Kedusha
- We’re required to treat chol hamoed differently than a normal weekday.
- The food and drink should be better than during a regular weekday.
- Clothing should be nicer than a regular weekday.
- Many have the minhag to wear Shabbos clothes.
- Although it’s not a requirement to eat bread, it’s a mitzva to eat bread in the evening and during the day.
- It’s preferable to drink some wine each day of chol hamoed.
- Tables should be covered with nice tablecloths.
- If yaleh viyavo was forgotten in Birchas Hamazon, don’t repeat.
- If Yaleh Viyavo was forgotten during Shemona Esrei then repeat, even at Maariv.
- Chol Hamoed food expenses don’t come out of our yearly allotment of money from Hashem.
- We add sukkos/Pesach into Al Hamichya.
- We say the Horachman for sukkos in Birchas Hamazon.
- We say Migdol at the end of Birchas Hamazon.
Melacha
- All melacha is assur on chol hamoed just like Shabbos and Yom Tov.
- It’s also assur to give the melacha over to a non Jew.
- There are five situations where melacha is allowed:
1 – for eating (even if the work is on the level of an expert it’s still allowed).2 – non eating but it’s for a Chol Hamoed/Yom tov or mitzvah (however, work on the level of an expert is not allowed).3 – in cases of loss (even expert work, as long as the work wasn’t set aside to be done on Chol Hamoed):
- If it’s only a small loss then it should not be done by an expert.
- If the work doesn’t require exertion then it can be done by an expert even for a minor loss.
- Work that requires a lot of energy is not allowed even for a loss. A shaila should be asked.
- Work can’t be scheduled specifically for chol hamoed. If it was then it can be done.
- If there’s a doubt if it’s going to be a loss then it’s also allowed.
- Indirect loss is also allowed.
- Work is allowed for someone else’s loss and payment can be received for that work.
- Losing out on a profit is not considered a loss.
4 – for the public (expert work can only be done for Chol Hamoed/Yom tov. Non expert work can even be done for after Yom tov).5 – one who has no money (even an expert and even if it’s not for Yom tov/Chol hamoed).
Gezeiros
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- There are three melachos that aren’t allowed under most circumstances because the Rabanan want us to go into Yom tov looking our best and if we’d allow it on Chol Hamoed then perhaps people will push off doing it before Yom Tov because they’ll have more time on Chol Hamoed:
1- haircuts and shaving
- children are allowed to have their hair cut.
- Women can remove body hair and hair on the head for tznius reasons.
- In very difficult circumstances a man who shaves often might be able to shave. Ask a shaila.
- Women’s body hair removal is allowed.
2 – laundry
- even laundry for Yom tov is not allowed.
- Cleaning stains that happened on Yom tov is allowed if that garment is necessary for Yom tov or if it’s going to get ruined or require a lot of money to fix.
- If you only have one garment then it can be washed.
- This applies to women’s robes etc. tablecloths too.
- Children’s clothes that get constantly soiled are allowed to be washed.
- There are three melachos that aren’t allowed under most circumstances because the Rabanan want us to go into Yom tov looking our best and if we’d allow it on Chol Hamoed then perhaps people will push off doing it before Yom Tov because they’ll have more time on Chol Hamoed:
