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We have finished Klal 13, discussing the melacha of meameir, and today we will discuss some practical applications.
We mentioned that fruits which fall on Shabbos are muktzah, but fruits which fall before Shabbos are not muktzah. Even if a person noticed that their fruits fell before Shabbos, and they have an eruv around the premises, if one gathers two or more apples they are transgressing meameir. If one places them into a basket, it is meameir deoraysa. Regarding holding them in one’s hand, some argue that it would not be meameir deoraysa, since they are not gathered together on their own but only as a result of the person holding them. Even so, it would still be assur miderabanan. Putting them in one’s pocket would certainly be an issur deoraysa.
Raking leaves, besides for the issue of muktzah, would be meameir. Raking leaves just to remove them may not be meameir, since it does not have the chashivus of a melacha. Raking leaves for the purpose for making a compost pile, or for children to play in, would fall under the melacha deoraysa of meameir.
We learned about how stringing fruits would fall under meameir.
We learned that, according to the Chayei Adam, salt from a salt mine is included in the issur of meameir if it is gathered together. According to the Chayei Adam, mining precious stones and stringing them together would fall under meameir as well (and likely makeh bepatish).
Bringing flowers together would be meameir as well. Thus, if they were cut from a garden before Shabbos, and wishes to gather them together on Shabbos, it would be meameir deoraysa.
We learned that one of the potential concerns regarding meameir derabanan is uvda d’chol. Regarding foods which spilled in a wide area, if it spilled outside, it would fall under meameir derabanan. However, if it falls inside a house, meameir does not apply.
Summary
Some applications of meameir include:
Gathering fruits which fell before Shabbos from under a tree;
Raking leaves for compost or playing;
Stringing fruits;
According to the Chayei Adam, gathering salt or stringing jewels;
Gathering flowers;
Food which spills outside in a wide area.
