Carrying the Tikun Back Home

Ask the Rov: May I carry my Tikun Leil Shavuos home after I’m done using it?

By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah

The Torah prohibits melacha on yom tov, yet permits melacha for the sake of food (ochel nefesh). On top of that, the principle of mitoch (“from the fact”) teaches that once a melacha is permitted for food purposes, that same melacha is also allowed for any other yom tov purpose.¹

Yet, this allowance is subject to several conditions, including: that the melacha will be enjoyed on yom tov, it is for the sake of yom tov or another passing mitzvah, it is a universal need (shaveh lechol nefesh), and it is for a yid.²

Chazal heavily restricted the permitted melachos to ensure that one should actually enjoy yom tov and not be busy all day with melacha. They therefore ruled that any melacha that could be done before yom tov without compromising the taste or freshness of the food cannot be done on yom tov. However, they did not place this restriction on carrying so as not to jeopardize simchas yom tov.³

Carrying a Tikun Leil Shavuos to shul is surely allowed since it will be used on yom tov. But what about bringing it home after use?

We find that Chazal permitted certain activities on yom tov after having finished his yom tov needs so that he will agree to begin the activity (hitiru sofan mishum techilasan – they permitted the end because of the beginning). For example, they permitted putting out the hide of an animal slaughtered on yom tov for people to trample on it (which helps for the tanning) to encourage shechita on yom tov so that meat is available.⁴

Thus, halacha states that one may bring home a machzor or tallis after use since if people couldn’t bring it home, and there is a risk of it getting lost or damaged in shul, they wouldn’t bring it to shul in the first place. However, if it was already in shul for a while before yom tov, that allowance isn’t applicable. ⁵ Some say that this allowance is only for mitzva related items, while other add that if he would wholeheartedly bring it to shul regardless, he should leave it there. ⁶

If one has a safe place to keep it in shul or it is a garmet or talis that can be worn, some say he should do so and not rely on the heter. If the garment or talis was worn to shul, he must wear it home since there is no hitiru sofan mishum techilasan, and just as he wore it there he can wear it back.

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From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash