חורש The prohibition of plowing includes all activity which improves the soil in preparation for planting. Some examples of this prohibition are 1. Digging holes or making furrows. 2. Leveling the ground either by lowering a mound or by filling in a depression. 3. Fertilizing. 4. Clearing the ground by removing twigs, stones, etc. 5. Watering land for planting. It is prohibited to drag heavy furniture on the ground if the furniture will always make furrows, however, it is permitted to drag furniture on the ground that it is so light that furrows are not always made. The Sages prohibited walking in a plowed field which is awaiting seeding (since the earth might be leveled by kicking a stone or soil into a hole.) NOTE: If one levels ground in a place that is usually not planted, such as earthen floors of a house, it is a violation of work category 34 - Constructing.
The prohibition of sowing includes all activity which causes the growth of plants. NOTE: One is in violation of sowing as soon as the action is done even though growth or germination will not take place until after Shabbos. Some examples of this prohibition are: 1. Sowing, (placing seeds in soil, even in a flower pot.) 2. Planting. 3. Grafting. 4. Pruning. (If the person's intention was to prune only for the benefit of the tree he is guilty of sowing. If his intention was also to use the branches cut off during the pruning process he is also guilty of work category 3, Reaping). 5. Weeding. 6. Watering any place where plants, seeds, or trees grow. It is prohibited to wash hands in a place where the water will fall on plants. It is advisable not to use liquids which promote plant growth in places where plants grow because of the possibility of spillage. The preceding laws must be adhered to at lawn and garden parties. 7. Soaking seeds in water to soften them before planting. (This procedure makes the seeds grow better when planted in the soil. One is in violation of sowing as soon as the seeds are placed in the water for soaking). Therefore, one should be careful, when feeding birds, not to throw seeds on wet soil or where it rains. 8. Placing a potted plant on soil, (because plants will derive nourishment from the soil). 9. Moving a potted plant into the sun (since it will grow better). It is permitted to open a shade on Shabbos although the sun will then shine on plants near the window. 10. Placing cut flowers in water, or adding or changing the water is prohibited by the Sages. These same prohibitions apply to twigs or branches without flowers on them. However, if one filled a vase with water before Shabbos and desires on Shabbos to place in it twigs or branches that have no flowers or buds (for example a lulav) he should consult a competent Rabbi.
The prohibition of reaping includes all activity which sever a growing thing from its place of growth.
Some examples of this prohibition are: 1. Cutting or plucking flowers, grass, leaves, twigs, fruits or berries from soil, bushes or trees. 2. Cutting or plucking mushrooms or moss from stones or wood. (This applies even though the stone or wood is detached from the soil, since the cutting or plucking is detaching a growing thing from its place of growth). NOTE: Cutting or plucking by hand or with an implement is a Biblical prohibition. Plucking with the mouth is Rabbinical prohibition, according to most sages. 3. Many Sages state that it is a Biblical prohibition of reaping to lift a potted plant off the soil (because the plants are deriving nourishment from the earth and the pot is consequently considered attached to the earth). However, Rashi and Tosfoth state that this is a Rabbinical prohibition. It is also prohibited to cut or pluck plants in a flower pot. The Sages prohibited removing the attached honey combs from a bee-hive because it is similar to reaping. The Sages have also prohibited the following because it might lead to cutting or plucking. 1. Climbing a tree (even if there are no fruit or twigs on the branches. The Sages prohibited climbing trees and did not differentiate between cases). 2. Hanging objects on a tree. 3. Leaning against a tree that could move under one's weight. 4. Smelling fruit on a tree. (Smelling flowers is permitted because flowers are not edible and the Sages did not fear that one would cut or pluck them). 5. Eating or handling fruit found under a tree (because one might climb the tree to pick more fruit). 6. Riding on an animal or a wagon pulled by an animal (because one might tear off a twig to use as a whip). It is permitted to use a hammock on Shabbos if the following two conditions are satisfied. A) The hammock was hung by hooks to the tree before Shabbos. B) The tree does not move under a person's weight. One should be careful not to run through high grass for fear of ripping them out of the ground. However, it is permitted to walk through grass of any height.
