Thank you Rabbi greatly for your teachings One truley final question, why is a male who has a seminal emission listed with those who are allowed to shave. Wouldn't he be one of whom people could say "The fancy loaves of Boethus are acceptable and not our own?" In addition, what prevents him from beign able to prepare in time for the holiday? As in the case of the Kohen Gadol who didn't have a seminal emission the night befroe Yom Kippur to spare him the embarassment should he be spared the embarassment?
With thanks,
Sam Iser
The "Zav" (male who had a seminal emission) is not actually listed with those who are allowed to shave but rather he is listed amongst those who are allowed to launder their clothes on Chol ha'Mo'ed. (This can be seen more clearly through the way this is divided up in the Mishnayos in our chapter, where Mishnah 1 discusses who is allowed to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed and does not include Zav, whilst Mishnah 2 lists who may launder and does include Zav.)
The idea of "The fancy loaves of Baitus are acceptable and not our own?" is not applicable here concerning the Zav being permitted to wash his clothes, because everyone knows who is a Zav and therefore it is obvious why laundry is permitted for him. The reason is because the clothes he wore when he was a Zav are impure and he therefore requires new, pure clothes now that he himself has become pure (see TIFERES YISRAEL #15) and it would not have been possible for him to wash these clothes when he was impure.
There are many Dinim which apply in public for the Zav (see Vayikra ch. 15) and it is clear to everyone that he is a Zav, so it would not be possible to save him embarrassment. In addition, it would seem that there is not embarrassment involved in being a Zav because RAMBAM in HILCHOS MECHUSAREI KAPARA 2:1 and Commentary to Mishnah Zavim 2:2 explains that the emission of Zav is caused by illness and weakness. See NIDAH 35b which lists several differences between "Zav" and "Shichvas Zera".
KOL TUV
D. Bloom