Siman 468

We learned in a Mishna (50a): In a place where they were accustomed to perform labor on the eve of Pesach until midday—they may perform it. In a place where they were accustomed not to perform it—they may not perform it. And why were they accustomed not to perform it? So that one does not forget the removal of his chametz, the slaughtering of the Pesach offering, and the preparation of matzah for the needs of the night (Rashi). And until midday it depends on custom, but after midday—it is prohibited by law, as is explained in the Yerushalmi there, because from midday it is the time of the offering of the Pesach for all of Israel, and it is a Yom Tov. For every person, on the day that he offers a sacrifice—it is a Yom Tov for him, and he is prohibited from labor. Therefore, even in this time—the Yom Tov was not nullified (the Rosh). Furthermore: a matter that was prohibited by a quorum—it has no permission even when the reason is nullified, and it requires another quorum to permit it (the Ran there). And when it was prohibited—it was prohibited to all of Israel, even to those who dwell outside of the Land, because it is a general Yom Tov for all of Israel. And one who performs labor on the eve of Pesach after midday, aside from the fact that he does not see a sign of blessing from this labor—they curse and execrate him.

And there is no distinction regarding labor between one who performs it for payment and one who performs it for free—everything is forbidden. Regarding performing it through a non-Jew, there are opinions: for the Rokeach permits it, and the Mordechai forbids it (Beit Yosef). And it can be said that the one who permits it holds that the prohibition is rabbinic, and therefore the prohibition of instructing a non-Jew does not apply. And the one who forbids it held that the prohibition is from the Torah, for thus wrote the Tosafot there, and this is their wording: And it is implied from the Yerushalmi that it is forbidden from the Torah. Thus far their words. And if so, "instructing a non-Jew is a shevut" applies to this. (However, the Rokeach wrote that "instructing a non-Jew is a shevut" only applies to Shabbat, Chol HaMoed, and Yom Tov. Therefore, it is permitted to perform it through a non-Jew even in his home. See Beit Yosef.)

The custom is according to the words of the one who permits. Therefore, to cut hair after midday is forbidden by an Israelite, but by a non-Jew it is permitted (Taz subsection 2 in the name of the Rashal). And even to trim nails is forbidden after midday (ibid.). There are those who permit trimming nails after midday if one forgot to trim them before midday (Chayei Adam subsection 4 and Eliyah Rabbah), as this is not a complete melakhah regarding the eve of Pesach. There is one who forbids cutting hair even by a non-Jew after midday, because the one getting the haircut also assists slightly by tilting his head (Magen Avraham subsection 13). This is not the primary view, for what of it? Since he himself is permitted even to repair his vessels, certainly in such a case where he assists, there is no substance to it (Chayei Adam ibid.). To let blood, they practiced to forbid the entire day for another reason, because regarding the eve of Shavuot our sages, of blessed memory, said in Shabbat (129b) that there is danger in this, and therefore they decreed regarding every eve of Yom Tov, see there. However, "shrepfing" which are called "bankes"—the Mahariw forbids. And the Maharil permits (Magen Avraham subsection 15), as this is not like bloodletting, for the blood of "shrepfing" is not from the interior of the body like the blood of bloodletting. It appears that on the eve of Shavuot one should be stringent, and on other eves of Yom Tov one may be lenient. And the night belonging to the eve of Yom Tov—everything is permitted.

And that which is forbidden regarding labor—specifically regarding complete labor such as sewing garments, or if one performs labor in order to earn a wage. However, one may repair his vessels for Yom Tov. And even though on Chol HaMoed we do not find this permission, nevertheless, Erev Pesach is more lenient than Chol HaMoed. Therefore, all the labors that we permitted on Chol HaMoed, such as a matter of loss and the like, as will be explained in the laws of Chol HaMoed—certainly they are permitted on Erev Pesach. And so too, one who writes books for himself in the course of his study—it is permitted on Erev Pesach, and certainly to write novellae of Torah. And even regarding letters of friendship, it is customary to act with leniency.

And until midday – it depends on the custom as I have written. Our teacher, the Rema, wrote in section 3 that for us, it is a place where they are accustomed not to do work. And specifically complete labors, but other labors – there is not even a custom. Thus far his words. And the Levush wrote that perhaps in his place they were accustomed not to do work, but in many places I have seen that they do work until midday, see there. And the great Acharonim (Taz and Magen Avraham subsection 6 and Chayei Adam) cited him. And so it is now, that they do work in every place, and would that they would cease from doing work at midday.

