Exam Notes

Gozez (Shearing)

• Definition: Severing/uprooting any growing part of a living creature's body.

• Applies to living and dead animals.

• Plucking hair from natural fur is considered Gozez.

• R' Moshe Feinstein: Plucking feathers from cooked chicken is permissible because cooking loosens feathers, and removing them is not an act of Gozez.

Halachic Issues with Removing Feathers

1. Gozez (Shearing): Generally prohibited, but allowed post-cooking.

2. Borer (Selecting/Sorting): Removing feathers (waste) from food (chicken).

• Permissible Solutions:

  • Removing an obstruction (feathers covering chicken).

  • Normal way of eating (pulling out feathers in the mouth).

  • Peeling off skin with feathers.

  • Immediate preparation (plucking right before eating).

Applications

• Cutting hair: Assur D'Oraisa (scissors), Assur D'Rabanan (plucking).

• Cutting nails: Assur D'Oraisa (file/nail clipper), D'Rabanan (biting).

• Hangnail: If more than halfway detached, remove it by hand (not with an instrument) to relieve discomfort; this leniency doesn't apply to loose/dead skin.

• Dead Skin: If normal to rip off, Assur D'Oraisa.

• Biting your lip: Normal way - Assur D'Oraisa

• Removing a Band-Aid from hairy skin:

  1. Gently and slowly (Mutar).

  2. Use water/soap (Mutar).

  3. If discomfort, remove quickly (Mutar).

• Picking nose: permissible, but strict is blessed

• Combing hair: Assur to comb hair with comb;

  • You can brush hair with fingers

• Cutting skin to take out splinter
  *Potential concerns: Gozez and causing bleeding
  *Permissible solution: Cut skin without fully severing it

Dandruff

• Not allowed to scratch head if it makes dandruff fall down, but can remove loose dandruff.

Melaben (Laundering/Whitening)

• Derived from cleaning wool in Mishkan.

• Three steps of washing:

  • {\rm Sh\ariya} (soaking)

  • {\rm Sh\ifshuf} (rubbing/scrubbing)

  • ${\rm Schita}$ (squeezing/wringing)

• Material must be absorbent, liquid must clean, and even partial cleaning is Assur.

• Soaking is washing, except for leather, plastic, rubber/nylon.

Applications

• Spilling on a tablecloth: Linen - Assur, Plastic - Mutar, Waterproof tablecloth - Probably Mutar, Hard plastic -Mutar

• Leather shoes: wetting the rubber and stitching should be avoided to remove mud

• Walking through water

  • Michaber - Even derech lichloch is assur

  • Rama - derech lichloch is mutar

• Drying hands on a towel

  • Michaber - best to get most water off your hand before drying

  • Rama - Doing it normal way is fine
    Conditions of Shriya

  1. Wet enough to wet something else

  2. Type of fabric that absorbs

  3. Clearish liquid

  4. Significant amount of towel is wet

• Cleaning up spills

  • If small amount no issue

    1. Put cloth on top and let it absorb it

    2. DON'T PRESS DOWN HARD

  • Liquid type

    1. if colored liquid Mutar because no concern of squeezing out

    2. Clear liquid

       • Assur (because might wring out)

         • Mop

         • garment

       • Mutar

         • Paper towel

         • Rag

• Drying dishes Towels on shabbos only wash dishes if going to reuse or use multiple towels to switch when one gets to damp

• Walking near a place you might fall and need to wring out your clothes

Grape Juice Stain on Shirt

• Squeeze for juice = ${\rm Dush}$

• Squeeze for cleaning = ${\rm Schita}$ (Melaben)

• Squeeze & suck juice = ${\rm Dush + Melaben}$

Removing Dust from Garments

• Gemara: Liable for shaking a cloak.

• Rashi: Problem is Melaben, some say Makkah bePattish (final touch).

• Tosfos: Issue is Schita (shaking off dew), dust is not Melaben.

  • Sefardim: Permitted (follows Tosfos).

  • Ashkenazim: Prohibited if Makpid (care about the dust).

• Only a problem if you care about the dust (Makpid).

  • Dark/new clothing: Assur.

  • Light/old clothing: Mutar.

• How to do it (Mutar):

  • Lightly brush with hand or dry cloth.

  • Shake lightly.

• What not to do (Assur):

  • No brushes or vigorous rubbing.
    Don’t ask a non-Jew directly

Applications

• Lint roller: Assur

• Removing a Stain:

  • With water - Assur.

  • Without water: If significant dirt and You would wear it (Mutar) else Assur.

