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We are beginning siman 2. The Chayei Adam writes that it is assur miderabanan to gather anything in the place in which it originally grew or developed. This applies even to something which does not grow from the ground. Even though we learned in the previous siman that meameir is not assur if it is not mokom gidulo, over here, since it is technically the mokom gidul of the salt, people will confuse between an item which grew from the ground (siman 1) and which did not (siman 2). The Chayei Adam writes that an example of an item to which this siman applies is salt from a salt mine.
Although the Chayei Adam gives the example of salt taken from salt mines, the Gemara refers to salt as being mined from misrefos. Rashi explains that they would create shallow pools near the beach, and allow the salt water to gather in the pools. Then they would wait for the sun to evaporate the water and leave the salt. Rashi’s case is more similar to the issur deoraysa in that Rashi seems to understand that taking the salt from these pools approximates the growing process. However, the Chayei Adam seems to extend this issur to the salt mines as well, even though one could argue that a salt mine would not be confused with the natural growing process. Nevertheless, he understood that a salt mine could also be confused as a mokom gidul and that the issur derabanan applies to it as well.
In siman 3, the Chayei Adam discusses another possible situation in which there could be a concern for meameir. We learned that meameir is defined as bundling items together in order to transport them elsewhere. The Chayei Adam writes that if one connects the items together, such as pressing figs together to create a fig cake, it is also the issur of meameir. Similarly, stringing figs and pressing dates would also fall under this issue. The Nishmas Adam argues that it may only be a toldah, and not the av, of the melacha, since it is missing the element of mokom gidulo, but nevertheless it will be chayav. Thus, stringing fruit as an activity for children will be assur on Shabbos.
Summary
Meameir is the melacha of gathering items from their mokom gidulo in order to transport them elsewhere. It only applies to gidulei karka and only in their mokom gidul.
Items which do not grow from the ground but still have a mokom gidul, such as salt, will be assur miderabanan.
Pressing or stringing fruits is also an issue of meameir and is assur mideoraysa.
