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We are beginning siman 12, where we will begin the discussion of schita from clothing. We will learn that there are two potential melachos involved in the act of squeezing a liquid out of a beged (garment or cloth). One is the melacha of dosh, or specifically schita, and the other is melabein, laundering or cleansing. Chazal understand that soaking a cloth with liquid inherently cleanses the cloth by loosening the dirt on it, and squeezing the liquid out of the garment will pull the dirt out with it. Melabein literally means whitening, and refers to washing the wool shorn off of the animal. Broadly, it exends to any form of laundering or whitening of garments. Both of these melachos will apply to squeezing liquid from a garment, and we will have to take both into consideration in any given case.
Some rishonim argue that the fact that the liquid is not part of the natural cloth itself, but absorbed into it, may mean that the issue here is not schita (of dosh) on a Torah level (as opposed to squeezing fruits and the like, as we have learned previously). However, many rishonim understand that this form of schita will be an issur deoraysa. That being said, one of the definitions of the melacha of dosh mideoraysa is that the dosh is performed for the purpose of using the liquid. Many times, when a person squeezes liquid from a garment, they do not plan to use it but rather to discard it. If so, squeezing the garment will not be assur mideroaysa, because it is a melacha she’eina tzricha legufa.
Some rishonim take this point further, and hold that squeezing a garment is not akin to dosh at all. Dosh is the melacha of removing the kernel from the husk. To say that the liquid approximates the kernel and the garment represents the husk would only apply if the liquid is being taken out for use. If it is being squeezed to discard, it does not approximate dosh at all. Most rishonim disagree with this thought process, and we follow the assumption that it is included within the melacha of dosh, albeit an issur derabanan due to the melacha she’eina tzricha legufa component.
We will learn that if one has a saturated sponge or cloth which they are using to clean, squeezing the liquid is not considered discarding, because they want the liquid to leave the sponge in order to aid in the cleansing process. That liquid is liquid which a person intends to use, and squeezing such an item will be considered schita (of dosh) deoraysa.
Summary
- There is a potential issur of both dosh and melabein when squeezing out a cloth.
- The fact it is not a natural component of the cloth is not a consideration.
- If one intends to discard the liquid, squeezing the item will be considered melacha she’eina tzricha legufa (in regards to dosh).
- If the liquid is squeezed in order to aid in the cleaning process, it will be a melacha deoraysa to squeeze it (in regards to dosh).
- In both of the above cases, melabein still needs to be considered.
