Rambam In-Depth: Does the Rambam Hold You Don't Wear Tefillin on Chol HaMoed?

Welcome to Rambam In-Depth! In today’s shiur we analyze the Rambam in Hilchos Shvitas Yom Tov (Perek Zayin, Halacha Yud Gimmel), uncovering one of the most fascinating and subtle debates in halachic literature: does the Rambam hold that Chol HaMoed is a zman tefillin or not?

The Rambam rules that writing is forbidden on Chol HaMoed — including seforim, tefillin, and mezuzos. The only heteirim he provides are writing for oneself (לעצמו), and writing to sell if one has nothing to eat (k’dei parnasaso). From here, the Kesef Mishne draws a striking inference: since there is no practical purpose in writing tefillin if you’re not going to wear them on Chol HaMoed — the Rambam must hold Chol HaMoed is NOT a zman tefillin.

But that same Kesef Mishne, in Hilchos Tefillin (Perek Daled, Halacha Yud), appears to say the OPPOSITE — that the Rambam’s language implies there IS a chiyuv of tefillin on Chol HaMoed! How do we resolve this contradiction?

🧠 KEY TOPICS COVERED:

• The Rambam’s hetter to write tefillin l’atzmo on Chol HaMoed
• Why the Ritva and Ran explain this hetter as preparation for after Yom Tov
• The Kesef Mishne’s two seemingly contradictory diyukim from the same Rambam
• The Maaseh Rokeach’s resolution
• The Binyan Shlomo’s distinction: mezuzah vs. tefillin as a hovas haguf
• Whether the Rambam’s issur of Chol HaMoed melacha is d’oraisa or derabbanan
• The Zohar’s position on tefillin on Chol HaMoed and the Rambam’s awareness of it

📚 SOURCES REFERENCED:

• Rambam — Hilchos Shvitas Yom Tov 7:13
• Rambam — Hilchos Tefillin 4:10
• Kesef Mishne (Rav Yosef Karo) — both locations
• Ritva and Ran — on the hetter to write tefillin for oneself
• Maaseh Rokeach — resolution of the Kesef Mishne contradiction
• Binyan Shlomo — distinction between tefillin and mezuzah
• Beis Yosef — citing the Zohar on Chol HaMoed tefillin

❓ QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:

1. How do you hold regarding tefillin on Chol HaMoed?
2. Are there other places where the Kesef Mishne contradicts himself about the Rambam?
3. Does the fact that the Rambam may have relied on the Zohar change how we understand his rulings?

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