One who goes from a place where they perform labor to a place where they do not perform labor, even if his intention is to return, such that in other matters he may act in private, nevertheless, labor which is difficult to perform in private—he shall not perform at all in the city, because of conflict. Outside the city—it is permitted when his intention is to return. But if his intention is not to return—it is forbidden. However, when he has not yet entered the techum of the city—even if his intention is not to return, it is permitted (Magen Avraham subsection 8). And one who goes from a place where they do not perform labor to a place where they do perform labor, and his intention is to return—it is forbidden for him to perform labor, for we place upon him the stringencies of the place from which he departed. But if his intention is not to return—he follows even the leniencies of the place to which he went (Magen Avraham subsection 9). And there is one who wishes to say that he always follows the stringencies of the place from which he departed, but it is not so, as I wrote in Yoreh Deah siman 214 section 20, see there. And in any case, when he follows the stringencies of the place from which he departed when his intention is to return—he should not appear before the people of the place as one who holds this to be forbidden, for a person should never deviate because of conflict. And when he must practice a prohibition—he should practice the prohibition without it being noticed by the people of the place. And the general rule of these matters is that anyone whose intention is to return—follows the people of his place, whether to be lenient or to be stringent. This is provided that he does not appear before the people of the place where he is currently located as one who deviates from their custom, because of conflict. And great is peace. And there are many detailed laws in these matters. And regarding the matter of customs, it was explained with the help of Heaven in Yoreh Deah there, and here is not the place to elaborate on this.

And even in a place where they were accustomed to perform labor until midday, nevertheless, they may not begin a new labor on the fourteenth, even if he is able to complete it before midday. Only three crafts were permitted to begin them in a place where they were accustomed to perform labor if they complete them by midday, and these are: the tailors, the barbers, and the laundrymen; for the reason that regarding these three they were lenient even on Chol HaMoed: regarding tailors they were lenient that an ordinary person who is not a craftsman may sew in his usual manner on Chol HaMoed, because this is not considered complete labor according to his sewing. And the barbers and the laundrymen, because one who comes from afar or one who leaves prison—they permitted him to cut hair and to wash clothes for the sake of the Moed. Therefore, they were lenient regarding these even on Erev Pesach. But other crafts, if they began them before the fourteenth—they may complete them on the fourteenth until midday, even if they began on the night of the fourteenth. But to begin on the fourteenth during the day—it is forbidden. And this is the position of the Rambam at the end of the Laws of Yom Tov, see there.

But the approach of the Tur in the name of the Rosh is that regarding these three labors—it is permitted to begin and to finish until midday even in a place where they are accustomed not to perform labor. And if they began beforehand—they may finish until midday even regarding other labors. And in a place where they are accustomed to perform labor—it is permitted to begin any labor if he is able to finish it until midday. And the custom is according to this view. And know that all of this is when there is a need for the Moed in this. But if there is no need for the Moed in this—it is forbidden in any case. And there is one who says that a poor person who has nothing to eat—it is permitted for him to perform labor even after midday (Chayei Adam, subsection 11 in the name of Knesset HaGedolah), for it is no more stringent than Chol HaMoed, which is permitted in such a case, as I have written below in siman 542.

One may set up nesting boxes for chickens on the fourteenth, that is, to prepare a place where the roosters and hens will stand. However, to set chicks upon eggs is forbidden the entire day. Unless it is a hen that had sat upon the eggs for three days or more, and the eggs have already begun to spoil and the hen died—one may set another in her place so that the eggs do not spoil, as this constitutes a matter of financial loss. And there are those who permit even initially to set chicks or a hen upon eggs (the first phrasing of Rashi on the Mishnah in Pesachim 45b), for this is not considered labor regarding the eve of Pesach.

One may clear manure from under the feet of an animal on Erev Pesach the entire day, and cast it outside to the refuse heap. But on Chol HaMoed, one only moves it to the sides. And regarding the manure that is in the courtyard—one may not remove it, but rather moves it to the sides even on Erev Pesach. For from under the feet of the animal—it was permitted to remove it to the outside for the sake of the health of the animal, but in the courtyard—it is sufficient that he move it to the sides. However, if the manure increased in the courtyard—even on Chol HaMoed it is permitted to remove it to the outside.

And one may bring and carry vessels from the house of a craftsman all day, even though it is not for the needs of the moed, for this is not included in the category of melakha at all. And if one gives them to be repaired, and there is a need for the yom tov in it—it is permitted until midday. And we do not say "Mizmor L'Todah" on Erev Pesach, nor "Mizmor Ya'ancha." And we hasten to pray in the morning, in order to finish eating until a third of the day. And there are those who bake "shmura" after midday. And for the sake of the honor of yom tov, it is the custom to go to the bathhouse and to the mikveh, even though it is not an obligation. And after Mincha we say the order of the offering of the Korban Pesach, as a remembrance of the Temple. (See Berakhot 22b: Rav Chama immersed on the eve of the day of Pesach. And the halakha is not like him.)