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Week 8 - Monday - 17 Jan. 2000

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 15: MISHNA 1

These are knots which incur liability: the camel-drivers' knot and the sailor's knot. Just as he is liable for tying them, so he is liabe for untying them. Rabbi Meir says: Knots that a person can untie with one hand do not incur liability.

Kehati

This mishnah and the one following it deal with the forbidden works of tying and untying, which were listed among the main classes of work (7:2, above). As we explained there tying or untying incurs liability only for a durable knot. This mishnah gives examples of durable knots.

These are knots which incur liability - on Shabbat: the camel-drivers` - knot used by those who lead camels. They pierce the camel's nose and tie in it a ring-like strap; this is a strong knot which does not come loose; and the sailors' - knot They tie a rope in the hole at the top of the ship, and they also make a strong, permanent knot, and just as he is liable for tying them - on Shabbat, so is he liable for untying them - If he unties knots such as these on Shabbat, for in the work of the Tabernacle the trappers of the purple-shells had to untie the knots of the nets, in order to shorten them or to lengthen them (Gemara, Rashi).

Rabbi Meir says. Knots that a person can untie with one hand - Even a durable knot, of the type that never comes undone, if it was not tightened sufficiently and a person can untie it with one hand, do not incur liability - on Shabbat. The halakhah does not follow Rabbi Meir.

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 15: MISHNA 2

There are knots which incur no liability unlike the camel-drivers' knot or the sailors' knot. A woman may tie the opening of her dress, and cords of a net, and of a belt, and straps of a shoe or a sandal, and leather flasks of wine and oil, and a pot of meat. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says. They may tie in front of a beast so that it will not go forth. One may tie a bucket with a belt, but not with a rope; Rabbi Yehudah permits. Rabbi Yehudah stated a general rule: No knot which is not durable incurs liability.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches those knots for tying which on Shabbat one is exempt, though it is prohibited to tie them, as well as knots which are permitted to be tied ab initio.

There are knots which incur no liability - for tying them on Shabbat,

unlike the camel-drivers' knot or the sailors' knot - whose law was taught in the preceding mishnah, but which, ab initio, may not be tied. The mishnah does not give examples of such knots. The Gemara explains that the mishnah refers to knots which are meant to hold for a certain time, but not permanently e.g., the long rope tied to the ring in a camel's nose in order to tie it to the crib, or the rope which is attached to a ship to tie it to poles driven into the ground, or similar instances. In some cases, these knots remain tied for long periods, so they appear to be durable knots, and therefore, ab initio, it is prohibited to tie them on Shabbat. The following are knots which, ab initio, one may tie on Shabbat:

A woman may tie the opening of her dress - When she puts on the dress, she ties the right end of it on her left shoulder, and its left end on her right shoulder. Although she can take off the dress by untying only one knot, and leaving the other knot tied for a long period of time, we do not take this into

consideration, and this is not called a "durable knot," since she unties it (or its fellow) every day; and - similarly, a woman may tie the - cords of a net - her hairnet, and - the cords - of a belt, and straps of a shoe or a sandal - The Gemara cites differences in the law regarding the straps of shoes and sandals: in some cases one is liable for tying knots, in others, the tying of the knot is exempt but prohibited; in yet other cases, it is permitted, ab initio, to tie them. Rambarn explains that the knots which one is permitted to tie in the straps of shoes or sandals are those which are tied every day when the shoe or sandal is put on the foot, for these certainly are not durable knots (Tosefot Yom Tov), and leather flasks of wine and oil - whose mouth is folded over and tied. Even though these flasks have two knots, and it is possible, with difficulty, to pour the wine or the oil if only one knot is untied, nonetheless, the two knots are not considered to be durable knots; and a pot of meat - They used to tie a strip of cloth to the pot's opening, in order to preserve its heat. Even though it is possible to remove the food from it without untying the knot, nevertheless this is not a durable knot.

Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: They may tie - on Shabbat, in front of a beast -a rope the width of the opening of the pen, so that it will not go forth - from the pen, for they do not tie a durable knot. This is the halakhah. One may tic - on Shabbat, a bucket - above a well with a belt -

for the~belt is not left there, but is untied after the water is drawn, and therefore the knot is not a durable knot, but - one may - not - tie the bucket on Shabbat, with a rope - lest one leave the knot in the rope indefinitely, and it will transpire that this is a durable knot;

Rabbi Yehudah permits - tying the bucket, even with a rope. The Gemara explains that the dispute here relates to the rope of a weaver who requires it for his work, and he will not leave it tied to the bucket indefinitely. The Sages prohibit a weaver's rope as an extension of the prohibition of a regular

rope, the knot in which is durable, while Rabbi Yehudah does not extend this prohibition.

Rabbi Yehudah - stated a general rule: No knot which is not durable - but is only temporary, incurs liability - I.e., One is liable only for tying a durable knot, even with a regular rope. For this reason he does not extend the prohibition of ordinary rope to include the weaver's rope (Shenot Eliyahu).

There are two opinions regarding the differences in the laws of knots: The opinion of Rashi: Anyone, expert or otherwise, who unintentionally ties any durable knot on Shabbat, i.e., it is intended never to be untied, must bring a sin-offering. Any knot which is not durable but appears to be durable, which is not intended to be untied for a long time, may not be tied on Shabbat, but if one does tie it he is exempt ("exempt from sin-offering but prohibited"). Any knot which is likely to be untied close to the time of its tying, or on the same day, is permitted, ab initio, to be tied on Shabbat. The opinion of-R. Yitzhak Alfasi: If one ties on Shabbat any durable knot, which is intended never to be untied, and is a knot such as is made by skilled artisans, like a camel-driver's knot or a sailor's knot, he is liable. A durable knot of an ordinary form may not be tied on Shabbat, although one is not liable for it; similarly, a professional knot not intended to be tied permanently may not be tied, but one is not liable for it. It is permitted, ab initio, to tie on Shabbat any knot which is not durable and not professional in its form.

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