָרֶגֶל, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר הָאָבֵד זוֹלֵף וְגוֹמֵר וּמְזַפֵּת הֶחָבִיּוֹת, בֵּין קְטַנּוֹת בֵּין גְּדוֹלוֹת, וְגַף (פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁיָּשִׂים בָּהֶן מְגוּפָתָן) בֶּחָבִיּוֹת, כְּדַרְכּוֹ, בְּלֹא שִׁנּוּי; הַגָּה: וְהוּא הַדִּין דְּיָכוֹל לְתַקֵּן הֶחָבִיּוֹת לְקָשְׁרָם בַּעֲקָלִים (מָרְדְּכַי), אֲבָל לֹא יְכַוֵּן מְלַאכְתּוֹ בַּמּוֹעֵד אֶלָּא יַעֲשֶׂה הַכֹּל קֹדֶם הַמּוֹעֵד אִם יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ בַּמּוֹעֵד (הַגָּהוֹת מיימ' וְת"ה); וְכֵן שׁוֹלֶה פִּשְׁתָּנוֹ מִן הַמִּשְׁרָה, וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה מִדָּבָר הָאָבֵד, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יְכַוֵּן מְלַאכְתּוֹ בַּמּוֹעֵד.
1 Some Things with a Potential Loss, 6 Seifim: If one turned his olives or had wine in the pit and then something forced him [to not finish the process] or he forgot or he neglected to do it because he thought that it could wait until after the holiday, and he thus did not finish the process before the holiday, because there is potential loss involved, he may empty the vats [into the press], both big and little ones, and cork (meaning to put in the stopper) the vats as usual with no change [in the way it is done]. Rema: It is also the case that he can fix the vats by fixing them with wicker (Mordechai). However, he should not plan to do this work on hol hamoed. Rather, he should do everything before the holiday if he knows that it will end up being necessary on the holiday (Hagahot Maimoni and Trumat Hadeshen). He can also take his flax out of the retting, and any other similar case that involves a potential loss, as long as he does not plan to do this work on the holiday.
ב מֻתָּר לְהַכְנִיס פֵּרוֹת מִפְּנֵי הַגַּנָּבִים אִם אֵינָם בְּמָקוֹם הַמִּשְׁתַּמֵּר; וּמִיהוּ יַעֲשֶׂה בְּצִנְעָה כְּגוֹן שֶׁיַּכְנִיסֵם בַּלַּיְלָה; וְאִם הוּא דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ פִּרְסוּם בַּלַּיְלָה יוֹתֵר מִבַּיּוֹם, כְּגוֹן שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַכְנִיסוֹ בַּאֲבוּקוֹת וּבְקוֹלוֹת, יַכְנִיסֵם בַּיּוֹם. הַגָּה: וְאִם אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן כִּי אִם בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, הַכֹּל שָׁרֵי בְּדָבָר הָאָבֵד (הַמַּגִּיד פֶּרֶק ז' וּמָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק מִי שֶׁהָפַךְ).
2 It is permitted to bring fruit in because of [fear of] theft if they are not in a protected place. However, this should be done in secret, for instance, at night. If it is something that will be more public during night than during the day, like if it will need to be done with torches and noise, he should bring them in during the day. Rema: If it is only possible to do this publicly, everything is allowed when there is potential loss (the Magid chapter 7 and Mordechai chapter "Mi sheHafach").
ג אָסוּר לְהַסִיעַ מָמוֹנוֹ מֵעִיר לְעִיר, אִם לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל דָּבָר הָאָבֵד.
3 It is forbidden to transport money between cities if there is no potential loss involved.
ד הָיוּ לוֹ תְּאֵנִים שְׁטוּחִים בַּשָּׂדֶה לִיבָשׁ וְיָרֵא מֵהַמָּטָר, מֻתָּר לְחַפּוֹתָם בְּקַשׁ אֲפִלּוּ חִפּוּי עָב.
4 If one had figs lying in the field to dry and he worries about rain, he is allowed to cover them with straw. The cover can even be thick.
ה מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ סְחוֹרָה שֶׁאִם לֹא יְהַפְּכֶנָּה מִמַּטָּה לְמַעְלָה תְּקַלְקֵל, מֻתָּר לְהָפְכָהּ בְּחֹל הַמּוֹעֵד.
5 If somebody has merchandise that will be ruined if it is not flipped, it is permitted to flip it on Chol Hamoed.
ו הַמְּכַוֵּן מְלַאכְתּוֹ וְהִנִּיחָהּ לַמּוֹעֵד וַעֲשָׂאָהּ בַּמּוֹעֵד, בֵּית דִּין הָיוּ מְאַבְּדִין אוֹתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַפְקִירִים אוֹתָהּ לַכֹּל; הַגָּה: וְאִם הוּא עוֹשֶׂה מְלֶאכֶת אֲחֵרִים שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקָנְסוֹ, כְּגוֹן חַיָּט אוֹ סוֹפֵר שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה מְלֶאכֶת אֲחֵרִים, מְשַׁמְּתִינָן לֵיהּ וּמַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ (בֵּית יוֹסֵף וְר"י); וְאִם מֵת, לֹא יִקְנְסוּ בְּנוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמֻתָּר לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ אִם הוּא דָּבָר הָאָבֵד.
6 If one planned his work such that it would be left for hol hamoed and did it on hol hamoed, the court destroys what he accomplished, repossesses it, and renders it ownerless. Rema: If he did work for others such that it is impossible to penalize him, like if he is a tailor or a scribe who does work for others, they would excommunicate him and lash him (Beit Yosef and Rabbenu Yerucham). If he died, his son should not be penalized. [His son] is permitted to do the work if there is a potential loss involved.
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