(Mishnah): The following people may launder on Chol Hamoed - One who arrives from overseas, from captivity, from being imprisoned, one whose excommunication was released and one whose vow was permitted by a Chacham.

Hand towels, book covers and bath towels and anything that went from Tumah to Taharah are permitted to launder; for other people it is prohibited.

(Gemara - Beraisa): Women's Balnarim may be laundered on Chol Hamoed. (Since they become dirty regularly they may be laundered.) This also applies to men's Balnarim.

Question: What are Balnarim? Bath towels.

R. Abahu quoting R. Yochanan: A person who has only one garment may launder it on Chol Hamoed.

R. Yosa bei R. Bun: Even if he has two - one to wear and one to send for laundering.

Query to R. Yosa: May one launder childrens' clothing?

Answer: Yes - it is as if he only has one garment (since they dirty their clothes constantly).

Question: We learned in a Beraisa that only close relatives of the deceased may - tear (Kriya), reveal their upper arms and shoulders and eat the first meal (after the burial). If the house of mourning is so small that not all of the close relatives can enter to have the first meal, may they split up and have some relatives eating outside?

Answer (R. Yosa): (They should not split into two groups as it looks like a social gathering. Rather) some of them should eat the meal on the following day.

R. Mana: (Concerning these last two rulings of R. Yosa) He was stringent in the case that we expected to be lenient (and he was lenient in the case that we expected to be stringent).

Beraisa: It is disrespectful to wash Sefer Torah covers using urine but one may use (cleaning agents called) Neter and Buris.

(Mishnah): The following may be written on Chol Hamoed - Betrothal documents, divorce documents, receipts of debt repayment, wills, gift documents, Pruzbuls, evaluation documents, sustenance documents (of supplying a widow with her daily needs), Chalitzah documents, refusal documents (of a girl who was married off when she was young and now refuses the marriage at aged 12), selection documents, documents of Beis Din and optional letters.

(Gemara - question): Surely one who divorces his wife is unhappy?

Answer (R. Zeirah): Once he has decided to divorce, it is no longer upsetting for him.

'Receipts' are receipts of debt repayment; 'evaluation documents' are evaluations of property for orphans; 'sustenance documents' are documents for supplying a widow with her daily needs.

'Chalitzah documents' - In Bavel they say that the document states - 'she came before us and removed his shoe from his right foot and she spat in front of us a spit that was visible to us on the ground and she said (Devarim 25, 9), "Like this will be done to a man who will not build his brother's house'''.

'Refusal documents' - 'I do not want him, it is not worthwhile for me, I did not wish to marry him'.

'Selection documents' - R Yochanan explains - A compromise when dividing up property i.e. each person agrees to follow the ruling when the decision is made as to which field he receives.

'Documents of Beis Din' - documents containing rulings of Beis Din.

'Optional letters' - letters of greeting.