We have completed siman 4, which discussed stuffing and restuffing a pillow. Today, we will discuss an application of this siman, which is blowing air into beachballs or air mattresses, or blowing balloons and so on.
If the item has never yet been blown up, it is more of an issue–as we learned regarding the pillow–because that makes it into a kli. However, some poskim are meikil if it is the type of item made to inflate and deflate regularly, because then adding air is not considered finishing the kli, but part of the way it is used. Thus, for example, these poskim would hold that a beachball which will normally be kept deflated in order to store it is muttar to inflate for the first time on Shabbos.
If it was already inflated once before, and one wishes to re-inflate it, the Mishnah Berurah points out that the heter of restuffing a pillow is only when the original material is reinserted into the pillow. Since this material was previously in the pillow, it is not considered a tikkun to return it there. However, if different materials are inserted, it is assur.
If so, regarding air, the air which will be reinserted into the ball is different material and it should be assur. On the other hand, one can argue that all air is of the same “unit”, so to say, as it is all part of the atmosphere. Rav Shlomo Zalman looks at air from the latter approach, and is matir. Rav Elyashiv was not comfortable with this approach.
There is one approach which differentiates between an item in which the air is meant to remain for a period of time, in which one should be machmir. However, something meant to be used for a short amount of time and then deflated can be reinflated on Shabbos. Examples would include children’s toys.
Obviously, an electric pump cannot be used. Regarding using a hand pump, some poskim are concerned for uvda d’chol, but other poskim are meikil. One should ask their rov.
In regards to blowing up balloons, there is an additional concern. We learned that there is a gezeira shema yitfor in certain situations, and similarly, Chazal enacted a gezeira shema yikshor, that one may come to make a knot. Seeing that it is natural to make a knot in a balloon after blowing it up, and that knot is a kesher shel kayama (because it remains even if the balloon pops and is discarded), this is a gezeira on a kesher deoraysa, so one should not blow up a balloon on Shabbos. However, if one intends to blow it up and have it fly around the room, there is no concern shema yikshor, and one would be allowed to do so. However, one would then have to grapple with the question of whether it needs to have been blown up previously, and, even if it was blown up previously, whether one can inflate it even though it is not the same air.
Summary
- Regarding items that are meant to be deflated and reinflated, if the item was never blown up before, most poskim hold it is assur to inflate it. If it was inflated before, there are different opinions, and one should ask their rov.
- Regarding blowing up a balloon, if one plans to tie it off, it is assur to blow it up even if one will not tie it. If one plans to use it without tying, there are different opinions and one should ask their rov.
- Some poskim allow the use of a hand pump. One should ask their rov.
We are beginning siman 4, which discusses a pillow that lost its stuffing. Pillows were made by taking two pieces of material and stitching them on three sides. Then, they were stuffed with soft material and stitched on the fourth side.
The first question is whether a person can fill up the pillow lechatchilla on Shabbos. For example, if before Shabbos the pillow was not filled, but the fourth side was stitched almost to the end, such that stuffing could be added on Shabbos and it would not fall out so quickly. The second question is whether the stuffing can be put back into the pillow if it falls out on Shabbos.
The Gemara discusses stuffing a pillow, and concludes that stuffing the pillow for the first time is assur, but refilling it is muttar. The question on the Gemara is what is the concern with filling it the first time, and why is it no longer a concern when refilling it.
Rashi explains that the concern when filling it for the first time is makeh bepatish, because the item goes from being two pieces of cloth to becoming a pillow. If makeh bepatish is the concern, it does not belong here in our Klal. However, there is a second explanation, which is that it is assur due to the concern shemah yitfor, a person will come to stitch the pillow closed. According to this opinion, the act of filling the pillow is not significant enough to be considered makeh bepatish, so there is no makeh bepatish concern. Rather, the concern is a person will get carried away and sew the pillow shut. However, once it has been filled and not fully sewed closed, since it was already made into a kli, Chazal were not concerned that a person would come to sew it when restuffing it.
One has to assume that it was common enough for the stuffing to fall out, such that it is not considered as though the kli completely lost its status of a kli when the stuffing fell out, because otherwise restuffing it would be akin to stuffing it for the first time according to Rashi, who holds the concern is makeh bepatish.
According to Rashi, Chazal did not prohibit stuffing the pillow due to shema yitfor, because there is already a deoraysa concern of makeh bepatish. However, it is hard to understand why, according to Rashi, there is no issue of shema yitfor when resewing the pillow.
