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24 ‎[1] There are activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath despite the fact that they do not resemble the [forbidden] labors, nor will they lead to [the performance of] the [forbidden] labors.
Why then are [these activities] forbidden? Because it is written [*Isaiah* 58:13], "If you restrain your feet, because of the Sabbath, and [refrain] from pursuing your desires on My holy day..." and it is written [*ibid.*], " And you shall honor it [by refraining] from following your [ordinary] ways, attending to your wants, and speaking about [mundane] matters."
Therefore, it is forbidden for a person to go and tend to his [mundane] concerns on the Sabbath, or even to speak about them - e.g., to discuss with a partner which merchandise should be sold on the morrow or which should be bought, how this building should be constructed, or which merchandise should be taken to a particular place. Speaking about all matters of this like is included in the prohibition [against] "...speaking about [mundane] matters."
It is speaking that is forbidden. Thinking [about such matters] is permitted. ‎[2] It is forbidden for a person to check his gardens and fields on the Sabbath to see what they require or to see how their fruit is growing, for this involves going to "pursue your desires."
Similarly, it is forbidden for a person to go to the end of the Sabbath boundary on the Sabbath and wait there until nightfall so that he will be closer to performing a task he desires to fulfill on Saturday night, for in this manner he is walking on the Sabbath in "pursuit of his desires." ‎[3] When does the above apply? When one goes to the end of the Sabbath boundary to wait until nightfall to perform an activity that is forbidden on the Sabbath itself. It is, however, permitted to [go to the boundary and] wait until nightfall in order to perform a task that is permitted on the Sabbath.
What is implied? We may not go to the boundary and wait until nightfall in order to bring produce that is still attached to the ground or to hire workers. One may, however, go and wait until nightfall in order to guard one's produce, since it is permitted to guard [produce] on the Sabbath.
Similarly, one may go and wait until nightfall in order to bring an animal or fruit that has already been detached. For one calls to an animal and it will come even if it is outside the [Sabbath] boundary, and had there been enclosures, one would have been able to bring the detached produce on the Sabbath.
Similarly, a person may tell a colleague, "I am going to this or that city tomorrow," for if there were [a chain of] huts [located between the two places], one would be permitted to walk there on the Sabbath. The same applies in all similar situations. ‎[4] It is permitted for a person to tell a worker whom he sees [on the Sabbath], "Stand near me in the evening." One may not, however, tell him, "Be prepared for me in the evening," since by doing so," the person is attending to his wants on the Sabbath.
It is forbidden to run and jump on the Sabbath, as [Isaiah, *loc. cit.*] states, "[Refraining] from following your [ordinary] ways" - i.e., the manner in which you walk on the Sabbath should not resemble the manner in which you walk during the week. A person may, however, descend to a cistern, pit, or cave, even if they are 100 cubits deep, climb down to drink and then climb up.
It is forbidden to speak extensively about idle matters, as it is written [*ibid.*], "...speaking about [mundane] matters" - i.e., the manner in which you speak on the Sabbath should not resemble the manner in which you speak during the week. ‎[5] It is permitted to run on the Sabbath for matters involved with a mitzvah - e.g., to run to the synagogue or the house of study.
We are permitted to calculate accounts associated with a mitzvah, to make measurements concerning a mitzvah - e.g., to measure a *mikveh* to see if it contains [the required] quantity, or a cloth to see if it is [large enough to] contract ritual impurity.
Charity may be pledged to the poor. We may go to synagogues and houses of study - and even to theaters and halls of gentiles - to take care of matters of public interest on the Sabbath.
One may speak about arranging a marriage for a girl, or arranging study - whether the study of Torah or the study of a profession - for a boy. We may visit the sick and comfort mourners. A person who goes to visit a sick person should say, "It is the Sabbath [when it is forbidden] to plead; healing will come soon."
One may go to the end of the Sabbath boundary to wait until nightfall to take care of the needs of a bride or to take care of the needs of a deceased person [- e.g.], to bring a coffin or shrouds.
