Q&A: Commerce on Chol HaMoed
Commerce on Chol HaMoed
Question
I have several questions that I haven’t been able to sort out regarding commerce on Chol HaMoed, and I’d be glad if the Rabbi could help clarify things.
A. Buying on credit — since the payment is made after the festival period (in the monthly charge), does that make a difference here, in that it would be considered a loan rather than prohibited commerce?
B. Online purchasing — clearly the whole prohibition against doing business is because of exertion. Pouring and drinking a cup of water from a bottle involves more effort than making an online purchase. Is there an issue here of a changed reality? (Maybe in the category of something like “an act of demons,” which the Sages did not decree against.) And does it make a difference whether the merchandise will arrive during Chol HaMoed or after it?
C. Buying for personal use — the prohibition being discussed is commerce, meaning buying for the sake of resale and making a livelihood from the profits. It is not so clear why that was extended to include purchases for personal use as well. One could think that there is no such exertion there (in commerce you need transport, storage, workers, checking prices and fluctuating rates, opening stalls and fairs, actually selling the merchandise, etc.). Is there room to be lenient about this?
D. A purchase that makes a person happy — would it be permitted to buy things where the very act of buying them makes the person happy, regardless of whether he will actually use them or not? (For example, some people like buying books without any necessity that they will also read them; the same would apply to decorations, collectibles, clothing, jewelry, etc.)
Forgive the abundance of questions. It’s clear to me that the Rabbi doesn’t work for me, and it’s also clear that he is busy, but if it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his eyes…
Thank you very much
Answer
These are vague laws, and it is hard to make definitive statements about them. I’ll write what I think.
A. Buying on credit is not a loan, since payment for a purchase is not considered a loan (see Mishnah Shevi’it, beginning of chapter 10). Perhaps it is a loan from the credit company, but not from the seller. It is a purchase in every respect.
B-C. I think there is room to be lenient, because this is not a form of commerce similar to what was prohibited. In my opinion, the issue of exertion does not itself permit it, since when they prohibited it they did not set limits based on exertion.
D. I’m not sure. Maybe that is considered a festival need. Usually one can enjoy oneself in other ways.
Discussion on Answer
A gift is not a business transaction, so no special permission is needed.
Thank you, Rabbi. Regarding D, maybe there is proof from the fact that it is permitted to give a gift to one’s fellow on Chol HaMoed even though he will not actually use it, since the gift itself is part of the festival joy. (Maybe one could say that such a person is really buying a gift for himself.)