Question: What is the definition of "a non-skilled person"?

Answer (Bei R. Yannai): Someone who cannot do several stitches in one pull.

Answer (R. Yosi bar Chanina): Someone who cannot make a decent, straight hem.

Question: What is meant by a "doglike" manner?

Answer (R. Yochanan): Uneven spaced stitching, as a dog's teeth are unevenly spaced from each other.

Answer (Raba bar Shmuel): Unstraight stitches, some higher some lower, like dog's teeth.

Question: What is meant by the words "intertwined" (Lesareg) and "tightened" (Lemate'ach)?

Answer #1: "Intertwine" means putting ropes in both directions (warp and woof). "Tightening" means putting ropes in only one direction.

Answer #2: "Intertwine" means putting ropes in one direction. "Tightening" means tightening ropes that were already there beforehand and became loosened. (According to this answer, both Tana'im agree that putting ropes in both directions is forbidden.)

Question: A Beraisa says that both Tana'im agree that one may not make new ropes. According to the second answer (2:c) this is an understatement, because it may be said that both Tana'im even agree that the ropes may not be laid in both directions - so it goes without saying that the ropes may not be made anew. The question remains.

Question: A Mishnah says that a bed is susceptible to Tum'ah when all the warp is in place and three cross-rows of woof are intertwined with it. The Mishnah uses the same word (Lesareg) as our Mishnah to describe intertwining ropes in both directions! This is against the second answer (2:c), which says Lesareg means putting ropes in one direction.

Answer: In fact, everyone agrees that "intertwining" (Lesareg) means laying ropes in both direction. The argument is over "tightening" (Lemate'ach): The first answer holds that it means to place the ropes in one direction, and the second answer holds that it means to tighten loosened ropes that are already in position.

Question: A Beraisa brings a third opinion, besides R. Meir (Tana Kama) and R. Yosi, that says that even tightening (Le'mate'ach) is forbidden. According to the second answer, that Le'mate'ach means to tighten ropes that are already there, how could anyone forbid this?

Answer: Since one could manage without tightening the ropes, by putting in some extra cushions, it would be an unnecessary exertion to tighten the ropes, and hence forbidden on Chol ha'Mo'ed

Stoves may be made on Chol ha'Mo'ed (although it is a big job, anything directly needed for food preparation is permitted on Chol ha'Mo'ed). (The word Reichayim should be taken out of the first phrase of the Mishnah according to every Rishon I have seen.)

R. Yehudah says that we may not "Mechabesh" a new millstone on Chol ha'Mo'ed

Question: What is meant by "Mechabesh"?

Answer (R. Yehudah): Chiseling out grooves in the millstone so that it can grind effectively.

Answer (R. Yechiel): Making the hole in the millstone (Rashi: through which the flour falls after it is ground).

Question: A Beraisa talks about being "Mechabesh" an old millstone. (R. Yehudah permits it, another opinion forbids it.) Obviously, then, Mechabesh cannot mean to make the hole in the millstone (as R. Yechiel said), because an old millstone already has this hole. (It doesn't work without the hole.)

Answer: It could still mean to make the hole wider.

R. Huna held like the opinion mentioned in the Beraisa (alluded to above, 4:d) that one may not chisel a millstone at all on Chol ha'Mo'ed, unlike R. Yehudah.

R. Chama

It is permitted to chisel a millstone on Chol ha'Mo'ed

It is permitted to cut the nails of a horse or donkey used for riding on Chol ha'Mo'ed, but not for the donkey used to drive a millstone.

R. Yehudah

It is permitted to cut the nails even of the millstone donkey.

It is permitted to set up millstones, to build millstones, to build the wooden platform for the millstones and to build a barn.

Rav (or Rava)

It is permitted to comb a horse's skin with iron combs

It is permitted to build a feeding trough and a platform.

Rava

It is permitted to let blood from an animal.

This is corroborated by a Beraisa, which adds that all health matters of animals may be attended to on Chol ha'Mo'ed

It is permitted to do some process (Kiskus) to clothes.

R. Chisda

It is forbidden to make creases in sleeves, because it is a professional task.

Taking away dirt from a piece of ground - If it is done to prepare the ground for threshing grain (for the holiday) it is permitted; if it is to improve the ground for sowing, it is forbidden.

How can you tell what a person's intent is?

If he is careful to level out the ground by filling in depressions he is preparing the place for threshing. If he is not careful to fill in depressions in the ground with the dirt he has dug up, then he is digging for sowing. (When people plow they are not careful to make the ground level.)

Clearing sticks from one's field - If it is done for collecting firewood it is permitted, if for improving the ground (for sowing) it is forbidden.

How can you tell what a person's intent is?

If he takes only the big sticks but leaves the smaller ones, he is interested in firewood. If he takes all sticks away, he is doing it to improve the ground.

Flooding one's field from a pool (that is filled with water drained off from a river) - if it is to catch fish it is permitted, if to water his crops it is forbidden.

How can you tell what a person's intent is?

If he opens the intake (from the river into the pool) gate and also the outflow gate, he is interested in fish; if he only opens the intake and allows the pool to flow over from the water rushing in, he is interested in watering his field.

Pruning a palm tree - If it is to feed the branches to animals it is permitted; if it is to improve the tree it is forbidden.

How can you tell what a person's intent is?

If he takes all branches (moist and dry) from one section he is doing it to feed animals; if he takes off only the dry branches from all over the tree he is doing it to improve the tree.

Rava permits cutting open unripe dates to eat them, but not to press them and dry them, because the process will not be finished until after the holiday.

R. Papa permits even pressing and drying, because if it is not done now the dates will spoil.

(Rava): All business transactions are forbidden. R. Yosi bar Avin qualifies this: If the transaction is required in order to prevent a loss it is permitted.

Ravina waited until after Chol Hamoed to make a transaction and doubled the profit he would have made had he sold it earlier.

R. Ashi permitted the collection of a debt on Chol ha'Mo'ed from someone who might not be so accessible after the holiday, as it is considered a prevention of a loss. A similar Heter is taught in regard to buying items from an idolater on his holiday.