  • If it will leave a stain and it is moist:

    1. Scrape off dirt with fingernail.

    2. Rub gently with dry cloth.

    3. Use flat part of knife.

    4. Rub the reverse side of garment.

• Can't use a brush, can't use moisture or rub vigorously

• Dry stain Issues:
  *Tochen - grinding up the dirt which is Drabanan

Cleaning Carpets on Shabbat

• Vacuum: Assur.

• Carpet Sweeper: Machlokes Poskim.

  • R’ Felder: Assur.

  • R’ Ovadia: Mutar.

Hanging Wet Clothing

• Problem if Ma'aras Ayin.

• Only problem if hung where things are normally hung, wet enough to make other things wet.

• Abnormal ways of drying:

  • Outdoor line = Assur.

  • Indoor drying rack = Assur.

  • Over a door = Mutar.

  • Over a chair = Mutar.

  • Closet = Mutar.

  • Bathroom = Depends.

Getting Caught in a Rainstorm

• Issue: Schita.

• Still permitted because no way to avoid it, unintended & unwanted, done with a Shinui.

Getting Caught in a Snowstorm

1. First layer you can brush off

2. If it melts - can't shake off snow or wring it out

3. Plastic raincoat can shake it off

Folding Clothing Needs 5 Conditions

1. He needs to wear this article of clothing again on Shabbat,

2. The clothing is new (has never been washed).

3. The clothing is white,

4. He folds it by himself, without the aid of another person or a piece of furniture.

5. He has no other clothing

Folding a Tallis: 3 Opinions

1. Assur

2. Mutar to fold

3. Don't fold tallis on creases/refold on Motzei Shabbos

Folding a Blanket

• If it's thick, it has no creases, so it's Mutar.

Menafetz (Combing)

• Combing wool after separation to turn it into strings.

1. Issue if for positive purpose

2. Only assur if planning on making fibers into threads after

Combing a Sheitel on Shabbos

• Issues: Menafetz, Tikun Manna
  *Avney Nezer: Assur
  *Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchaso: Assur
  *R' Mordechai Willig: Mutar

Melachot of the Loom

Tovah (Spinning)

• Twisting hair/fibers into a thread.

• Assur with hand or tool.
  Even twisting thin strings into a thicker one is Assur

Practical App

• Re-twisting strings of Tzitzis that are starting to unwind

• Taking a cotton ball and twisting it into a wick

אורג • Definition – Weaving – Making a fabric by weaving threads up and under another thread

• Practical App – Lanyard – Braiding Sheitel Hair

Tzoveah (Dyeing)

• In Mishkan, they dyed wool.

• Difference between Cosev (writing one letter) and Tzoveah (enhancing background that the letter is written on).

• Three levels of Tzoveah:

  • D'Oraisa: Long lasting (like dye in Mishkan).

  • D'Rabanan: Temporary coloring.

  • Mutar: Very brief, easily wiped away.
    Mutar colorings:

  • Indirect coloring affect - photo-grey glasses
    Does Not stick to surface well - Red wine into a wine glass
    APP: Sun Tanning

  • Minchas Yitzchak - Assur.

  • R’ Shlomo Zalmin Aurbach - Mutar.
    Cosmetics

Cosmetic Applications Shulchan Orech

• Sun tan lotion cream is Assur, spray is Mutar

• Not trying to color the lenses just trying to block the sun thats Mutar the color is temporary

• Mutar to put paprika into cooked food, Mutar to dip bread into liquid
  Mixing food for taste - not intending to change the color and its very brief because you're planning on eating it - not Tzoveah

Coloring centerpieces

1. Coloring a vase with water with food coloring - Assur

2. Coloring a drink for flavor - Mutar

3. Coloring drink for color AND flavor - Machlokes

Making Iced Tea

Polishing Shoes on Shabbos Assur Potential

1. Adding an extra coating (Tzoveah) of color,

2. Smoothing out the cream (Memarech) is prohibited,

3. Use of a sponge (Dosh),

4. Oils for the leather polish (Meaved)

Toilet Disinfectants

Best to avoid using these kinds of toilets

Cosmetics

• Improving the look of something by changing its color
  Kosher Shabbos Makeup:

1. Tested

2. And your face is dry

3. No mixing color

4. Loose powder

Kosher Knots - Two Factors For It to Be Assur Dioraisa

Professional Knot -type - uman
Permanent knot -time - kayem
One factor-drabanan
Slip knot Can be easily untied by pulling on a free end
True Knot is Kesher, Slip Knot is Aniva

Tying a Garbage Bag Single knot=mutar

Tying a Tie on shabbos is Mutar