Mishnah Moed Katan

1 They may water an irrigated field during the festival week or in the sabbatical year, both from a newly-emerging spring and from a spring that has not just emerged. But they may not water the field with water from stored rain, and not with a swipe and bucket. And they may not make small ditches around the vines.

2 Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: they may not make a new water channel during the festival week or in the sabbatical year. But the sages say: they may make a new water channel during the sabbatical year, and they may repair broken ones during the festival. And they may repair impaired water works in the public domain, and clean them out. And they may repair roads, town squares and ritual pools, and they may do everything needed by the public, and mark graves, and inspectors may go out to inspect kilayim mixed seeds.

3 Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: they may draw water from one tree to another tree, as long as they don’t water the whole field. Seeds that have not received any water before the festival, they may not water them during the festival. The sages however allow it in both cases.

4 They may trap moles and mice in a field planted with trees or a sown field in an unusual way during the festival and in the sabbatical year. But the sages say: in the field planted with trees in the usual way and in the sown field in an unusual way. And they may block up a breach in a wall during the festival, and in the sabbatical year they may build it in the usual way.

5 Rabbi Meir says: Priests may inspect leprous symptoms at the outset during the festival for the priest to make a lenient assessment, but not to make a strict one. But the sages say: neither for a lenient nor for a severe assessment. Furthermore Rabbi Meir said: a man may gather his father’s and mother’s bones, since this is a joy for him. Rabbi Yose says: it is mourning for him. A man should not stir up wailing for his dead, nor hold a lamentation for him thirty days before the festival.

6 They may not dig burial niches and graves during the festival. But they may adapt burial niches to the size of the dead body during the festival. And they may make a temporary grave during the festival, and a coffin, if a dead body is close by in the courtyard. Rabbi Judah forbids, unless there are sawn boards available.

7 One may not marry a woman during the festival, whether a virgin or a widow, nor may one perform levirate marriage, because this is a joy for him. But one may remarry his divorced wife. And a woman may make the adornments for her wedding during the festival. Rabbi Judah says: she may not put on lime, because that temporarily disfigures her.

8 An ordinary person may sew in the usual way, but a craftsman may sew only using uneven stitches. And they may weave the ropes of a bed. Rabbi Yose says: they may even be tightened.

9 They may set up an oven, stove or a millstone during the festival. Rabbi Judah says: they may not roughen millstones for the first time.

10 They may put up a railing around a roof or a gallery porch, in the style of an ordinary person but not in the style of a professional. They may put plaster on crevices on the roof and flatten them down with a roller, by hand or foot, but not using professional tools. A hinge, a socket, a beam, a lock, a key that broke may be repaired during the festival, as long as the owner doesn’t intend to do this work during the festival. And all the pickled food that he may eat during the festival, he may pickle.

1 If one had turned his olives, and mourning or some unforeseen circumstance prevented him from working, or workers misled him, he may during the festival put on the beam for the first time and leave it until after the festival, the words of Rabbi Judah. Rabbi Yose says: he may pour off the oil and complete the process and seal the jars in his usual way.

2 Similarly, if one had his wine already in a cistern and mourning or some unforeseen circumstance prevented him from working, or workers misled him, he may draw off the wine, complete the process and seal the jars in his usual way, the words of Rabbi Yose. Rabbi Judah says: he may only cover the cistern with boards to prevent it from turning into vinegar.

3 A man may bring his produce indoors for fear of thieves and withdraw his flax from a soaking pool to prevent it spoiling, as long as he doesn’t intend to do this work during the festival. And all those who deliberately intended to do their work during the festival must leave it to spoil.

4 They may not purchase houses, slaves or cattle unless it is for the needs of the festival, or the need of the seller who does not have enough to eat. They may not move belongings from one house to another house, but he may move his belongings within his courtyard. They may not bring back vessels from the house of the craftsman, but if one is anxious about them, he may remove them to another courtyard.

5 They may cover drying figs with straw. Rabbi Judah says: they may even pile the figs up in heaps. Sellers of produce, clothing and other vessels may sell privately for the requirements of the festival. Trappers of fish and birds, groats-makers and grist-millers may engage in their work privately for the requirements of the festival. Rabbi Yose says: they were strict with themselves.

1 And these may shave during the festival: one coming back from a trip abroad, or one coming out from a place of captivity, or coming out of prison, or an excommunicated person whom the sages have released. And similarly, one who asked a sage to be released from a vow and was released, and a nazirite or a leper on emerging from his state of impurity to his state of purification.

2 These may launder their clothes during the festival: one coming back from a trip abroad, or one coming out from a place of captivity, or coming out of prison, or an excommunicated person whom the sages have released. And similarly, one who asked a sage to be released from a vow and was released. Hand towels, barber’s towels and bath towels may be laundered. Zavim and zavot, menstruants, and women who have given birth, and anyone going from a state of impurity to purity, are permitted to launder their clothes. But everyone else is prohibited.

3 They may write the following documents during the festival: Documents for the betrothal of women, divorce documents and receipts, wills of a dying person, bequests and prosbols, evaluation certificates and orders for support, documents of halitzah and of repudiation of marriage and arbitration records, decrees of the court and correspondence.

4 They may not write loan documents during the festival. But if he the creditor does not trust him or he does not have food to eat, he may write. They may not write Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzot during the festival, nor may they correct even a single letter, even in the ancient Temple scroll. Rabbi Judah says: a man may write tefillin and mezuzot for himself. And one may spin on his thigh the blue wool for his fringe.

5 One who buries his dead three days before a festival, the restrictions of shiva no longer apply to him. If one buries his dead eight days before a festival, the restrictions of the shloshim thirty days no longer apply to him. Because they the sages said that Shabbat counts but does not interrupt, while festivals interrupt and do not count.

6 Rabbi Eliezer says: From the time the Temple was destroyed, Atzeret Shavuot is like Shabbat. Rabban Gamaliel says: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like festivals. The sages say: the rule follows neither the words of this one nor of that one. Rather, Atzeret is like the festivals and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like Shabbat.

7 They do not tear their clothes or bare their shoulders, or provide a meal for the mourners except for the relatives of the dead. And they do not provide a meal except on an upright couch. They do not bring food to the house of mourning on an ornamental tray, platter, or flat basket, but in plain baskets. And they do not say the mourners’ blessing during the festival. But they may stand in a row and comfort the mourners and the mourners may formally dismiss the community.

8 They do not place the bier on the thruway during the festival so as not to encourage eulogizing. And the bier of women is never set down on the thruway for the sake of propriety. Women may raise a wail during the festival, but not clap their hands in grief. Rabbi Ishmael says: those who are close to the bier clap their hands in grief.

9 On Rosh Hodesh, on Hanukkah and on Purim they may wail and clap their hands in grief. Neither on the former nor on the latter occasions may they offer a lamentation. After the dead person has been buried they neither wail nor clap their hands in grief. What is meant by wailing? When all wail in unison. What is meant by a lament? When one speaks and all respond after her, as it is said: “And teach your daughters wailing and one another each lamentation”Jeremiah 9:19. But as to the future, it says: “He will destroy death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces”Isaiah 25:8.