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We are continuing in siman 2. The Chayei Adam discusses a situation of a child who has relieved himself onto a garment. The Mishnah Berurah understands that the child was wearing a diaper, but the diaper soaked through onto a parent’s clothing. It is assur to place water onto the parent’s clothing, but the question is whether it would be muttar to place dirty water onto the parent’s garment. Although it will make the rest of the garment dirty, it will neutralize the negative effects of the mei raglayim.
The Chayei Adam writes that soaking a garment when it is dirty is considered kibus and is chayav. (Soaking a clean garment will be discussed in siman 3.) Therefore, if a child relieves themselves onto clothing, or other dirt gets onto a garment, it is assur to soak it to clean it.
However, it is muttar to wash one’s hands and dry them on the dirty garment in the area of the dirt. The act of drying one’s hands is considered derech lichluch, because the dirt or sweat which was on the person’s hands gets transferred to the new garment. And since there is only a small amount of water in question, there is sufficient reason not to apply the concept of sheriyuso zehu kibuso.
The Chayei Adam seems to understand that both factors are required for this heter. Some rishonim understand that even if only derech lichluch applies, it is also no longer a problem of kibus. According to those rishonim, the primary element of the melacha is shifshuf. Sechita, which the Chayei Adam discussed at the end of siman 1, is considered a part of the kibus process since it helps the process along, but is not as defining to the melacha as shifshuf. Therefore, although shifshuf is chayav even when it is not beneficial to the garment, sechita is only chayav when it is beneficial to the garment.
In the same vein, sheriah is also a part of the kibus process, but is also not the primary element of the melacha. Therefore, sheriah is only chayav when it is done as part of a kibus process, so in our case, where it is done in a way which makes the garment more dirty, it is muttar.
The Chayei Adam himself only permits drying one’s hands on a dirty garment in conjunction with the fact that one is only using a small amount of water. We will discuss why the sevara of derech lichluch is not sufficient, according to the Chayei Adam, in the upcoming shiur, be’ezras Hashem.
Summary
- The primary element of the melacha of kibus/melabein is shifshuf, and one is chayav for shifshuf even if it is not beneficial to the garment.
- Sechita and sheriah are secondary processes in the melacha, and one is only chayav if they are done to benefit the garment.
- Therefore, it is muttar to soak a garment in when it is done in a way which primarily dirtying it.
- The Chayei Adam himself adds that it must only be soaked in a small amount of water.