[When involved in these matters,] one may tell [a colleague,] "Go to.... If you don't find [the required object] there, bring it from...." "If you can't find it at one hundred, bring it [even] at two hundred." [This is permitted] as long as one does not mention the [maximum] sum he is willing to pay.
[The rationale for] all these and similar [leniencies] is that [they concern] a mitzvah. And the [verse from which the prohibitions against mundane activity is derived] states, "pursuing your desires." "Your desires" are forbidden; God's desires are permitted. ‎[6] One may set out on a ship on the Mediterranean Sea on Friday for the sake of the fulfillment of a mitzvah. One [must] make an agreement with [the captain] to halt [the journey] on the Sabbath. If, [however,] he does not halt [the journey, it is of no consequence].
We may nullify vows on the Sabbath, both vows that must be nullified for the sake of the Sabbath and vows whose nullification is not related to the Sabbath. One may ask a wise man to absolve [a person] of a vow if this is necessary for the sake of the Sabbath.This is possible despite the fact that the person had the opportunity to have [himself] absolved [of the vow] before the Sabbath. [This license is granted] because all of the above matters concern a mitzvah. ‎[7] Punishments may not be administered [by the court] on the Sabbath. Although [administering] punishment fulfills a positive command [of the Torah], the observance of a positive commandment does not supersede [the observance of] the Sabbath [laws].
What is implied? A person who was sentenced to be lashed or executed by [the court] should not be lashed or executed on the Sabbath, as [Exodus 35:3] states: "Do not kindle a fire in all of your dwellings on the Sabbath." This [verse serves as] a warning to the court not to [execute a person by] burning on the Sabbath. The same principle applies regarding other punishments [administered by the court]. ‎[8] A person is permitted to guard his produce on the Sabbath regardless of whether it is detached from the earth or not. If another person comes to take it, or an animal or a wild beast comes to eat it, he may shout at them and beat them to drive them away.
[One might ask:] This involves tending to one's own concerns. Why is it permitted? Because one is prohibited only against acquiring new property that one does not possess, earning a wage, making a profit, or seeking to accrue [new] benefits. It is, however, permitted for a person to protect the interests that he already possesses. To what can this be compared? To locking one's house [to prevent] thieves [from entering]. ‎[9] A person who protects his grains from birds or who protects his cucumbers and squash from beasts should not clap his hands and dance as he does during the week. [This is] a decree, [instituted] lest one pick up a pebble and throw it four cubits in the public domain. ‎[10] All the actions that are forbidden as [part of the category of] *sh'vut* are not forbidden *beyn hash'mashot*,[between sunset and the appearance of the stars]. They are forbidden only on the Sabbath itself, and they are permitted during *beyn hash'mashot*, provided that [the activity] is necessary because of a mitzvah or a pressing matter.
What is implied? During *beyn hash'mashot* it is permitted to climb a tree or to swim across water to bring a lulav or a shofar. Similarly, one may take an *eruv* that one has made down from a tree or out from a *carmelit*.
Similarly, if one is concerned, anxious, and pressed concerning a matter, [an activity forbidden as] a *sh'vut* is permitted during *beyn hash'mashot*. If, however, the matter is not pressing, nor does it concern a mitzvah, it is forbidden. Therefore, one may not tithe produce that definitely has not been tithed, although the prohibition against tithing produce on the Sabbath was instituted as a *sh'vut*. One may, however, tithe produce of which one is unsure whether or not it has been tithed. ‎[11] When a minor performs an activity on the Sabbath that is forbidden as a *sh'vut* - e.g., he plucks from [a plant growing in] a flower pot that does not have a hole, or he carries in a *carmelit* - the court is not obligated to prevent him from doing so. Similarly, if his father allows him to act in this manner, [the father] need not be rebuked. ‎[12] The Sages forbade the carrying of certain objects on the Sabbath in the same manner as [one carries] during the week. Why was this prohibition instituted? [Our Sages] said: If the prophets warned that the manner in which a person walks on the Sabbath should not resemble the manner in which he walks during the week, and similarly, one's conversation on the Sabbath should not resemble one's conversation during the week, as it is written, "[refraining from]... speaking about [mundane] matters," surely the manner in which one carries on the Sabbath should not resemble the manner in which one carries during the week.
