Typing on chol Hamoed

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  • #592454
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    Don’t worry – I. Have. Asked. My. LOR. (Who says I can)

    But I would like to know more about this issue. Apparently it’s fine for me to type on CHM. However for the past 3 years, I did not do it since I felt it would help me ruchnius wise. This year it is davar ha’aveid for me to not type and I am typing but I feel very uncomfortable.

    1. Am I being too strict on myself? Isn’t there such a thing as if you do something 3 times, it’s a shvuah?

    2. If I told the secular ppl I work with that I try to not type on CHM, then got a psak from my Rav that I can, should I do it or not, should I bother to explain it or just let them assume I’m less strict than I used to be?

    3. Is it ok to type something if I know my secular coworker will probably print it out for themselves?

    Sources would be much appreciated. Thanks!

    #1034930
    aries2756
    Participant

    If you already asked your Rav then why do you feel the need to get confirmation from others? Once you ask a Rav a sheilah that should be all the confirmation one needs. Why bother asking a Rav anything if you don’t trust him to give you the appropriate answer or if you don’t feel satisfied with his answer?

    Obviously it has come to a point where we trust Rabbonim less and less and look to others for moral and halachic support more and more.

    #1034931
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    Because I’m curious, besides I’m sure he is happy for me to do my own research too. I go to find out what I can and can’t do, not to learn all of Hilchos CHM standing on one foot.

    My Rav is very clear that he is telling me halacha for my situation. He’s not telling me that I HAVE to type on CHM, just that it’s permitted. So I’m allowed to type this and find out everything he doesn’t have the time to explain.

    #1034932
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    I see we’re all on YWN so I am pretty sure it really is permitted.

    #1034933
    missme
    Member

    what’s the heter to type on a computer forum? (no need for the wisecracks, what am i doing here. i am asking.) i understand your heter was for work purposes, not entertainment.

    #1034934
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    He said there’s no real issur (remember I took it upon myself to stop typing, not bec. of halacha.) I’m showing my emunas chachamim by typing this that I believe it is permissible.

    Also, if I’m going to type secular stuff, I may as well also learn some halacha along the way.

    #1034935
    missme
    Member

    you said it is “davar ha’aveid”, so it sounds like you told your rov you may entail a loss, hence the heter. without the davar ha’aveid you can’t rely on a heter given for a davar ha’aveid. ywn isn’t a davar ha’aveid.

    #1034936
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    I put that in, he didn’t say that. Sorry. Due to disclosure issues I didn’t put the whole story in either. Just wanted y’all to feel comfortable answering.

    #1034938
    bpt
    Participant

    If I understood the “writing” issue clearly, its becuase in the old days, writing was a skill / craft (like tanning, ironwork, ect) and not something that was done by everyone and all the time. So like many other melochos that are not needed for immediate use, writing was put on the no list.

    That said, I make every effort not to write with a pen on chol hamoed.

    I don’t think computers even enter the equation. (unless you’re balancing your checkbook, just to get a head start on the end of the month).

    Besides, CR chatting is not work, its a trip!

    #1034939
    mw13
    Participant

    “Isn’t there such a thing as if you do something 3 times, it’s a shvuah?”

    That’s only a dvar mitzva, or something that there is a halachic reason to do. However, since your Rav has said that there is no inyun not to type, you not typing was not a dvar mitzvah, and therefore I would assume there was no shvuah. However, as aries2756 said, if you truly have a problem you should consult your Rav.

    “If I told the secular ppl I work with that I try to not type on CHM, then got a psak from my Rav that I can, should I do it or not, should I bother to explain it or just let them assume I’m less strict than I used to be?”

    I would imagine that if you don’t tell them anything they’ll assume you simply don’t keep that halacha anymore. Therefore, I would assume you should explain the situation to them (although I’m not sure how exactly how you would do that) to avoid a chillul Hashem. However, as always, all halacha li’maseh shailos should go to your LOR.

    “Is it ok to type something if I know my secular coworker will probably print it out for themselves?”

    Hmmm… that sounds suspiciously like a halacha li’maseh shailah, one of those things that should be asked to your LOR.

    #1034940
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    Thank you so much mw13 for your answer.

    I’m thinking about how to avoid making a chilul Hashem in this way.

    (Re the last point about getting it printed, you’re right that was halacha l’maase and he said it’s fine.)

    #1034941
    mw13
    Participant

    paschabchochma: You’re very welcome.

    “I’m thinking about how to avoid making a chilul Hashem in this way.”

    Yeah, I’m trying to figure out how to explain it to them… maybe just say that one is not allowed to write during this time, and until now you weren’t sure if typing is writing so you finally got around to asking you Rabbi who said it’s OK.

    #1034942
    pascha bchochma
    Participant

    MW13: prob is that I do write, just with a shinui. But some variation of what you said will have to work – “I thought I couldn’t asked my rabbi who said I could”

    You know, I feel lucky to have coworkers who are so understanding, but I think I overexplained CHM and should have just kept it to “we’re only allowed to do stuff we need to do” end of story. Now I know for next time.

    #1034943

    its forbidden to type on chol hamoed

    #1034944

    im kidding. (if you can’t figure out why, then too bad)

    #1034945
    chofetzchaim
    Member

    “If I told the secular ppl I work with that I try to not type on CHM, then got a psak from my Rav that I can, should I do it or not, should I bother to explain it or just let them assume I’m less strict than I used to be?”

