Meleches Shabbos – Melabein 25 – Wiping Spills 1 (Klal 22) S0595

D'var Halacha

Meleches Shabbos - Melabein 25 - Wiping Spills 1 (Klal 22) S0595

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We have finished Klal 22, and have a few points to clarify.

1. As a reminder, when discussing the melacha of sechita, there are two relevant issues. One is melabein, that the squeezing process takes out the dirt and cleans in the process. The second is dosh. For example, when squeezing a baby wipe, the goal is to remove the liquid from the wipe in order to clean the baby, not to clean the wipe. Another example would be squeezing the liquid out of a washcloth not for the purpose of cleaning the cloth but in order to clean the surface that is being wiped. 

When it comes to mopping the floor, using a dry mop to absorb liquid on the floor is muttar, and there is no issue of dosh, because one is trying to absorb the liquid rather than squeeze it out. The question will be whether there is an issue of melabein. Since the situation is usually that the water is dirty, it is soaking derech lichluch, and is muttar. If the water is clean, the absorbed water might be cleaning the mop, and then it would be assur.

1. If one wishes to squeeze water out of a mop in order to clean the floor, there would be an issue of sechita through dosh. It would also be assur to ask a non-Jew, since it is an issur deoraysa. If there is concern for public damage, it would be muttar.
2. On a deoraysa level, the absorption of liquid derech lichluch is not assur. However, there are scenarios where Chazal were concerned that one will end up squeezing out the liquid, so they made a gezeira against absorbing the liquid out of concern that one will perform sechita. This gezeira only applies to cases where there is concern that one will be tempted to squeeze out the liquid. When there is no concern, the gezeira doesn’t apply. An example is if it is only a small amount of liquid.
3. If a part of the garment is very wet, and part of it is dry, there is still a concern for sechita. However, if it is a garment which one does not care about getting wet, the gezeira does not apply. Examples include hand towels. If the whole towels gets wet, there is a gezeira that he may squeeze in order to use the towel.
4. Something that one does not care even if the whole item gets wet, is not in the gezeira. For example, paper towels. Rags that one tends to leave wet are also exempt.
5. When using a sponge to absorb liquid, there is a concern that, while it is muttar to absorb the liquid, it is assur to squeeze it out. Since it is so easy to inadvertently squeeze a sponge, Chazal were concerned that one will inadvertently squeeze it if they use it for dishes or the like, so one should not use it.
6. A spill which is derech lichluch (ie, not clean water) can be cleaned up with anything a person does not mind leaving wet. This includes paper towels, rags, and towels, as long as the towel does not get completely wet. A mop or sponge are a kli shemelachto leissur, and should not be used unless one does not have anything else to use.

Summary

• There are two concerns regarding sechita, one is melabein (cleaning the garment) and the other is dosh (separating the liquid from the garment).
  • Using baby wipes or squeezing the liquid out of a mop in order to clean the floor would be concerns of dosh.
  • Cleaning up a spill of clean water might be a concern of melabein
  • If the liquid is dirty, there will not be a concern for melabein, unless there is a concern that one will be tempted to squeeze the liquid out of the garment
• Concerns for sechita apply to garments which one will be concerned about keeping wet. Garments which one does not care about leaving wet will not fall under the concern of sechita.