In this manner, no one will regard [the Sabbath] as an ordinary weekday and lift up and repair articles, [carrying them] from room to room, or from house to house, or set aside stones and the like. [These restrictions are necessary] for since the person is idle and sitting at home, [it is likely that] he will seek something with which to occupy himself. Thus, he will not have ceased activity and will have negated the motivating principle for the Torah's commandment [Deuteronomy 5:14], "Thus... will rest." ‎[13] Furthermore, when one searches for and carries articles that are used for a forbidden activity, it is possible that one will use them and thus be motivated to perform a [forbidden] labor.
[Another reason for this prohibition is] that there are some people who are not craftsmen and are always idle - e.g., tourists and those that stand on the street corners. These individuals never perform labor. Were they to be allowed to walk, talk, and carry as they do during the week, the result would be that their cessation of activity on [the Sabbath] would not be discernible. For this reason, [our Sages instituted] refraining from such activities, for the cessation of such activities is universally applicable.
These are the reasons for the restrictions against carrying [objects]. The Sages forbade a person from carrying on the Sabbath, with the exception of articles that he requires, as will be explained.
25 ‎[1] There are utensils that are used for permitted purposes - i.e., a utensil that may be used on the Sabbath for the same purpose for which it is used during the week - e.g., a cup to drink from, a bowl to eat from, a knife to cut meat or bread, a hatchet to crack open nuts, and the like. ‎[2] There are utensils that are used for forbidden purposes - i.e., a utensil that is forbidden to be used on the Sabbath for the same purpose that it is [ordinarily] used - e.g., a grinder, a mill, and the like - for it is forbidden to crush or grind on the Sabbath. ‎[3] All utensils used for purposes that are permitted may be carried on the Sabbath, whether they are made of wood, earthenware, stone, or metal. [They may be moved] for the sake of the utensil, for the use of the place [it occupies], or to use it [for a purpose that is permitted].
All utensils used for purposes that are forbidden, whether they are made of wood, earthenware, stone, or metal may be moved [with certain restrictions]. [Such a utensil may be moved] for the use of the place [it occupies], or to use it [for a purpose that is permitted]. It is, however, forbidden [to move it] for its own sake. ‎[4] What is implied? One may move a wooden bowl to eat from it, to sit in the place [where it is located], or so that it will not be stolen. The latter is [what is meant by the expression] "for the sake of [the utensil] itself."
Similarly, [a utensil] may be taken out of the sun so that it will not become parched and break. It may also be removed from the rain so that it will not become saturated with water and deteriorate. These are considered "for the sake of [the utensil] itself" and are permitted, since the tasks performed with this utensil are permitted. ‎[5] Similarly, one may move a mill or a grinder in order to crack nuts open on it or to climb up to a couch on it. This is [what is meant by the expression] "to use it [for a purpose that is permitted]."
[Similarly, one may move it] to sit in the place where it is located. One may not, however, move it so that it will not break, so that it will not be stolen, or the like. ‎[6] Any entity that is not a utensil - e.g., stones, money, rods, beams, and the like - is forbidden to be carried. [Nevertheless,] even a large stone or a large beam that requires ten people to carry it, if it is deemed a utensil it may be carried.
The doors of a house are considered to be utensils; they have not, however, been prepared for use. Therefore, if they are detached - even on the Sabbath - they may not be moved.
Earth, sand, and a corpse may not be moved from their place. Similarly, an infant born in the eighth month, [although] he is alive, is considered as a stone and it is forbidden to move him. ‎[7] It is permitted to carry a utensil to perform tasks other than those for which it is intended to be used. What is implied? One may take a hammer to crack nuts, a hatchet to cut a dried fig, a saw to cut cheese, a rake to collect dried figs, a winnowing shovel or a pitchfork to feed a child, a spindle or a weaver's shuttle to pierce with, a sack-maker's needle to pick a lock, or a mill-stone to sit on. The same principle applies in other similar situations. ‎[8] A person may carry a sewing needle that is whole to remove a splinter. If, however, its head or its point has been broken off, it may not be carried. If it is still in an incomplete state and its head has not been pierced, it may be carried. ‎[9] Whenever a person is careful [not to use] a utensil lest its value depreciate - e.g., utensils that are set aside as merchandise, or very expensive utensils of which one is extremely careful lest they spoil - carrying it is forbidden on the Sabbath. This [category] is referred to as *muktzeh* [lest] financial loss [be caused].