According to the approach that the problem is shema yitfor, when Chazal make a gezeira, they prohibit it due to the natural tendencies of how people act. Thus, over here, Chazal prohibit stuffing the pillow for the first time, because it is natural to sew a pillow right after stuffing it. However, if the stuffing falls out, apparently, people were comfortable leaving the pillow open for a while before resewing, so there is no concern one would sew it on Shabbos. .
The Chayei Adam writes the concern of this pillow is shema yitfor, and adds that some hold it is makeh bepatish. It is not clear why the Chayei Adam assumes that the primary concern is shema yitfor rather than makeh bepatish. The Mishnah Berurah only mentions makeh bepatish.
Summary
A pillow cannot be stuffed for the first time on Shabbos. However, if it was already stuffed, and the stuffing fell out, it can be restuffed on Shabbos.
We are beginning siman 3. The siman is one line, but is not so simple.
The Chayei Adam writes that it is assur to stretch out a thread so that it is not compacted. Thread can be made by wrapping it around itself, but when that is done, the thread sometimes needs to be pulled in order to untangle, straighten or lengthen it. The source for this halacha is a Rambam, and the Rambam actually holds it is an issur deoraysa. Although there is no sewing performed, the act of preparing the thread and making it easier to use is included in the melacha. It will obviously be a toldah of the melacha, but it is still hard to understand why one would be chayav in this case.
To explain, we have to understand that the Rambam follows this approach elsewhere in hilchos Shabbos, calling it tzorechei hamelacha, something part of the process of performing a melacha. Although it does not significantly contribute to the primary melacha, the Rambam holds this action itself is assur mideoraysa. He applies this approach to melabein, bishul and tzoveya, among others. For example, stirring dye in a pot, or stirring food in a pot, is considered part of tzoveya and bishul, respectively. It is not clear how far the Rambam applies this concept.
The Chayei Adam himself holds that regarding stretching out the thread, even if one does not accept the Rambam’s opinion that it is assur mideoraysa, it is still assur miderabanan.
Previously, we discussed a case of a garment coming apart, and a person pulling on the stitching in order to tighten the stitching. This understanding of the Gemara’s case is based on Rashi. Based on this approach, according to the Rambam, even if there was no thread connecting between the two pieces of garment, one will be chayav for preparing the thread that will eventually be used to connect them.
According to the Rambam, the issur of tzorchei hamelacha applies when a person wishes to prepare to perform tofeir. If one does not intend to perform tofeir, such as if they are untangling their tzitzis strings, it would be muttar (assuming there are no issues of koshair or matir).
A knot which was made unintentionally can be untied, because it does not have the status of a knot. Therefore, even undoing an unintentional knot in the tzitzis can be muttar. It also is not relevant to the concern of tofeir, as we just said, so it will be muttar to undo the unintentional tangled knot.
Summary
Certain tzorchei hamelacha, actions which are an integral part of performing a melacha, are assur in their own right. Over here, smoothing or untangling a thread in order to perform tofeir is assur in and of itself.
We are beginning siman 2. The Chayei Adam begins with a case of a garment which has pleats in it. The pleats were stitched in place, but they began to come loose and the person wants to re-stitch them back into place. The Chayei Adam concludes that one would be chayav for tofeir. One of the achronim asks that if tofeir is defined as taking two distinct items and making them into one, how is this considered tofeir? He explains that when the pleats were originally stitched, there is no question that the stitching to create them is considered tofeir, because it is part of the process of making the garment into the desired garment. If so, restitching it will be chayav as well. Similarly, removing the stitches and spreading out the pleats will be chayav for koreiah.
The Chayei Adam gives an example of a garment which is made of several pieces of cloth stitched together, and the threads have become loose and are beginning to spread apart. The person wants to pull on the ends of the threads in order to tighten the stitches. The Chayei Adam writes that pulling on those threads will be a melacha deoraysa. Similarly, if the cloth has bunched up around a thread, it is an issur doeraysa to smooth out the thread.
If a garment has a drawstring that functions not only to help fit the garment properly, but also as part of making the appearance of the garment, then closing or opening the drawstring makes the garment more usable and according to the appearance a person desires, so it is assur to use the drawstring. We will clarify this point further in the upcoming shiur, be’ezras Hashem.
Summary
Adding, removing or fixing or tightening stitching that shapes the garment into its desired shape is considered tofeir or koreiah.
Cloth which has bunched up around a thread cannot be smoothed out. Similarly, manipulating a drawstring is assur, but we will clarify this point further in the upcoming shiur.