Work Category 4, Sheaf-Making The prohibition of sheaf-making includes all activity by which products of the earth are gathered together into units or groups at the place where it is the custom to gather them. It is therefore prohibited to gather into piles grain, fruit or wood which are found in a field. However, it is permitted to gather these products if they are in a house or yard. It is permitted to gather together fruit that spilled on the floor in a house or yard providing that: 1. They did not mix with dirt and pebbles. (This would involve work category 7, Separating). 2. They did not scatter widely over the floor. (This would involve much work to gather them together and would be prohibited as a "weekday work.") It is prohibited to press or string together "natural products such as figs or pearls, even where they do not grow. The Sages prohibited gathering things at its place of origin even if these things are not grown from the earth. Examples would be gathering salt at its source or eggs in a chicken coop.
The prohibition of threshing forbids separating a product from waste under the following conditions. 1. The product comes from the earth. 2. The product and waste grew together. 3. The product and waste are attached. (Some Sages prohibit separating when the product and waste are detached and the product is contained in the waste). 4. The product and waste are different entities. 5. The normal procedure is not to separate the waste from the product for immediate consumption or for consumption at the meal under preparation. Some examples of this prohibition are: 1. Threshing. (Separating the husk and the grain satisfies all five conditions). 2. Shelling nuts from their green shells. 3. Squeezing juice out of grapes, olives, oranges and lemons. (The pulp of the fruit is considered waste. The details of squeezing will be explained later in this chapter). It is, however, permitted to: 1. Peel an orange (because condition five is not satisfied). 2. Shell nuts from their hard shells (because condition five is not satisfied). NOTE: In all cases where it is permitted to peel or shell a product, it is permissible to do so only for immediate consumption or for consumption at the meal under preparation. The following are some laws of squeezing (סחיטה) 1. It is prohibited to squeeze juice from fruits, such as grapes, olives, oranges and lemons. This prohibition applies only if the juice will remain a liquid. For example, the juice is squeezed from the fruit into an empty cup or a cup containing liquid. Therefore, it is prohibited to squeeze juice from a lemon into tea. However, juice may be squeezed from the fruit directly on to solid foods (because the juice is then considered a solid). For example, it is permitted to squeeze juice from lemons directly on to fish or sugar. (But it is prohibited to squeeze such a quantity of juice on food that either the food will dissolve and become a liquid, or the juice will run off the food and remain on the plate). In order to avoid transgressing the law of squeezing when preparing tea, one should soak a piece of lemon in the tea, or squeeze the juice of the lemon on sugar and then add the sugar to the tea. 2. It is prohibited to squeeze wine from wine-soaked bread. Some Sages even prohibit sucking wine from the bread. 3. It is prohibited to squeeze meat in order to get out the liquid absorbed in it. 4. Milking an animal on Shabbos is prohibited. However, it is permissible to ask a non-Jew to milk an animal on Shabbos to relieve the animal of pain. For additional details consult a competent Rabbi. 5. It is prohibited to squeeze water, juice, or any liquid out of any absorbent object such as cloth, paper towels, sponges, etc. A cloth should not be used to wipe up spilled liquids if the cloth will become sufficiently wet to make it possible that liquid will be squeezed out of it while it is being handled. For the same reason, wet clothing should not be handled. A sponge or absorbent cotton should never be used with liquid on Shabbos (because squeezing is inevitable). The Sages prohibited chopping snow, ice or hail into small pieces in order to. have water drip from them. It is also prohibited to put snow, ice or hail into an empty vessel to melt. (This is similar to "squeezing" because a liquid comes out of a solid. The Sages feared that if this would be permitted then people will think that squeezing fruit is permitted). It is permitted to put snow, ice or hail in a glass containing liquid (because the liquid is not seen oozing from the ice). Therefore, ice cubes should be added to a drink and not put into the glass first, and a small quantity of water must first be added to a plate or tray that is being used to serve ice cubes before the cubes are put in. Some Sages are of the opinion that one should not place a vessel containing water in a cold place to manufacture ice cubes on Shabbos.
