Question:
Is it permissible to schedule surgery to remove a teenager’s wisdom teeth on chol hamoed? The reasons are due to the non-Jewish doctor’s availability, and so the teenager won’t miss any time from yeshiva studies.
Answer:
It is not permitted to schedule the appointment for Chol Hamoed. This is since scheduling an appointment is considered mechaven melachto b’moed, (planning work for Chol Hamoed), and even a davar ha’aved is not allowed to be done on Chol Hamoed is it was originally planned for then. As a side point although Torah learning is very important and every minute of wasted time is a tremendous loss, nevertheless it isn’t clear that saving time from learning is halachically considered a davar ha’aved.
Sources:
Shulchan Aruch O:CH 538-1, M:B 11.
