Contextual note: The questioner is a 17-year old boy, writing on the last day of hol ha-mo’ed Sukkot (Hoshanah Rabbah)
Hi Rabbi Simon
With regard to shaving, I find it really uncomfortable to sleep with a few days to a week’s stubble and was wondering whether it would be permitted today as I regularly shave erev shabbat and yomtov.
Thank you
Danny
Hi Danny,
If your circumstances are of genuine discomfort(מקום צער) it would seem that the rabbinic interdiction against shaving on Hol ha-Mo’ed (the intermediate days of the festival, ie Sukkot and Pesach) would not apply (ie, לא גזרו רבנן in such a case). We can also consider Rav Moshe Feinstein’s lenient view (Iggerot Moshe OH 1:163). There are also other respected authorities who take a lenient view, for one who shaves regularly. Nevertheless, I would not rely on those opinions were it not for the discomfort you describe.
Pitka tava and hag same’ah,
Rabbi Rashi Simon