Work Category 6, Winnowing One who winnows (throws grain into the air by means of a hand or shovel to have the wind separate the husk from the seed) transgresses this prohibition. It is further prohibited to blow apart the husk from the seed by mouth. (Also see work categories 9, 10, 11).
Work Category 7,
Separating The prohibition of separating includes all activity in which a mixture or group is improved by removing or sorting the less desirable parts.
The Mishna Berurah states that separating is permitted only if all the following three conditions are satisfied: 1. The desired object is taken from the undesired (and not the reverse). 2. The separating is not done with an implement used for this purpose such as a sieve or strainer. An implement not used expressly for separating but which makes separating easier than by hand is also prohibited. An implement not used expressly for separating and which does not make separating easier than it would be by hand is permitted to be used. (This would depend on the situation. Sometimes a fork makes separating easier than by hand and other times it does not). The hand, however, may be used to separate. 3. The separating must be done for immediate consumption or for consumption at the meal under preparation. For example, to legally separate a rotten pea from among good peas one must. A) Remove the good peas and leave over the rotten one. B) Use a hand, fork, or spoon. (These implements are permitted because they are not used expressly for separating and in this situation they do not make separating easier than by hand). C) Eat the peas immediately or serve them at the present meal under preparation. NOTE; If any one of these three conditions is missing then one transgresses the law of separating. (The Chaie Adam adds a fourth condition. The desired objects must be in the majority. For example, if the majority of peas are good peas then separating is permitted using the three other conditions. If the rotten peas are in the majority then separating is forbidden even if the other three conditions are satisfied). The law of separating also has application to clothing and vessels. For example, it is prohibited to separate clothing or vessels mixed in a pile. It is, however, permitted to choose a dress or suit from among others hanging in a closet or lift up a suit to get at another one underneath. (In these instances, the objects are considered already separate). The law of separating forbids one to choose between two different varieties of food where one is desired and one is undesired. The definition of variety includes cases where the same food was prepared differently, for example, roasted meat and cooked meat. One should thus serve roasted and cooked meat on separate platters or on the opposite sides of the same platter. One can avoid transgressing the law of separating, by simultaneously removing the undesired objects together with some of the desired objects. Some examples of this prohibition are: 1. Removing a fly that fell into a cup of liquid or dish of food is a violation of separating. It is, however, permitted to remove the fly with some liquid or food. 2. Removing the fat from meat is a violation of separating. Cutting away fat with some meat is permissible. 3. Removing a rotten pea together with good ones is permissible. NOTE: Although this procedure allows for the removal of the undesired from the desired even with an implement it does not, however, negate condition three, namely, that the separating must be done for immediate consumption or for the present meal under preparation. Some other examples of the prohibition of separating are: 1. Using a sieve, colander or strainer. 2. Straining coffee (separating the liquid from the grounds). 3. Pouring fat or oil from food (where the fat or oil is undesired). 4. Scraping off salt from a pretzel if the salt is removed without any part of the pretzel being attached to it, and where the salt is undesired. 5. Removing lumps of cereal from baby cereal. (To overcome this problem, either remove the lump with some cereal, or take the cereal and leave over the lump). 6. Putting milk in a warm place to turn into cheese (because the fat separates from the milk by becoming cheese. However, to churn milk and manufacture cheese is a violation of work category 34 - Creating a Substance.). It is permitted to peel fruit and vegetables or shell nuts only for immediate consumption or for the present meal under preparation. The laws of separating are complicated and have extensive differences in details. Specific cases should be presented to a competent Rabbi for a decision. next | previous | table of contents
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