Question:
ב”ה
Dear Rabbi
I thank you so much your help and kindness in answering my shailos. I want to be stringent and honor Rosh Chodesh
properly with for Hashem always and to do the right thing by Torah and Mitzvos.
.
I ask if I should cancel an appointment with mechanic to fix my car, I had made an appointment not realizing that Wednesday is Rosh Chodesh. I know that working is permitted but maybe it will honor higher if I make the appointment for another day. Fixing the car would enable me with peace of mind to shop and also have meals for Rosh Chodesh at kosher restaurant and also at home however I could still use the car, fill it with what is needed and B’Ezrat Hashem it could be okay hopefully until after Rosh Chodesh.
I thank you Rabbi for your kindness
Chodesh Tov
Answer:
Your attitude towards Rosh Chodesh is terrific. In fact your idea of Rosh Chodesh is exactly the idea of Rosh Chodesh. I once heard from R’ Zaidel Epstein zt”l, ( see M’imrei Shlomo 2-68 regarding Rosh Chodesh) that one of the ideas of not doing melacha on Rosh Chodesh, is that although it does not say specifically in the torah that we are not to do melacha, nevertheless women choose to abstain from doing some melachos on Rosh Chodesh. He says that the idea is that in a certain sense, since we accepted the torah, and now we are obligated to keep it, in a sense it isn’t being done out of love and because we want to do H-shem’s will. This is the idea of Rosh Chodesh, to have a mitzvah that we don’t have to do unless we specifically want to. This is what you are describing to me!
On a practical level though, you are allowed to bring your car to the mechanic on Rosh Chodesh. Although there are certain melachos that woman abstain from doing on Rosh Chodesh, (such as doing laundry and sewing), it depends on the minhag of your area, and it is doubtful that that is the minhag in the place that you live. Aside from this, even if it would be the minhag in your area, you are permitted to do melacha to prevent a loss, since it is not worse than Chol Hamoed, when we may not do numerous melachos, but to prevent a loss it is permitted.
Sources:
Shulchan Aruch 417-1, M:B ibid -4, Chut Shani (Shabbos) 4- pg. 318.
