The Mishnah permits shaving on Chol ha'Moed for under extenuating circumstances. The Gemara wants to know if being too busy to shave before the Chag due to searching for a lost object is considered an extenuating circumstance that permits shaving during Chol ha'Moed.

I think that you would benefit from our Point by Point summary (in outline form) of the Daf. Below you will find a summary of Daf 14 that we prepared, you can download or print more of such pages from http://www.dafyomi.co.il/mkatan/points/points-up.htm . Or you can try our Answers to Review Questions at http://www.dafyomi.co.il/mkatan/qaindex-up.htm , for another type of summary of the Daf.

Best wishes,

M. Kornfeld

===========

_____________________________________________________________

POINT BY POINT SUMMARY OF THE DAF

Prepared by R. Yakov Blinder of Kollel Iyun Hadaf

daf@dafyomi.co.il, http://www.dafyomi.co.il

Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld

_____________________________________________________________

Moed Katan 14

*****Perek #3 V'ELU MEGALCHIN*****

1) MISHNAH - SHAVING AND LAUNDERING ON C.H.

(a) Exceptions to the rule that shaving is forbidden on C.H.

1. One who arrives from a trip abroad during C.H.

2. One who is released from imprisonment (or captivity)

during C.H.

3. One who is released from a Cherem during C.H.

4. One who has a vow (not to shave) annulled during C.H.

5. A Nazir who must perform the shaving ritual of

Bamidbar 6:18

6. A healed Metzora who must perform the shaving ritual

of Vayikra 14:8.

(b) Exceptions to the rule that laundering is forbidden on

C.H.

1-3. Identical to 1-3 of section (a)

4. One who has a vow (not to launder) annulled during

C.H.

5. Napkins (Rashi/Rif).

6. Cloths used for haircuts (alternate explanation: for

covering Sifrei Kodesh. Tos. 18b).

7. Towels.

8. Tamei people (whose clothes are also Tamei) who have

become Tahor.

2) GEMARA - REASON FOR NOT SHAVING AND LAUNDERING ON C.H.

(a) Question: Why are shaving and laundering on C.H.

forbidden in the first place? (It should have been

permitted because it is one of the needs of the holiday -

Tosafos.)

(b) Answer: It is so that people should be extra careful not

to neglect doing these things, making themselves clean

and tidy, before the holiday begins.

3) OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

(a) The Mishnah mentioned a list of several extenuating

circumstances of people who could not possibly have

shaved or laundered before the holiday. Question (by R.

Zeira): What about a different extenuating circumstance:

Someone lost an object and spent the entire Erev Yom Tov

looking for it?

(b) Answer: This case is certainly forbidden, because people

who see him cutting his hair or laundering during C.H.

will not necessary know he has a good excuse. (Whereas

the cases in the Mishnah are more known to the public.)

(c) Question: R. Yochanan said that if someone has only one

robe he may wash it on C.H. Here, too, people might not

know he has a good excuse.

(d) Answer: They can tell by the way the man is dressed that

he doesn't have another robe.

(e) Alternate version of R. Zeira's question: If the town

barber loses an object on Erev Yom Tov and, since

everyone goes to the barber on Erev Yom Tov, everyone in

town knows about his situation, can he shave and launder

during C.H.? No answer is given.

4) CLARIFICATION OF MISHNAH'S STATEMENT IN 1:a:1

(a) A Beraisa states the opinion of R. Yehudah that disagrees

with the Mishnah's (1:a:1) leniency for someone who has

just returned from a trip abroad. He says that since the

trip was undertaken voluntarily it is not a good excuse.

(b) Rava's clarification of the issues: It it was a pleasure

trip that he went on, all agree that it is forbidden to

shave and launder upon his return. If it was an

absolutely necessary business trip (to make a living) all

agree it is permitted to shave and launder. The argument

is when the trip was for an unnecessary business trip (to

make more money than one needs for a living) - the

Mishnah permits it and R. Yehudah forbids it.

(c) A Beraisa is quoted which seems to say that all three

cases described by Rava (pleasure, necessary business,

extra business) are subjects of argument between R.

Yehudah and Chachamim.

(d) The Beraisa is reinterpreted to say the same thing that

Rava said.

5) A HAIRCUT FOR A NEWBORN

(a) Shmuel's statement: It is permitted to give a haircut to

a baby born on C.H., because it comes under "One who is

released from imprisonment during C.H." (1:a:2).

(b) Implication: If the baby was born before Yom Tov the

haircut is forbidden.

(c) Question: A Beraisa makes the following equation: All the

exceptions our Mishnah lists for C.H. apply to a mourner

as well. The Gemara assumes that the converse is also

true: Anyone who is NOT permitted to shave during C.H. is

not permitted to shave during mourning. Applying this

converse principle to 5:b, we come out with the law that

a newborn who is in mourning may not have his hair cut.

This contradicts a Beraisa that states that mourning

rituals are not observed by small children (except the

ripping of the clothing).

(d) Answer: Our assumption (in 5:c) that the converse of the

Beraisa's statement is also true was a mistake. In other

words, there are people who are not permitted to shave

during C.H., but may shave during mourning.

(e) Alternate version of Shmuel's statement: A newborn may be

given a haircut on C.H., whether he was born before or

during the holiday. According to this version the

Question of 5:c turns into a proof, and the Answer of 5:d

turns into a refutation of the proof.