Et ceux-ci peuvent laver les vêtements sur Chol Hamoed: Celui qui revient de l'étranger, celui qui est libéré de la captivité, celui qui est libéré de prison, celui qui est libéré de l'excommunication par les sages; de même, on a consulté un sage [sur Chol Hamoed] et a été absous de son vœu [de ne pas laver les vêtements.] (Ceux-ci peuvent être lavés :) essuie-mains [pour nettoyer les mains en mangeant], draps de barbier, [qui doivent être régulièrement lavés lorsque le barbier vient se raser ceux mentionnés dans notre Michna comme étant autorisés à se raser sur Chol Hamoed], et les serviettes de bain, [avec lesquelles on se sèche en sortant des bains.] Zavin (hommes ayant des sécrétions génitales), zavoth , niddoth, les femmes qui viennent d'accoucher, et tous ceux qui passent de l'impureté à la propreté [sur Chol Hamoed] sont autorisés [à laver leurs vêtements], et tous les autres sont interdits (de le faire). [Et tous les vêtements en lin peuvent être lavés sur Chol Hamoed car ils nécessitent un lavage constant. Même ceux lavés à la veille de la fête deviennent immédiatement souillés et doivent être lavés au milieu de la fête, raison pour laquelle ils n'ont pas été condamnés. Et si l'on n'a qu'une seule robe, même si elle n'est pas en lin, il peut la laver sur Chol Hamoed. Ceci, quand il se tient nu (torse) en le lavant, dans ses leggings seul pour couvrir ses parties intimes, démontrant par là qu'il n'a qu'une seule robe, celle qu'il lave.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
ומי שנשאל לחכם – that he vowed not to launder his clothes and he appeared before a Sage on the Festival and he released him from his vow.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Introduction
For the same reason that it is prohibited to shave/cut hair during the festival, it is also prohibited to wash one’s clothes the prohibition during the festival encourages people to wash their clothes before the festival. As was the case with yesterday’s mishnah, today’s mishnah lists the exceptions, those people who may wash their clothes because they could not have done so before the festival began.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
ומטפחות ידים – that they dry with the their hands at the time of eating.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
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 one excommunicated whom the sages have released. This is the same list that appeared in section one of yesterday’s mishnah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
ומטפחות ספרים – clothing/covering that the barbers give to those who get a haircut between his shoulders because of the hair. And when he comes to shave to those who are taught in the Mishnah who are permitted to shave on the Festival, it is necessary to always launder it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
And similarly one who asked a sage [to be released from a vow] and was released. This is the same as the beginning of the second section of yesterday’s mishnah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
מטפחות הספגין – that they dry with them when they leave from the bathhouse.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Hand-towels, barber’s towels and bath-towels [may be laundered]. Towels which are used on a daily basis and will quickly become dirty may be laundered. “Barber’s towels” is somewhat of a strange category, considering the fact that most people should not be getting a haircut on the festival. Either this refers to towels used in cutting the hair of those few people who can get a haircut or alternatively the word for “barber” really means “books” the words are spelled the same but pronounced differently in Hebrew (sapar=barber; sefer=book). The mishnah would then refer to coverings of books, i.e Torah scrolls, which become dirty due to frequent usage. However, it seems strange to me that book coverings need to be washed with such urgency.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
וכל העולים מטומאה לטהרה – on the Festival, it is permitted to launder their clothes. And flax utensils, even of every person it is permitted to launder them on the Festival, for they need laundering frequently, and even that which was laundered on the eve of the Festival become soiled immediately and need laundering during the Festival, therefore, they did not make a decree concerning them. And whomever lacks other than one undershirt/garment, even if it is not made of flax is permitted to launder it on the Festival., and he who stands naked at the time of his laundering with only a girdle on his loins to cover the flesh of his nakedness for this proves that he lacks other than this undershirt/garment that he launders.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Zavim and zavot, menstruants, and women who have given birth, and anyone going from a state of purity to impurity, are permitted [to launder their clothes]. This section refers to various people who have some sort of genital emission and therefore need to wash their clothes frequently. Zavim and zavot have some sort of unusual genital emission which would dirty their clothes. They are allowed to wash their clothes because it would not be seemly to force them to go around in public with stained clothing. People who become pure on the festival need to wash their clothes (Leviticus 11:25, 28; 14: 5, 47; Numbers 19:19). They are allowed to do so during the festival since they could not control the timing of their becoming pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
But everyone else is prohibited. The mishnah ends by emphasizing that other people may not launder their clothes on the festival. During the time of the mishnah laundering was heavy labor and was not done with great frequency. Hence, the festival should not be used as an opportunity to launder clothes.
