Carrying on Jewish Holidays

Sep 19, 1997 - 21:10 -

I have a question:
According to Jewish Law, is it permissible for a Jew to carry a prayer shawl or Lulov & Etrog to synagogue on a Festival Yom Tov? I know it is not permissible on Shabbat. If there is an eruv (gate around the environs of the home and synagogue is it possibe to carry on Shabbat? Thanks Bill

About me: William Kurry, a Jew who wants to learn more about Judiasm.
My e-mail address: kurry1@ix.netcom.com
How I found this site: Been here before.

Thanks for your questions, William.

There are three things an observant Jew can do on Yom Tov that one can't do on Shabbat: cook, light a fire from a pre-existing fire, and carry. (All three permissions only apply to actions performed in observance of the Yom Tov.) So yes, you can bring those items between synagogue and home.

An eruv is more than just a fence, and can be a tricky thing, so I advise consulting a rabbi who specializes in eruvin to determine if you have a valid one that includes your home and synagogue. But if you do, you can carry within it.

(An eruv around your own house and yard --- e.g., to carry food to the sukkah on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot --- is pretty straightforward, but to include a path to the shul and the shul itself gets challenging.)

--- Jordan