    I assume you can just explain to them that you misunderstood the halacha.

    “Is it ok to type something if I know my secular coworker will probably print it out for themselves?”

    As far as I understand it, there is no issue at all of typing. It is specifically writing that we don’t do. I don’t think that printing would even fall under the category of writing and if anything it would be no worse (probably better) than writing with a shinuy

    #1034946
    Midwest2
    Participant

    Another thought:

    There’s no kiyum to typing on a computer screen. It isn’t “really” there. On the disk it’s just a pattern of magnetism, and on the monitor it’s just a pattern of chemical dots which have been momentarily activated by an electron beam.

    BUT printing out is another matter. Then it has a kiyum, like anything written or typed on a machine. I don’t print anything out unless it’s a davar ha-eved or a need for the chag (e.g. grocery list).

    Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

    #1034947
    Ben Torah
    Participant
    #1034948
    Chortkov
    Participant

    There’s no kiyum to typing on a computer screen. It isn’t “really” there. On the disk it’s just a pattern of magnetism, and on the monitor it’s just a pattern of chemical dots which have been momentarily activated by an electron beam.

    For the same reason, there is no problem of ????? if you write ???? online, because it is nothing and does not count as writing. So if you write the ?? ???, you would be allowed to delete it.

    [Somebody once told me that even if you argue and hold that it is called ?????, one would be permitted to delete it, because everything deleted leaves a trace than can be undeleted with the right software.

    I said that if there would be a problem, the problem would be minimizing it, not deleting it [because every time it comes onto the screen it is recreated; i don’t think it is ‘stored invisibly’ on the taskbar. But I am not sure]

    BUT printing out is another matter. Then it has a kiyum, like anything written or typed on a machine. I don’t print anything out unless it’s a davar ha-eved or a need for the chag (e.g. grocery list).

    Then it has a kiyum, like anything written or typed on a machine – Er – didn’t you just say that something typed on a machine has no kiyum?

    And I am not sure if that will be a problem – printing is only a ???? – you push a button and it sends an image to the printer and sets the ink running… is it not like asking a goy to write for you ? You aren’t writing it yourself!

    #1034949
    Toi
    Participant

    yekke- my rebbe (who is a first class posek and fluent in shas) told me that printing is indeed a problem.

    #1034950
    Sam2
    Participant

    Yekke: R’ Elyashiv says that a computer screen is real K’siva and that changing the screen is an Issur of M’chikas Hashem (he held that Bar Ilan was a tremendous problem).

    #1034951
    hello99
    Participant

    Computer screens constantly refresh themselves, many times every second. When you erase something, you are not truly erasing it, merely preventing it from being rewritten. I spoke to Rav Feinhandler who wrote a Sefer called Ginzei HaKodesh on the topic, and he confirmed that Rav Elyashiv was not aware of this Metzius.

    #1034952
    Chacham
    Participant
    #1034953
    Chacham
    Participant

    hello99-

    If i remember correctly Rav Y. Feinhandler in Ginzei hakodesh presents the metzious that it is constantly refreshing itself.

    #1034954
    Chacham
    Participant

    hello99- I think I saw in Ashrei ha’ish ????? ??”? ??? on shabbos nogea kosev, that rav Elyashiv said even though the ksav itself has no kiyum and is being refreshed etc. it is still kosev mdoiraysa since it is nechshav derech ksiva.

    In Yabia Omer 8 OC 48 says

    ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ????: ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????, ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????, ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????. ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??, ??? ????, ??”?.

    IN Nishmas Avraham he brings down from Rav Shlomo Zalman ??? ?? ????”? ???????? ??”?: ??? ?? ????????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ????? ????, ?? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? (??”? ????????? ???? ???) ???? ??? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???.

    Shmiras Shabbos Khilchosa brings down from rav shlomo zalman and rav moshe nogea a typewriter, that it is not a maaseh uman so it will be muttar only ltzoirach hamoed.

    However, yesh lchalek by a computer Like the yabia omer

    #1034955
    hello99
    Participant

    chacham: Rav Feinhandler was already aware of the metzius, but his point was that HaRav Elyashiv’s psak was not based on it. None of the other Teshuvos you quoted address it either. Even if typing to a monitor would be kesiva, erasing it is merely preventing a new kesiva and not mechika.

    #1034956
    Oh Shreck!
    Participant

    ?iunihs a htiw ti od ew tsum ro epyt ot dewolla eno si oS

    #1034957
    Chacham
    Participant

    hello99–

    I do not understadnd why the fact it constantly refreshes itself it should not be a mechika. Misvara, I would say the way we should dan everything is the way we see it. Ain hachi nami this is what really is occurring, however, the way we see it is a mechika.

    Besides, in hilchos gerama if something is setup to do a specific action, it would not be considered a gerama. An example is the malacha of zoreh which the entire melacha is a gerama. So if I have a button that says on it “Backspace” it is meyuchad to erase so it should not be considered a gerama.

    #1034958
    Joseph
    Participant

    Is it relevant that the typing is for entertainment purposes?

    #1034959
    yentachaya
    Participant

    If you’re all on here and typing replies ON CHOL HAMOED, then obviously you feel that it’s okay 🙂

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