[Included in this category are] a large saw, the knife-like point of a plow, a butcher's knife, a leather-worker's knife, a carpenter's plane, a perfume-maker's mortar, and the like. ‎[10] All utensils that were set aside because of [an association with] a prohibited [activity] are forbidden to be carried. For example, it is forbidden [to move] a lamp that was kindled for the Sabbath, a candelabra upon which a lamp was placed, or a table on which money was lying.
[Moreover,] even if the candle is extinguished or if the money falls, [the prohibition remains intact]. Whenever an article is forbidden to be carried *beyn hash'mashot* [on Friday], it remains forbidden to be carried throughout the entire Sabbath, even though the factor that caused it to become forbidden is no longer present. ‎[11] In contrast, a utensil that is set aside because it is repulsive - e.g., a used kerosene lamp, a chamber pot, or the like - may be carried on the Sabbath if it is required. ‎[12] The doors of any utensil that may be carried on the Sabbath - e.g., the doors of a box, a chest, or a cabinet - may themselves be carried [on the Sabbath], regardless of whether they were removed on the Sabbath or before the Sabbath.
Similarly, whenever a utensil that can be carried on the Sabbath breaks, whether before the Sabbath or on the Sabbath, its broken pieces may be carried on the Sabbath, provided these pieces can be used for a purpose that resembles the purpose for which they could be used [originally].
What is implied? The broken pieces of a kneading trough can be used to cover the opening of a jug. Broken pieces of glass can be used to cover the opening of a flask. The same rules apply in other similar situations. If, by contrast, the broken pieces are unfit for any purposeful use, it is forbidden to carry them. ‎[13] All the covers of utensils may be carried on the Sabbath, provided they, themselves, are considered to be utensils.
[The following rules apply regarding] utensils that are attached to the ground - e.g., a barrel imbedded in the earth: If its cover has a handle, it may be carried. If not, it may not be carried. Similarly, the coverings of cisterns and ditches should not be carried unless they have a handle. The covering of an oven [by contrast] may be carried, even though it does not have a handle. ‎[14] [The following rules apply when] there are two entities, one permitted to be carried and one forbidden to be carried - one adjacent to the other, one on top of the other, or one within the other - and when one is moved the other will also be moved: If a person requires the article that is permitted [to be carried], he may move it, even though the forbidden article is drawn after it. If he requires to move the forbidden article, he should not move it by moving the permitted article. ‎[15] What is implied? When a fig is buried in straw or a cake is lying upon coals, one may pierce them with a spindle or a weaver's shuttle and remove them, even though the straw or the coals will be moved on the Sabbath when one removes them.
Similarly, if a turnip or a radish is buried in [loose] earth and a portion of its leaves is protruding, one may pull out [the vegetables] on the Sabbath, even though the earth is dislodged. Conversely, however, if a loaf of bread or a child is [located] on a stone or beam, one may not carry the stone or beam because of the child or the loaf of bread. Similar rules apply in other analogous situations. ‎[16] A person may pick up his son if [the son] yearns for [his father], despite the fact that the son is holding a stone.This, however, is not [permitted] if [the son] is holding a *dinar*, lest it fall and the father [pick it up and] carry it.
When a basket has a hole and a stone has been used to plug the hole, [the basket] may be carried, because the stone is considered as its wall.
[The following rules apply when] a basket is filled with fruit and a stone [is discovered] among the fruit: If the fruit is soft - e.g., grapes or berries - the basket may be carried as it is. If one spills out the fruit, it would be spoiled by the earth, and [our Sages] did not [apply] their decree in an instance where a loss would be caused. ‎[17] When a person forgets a stone on the opening of a jug, he may tilt the jug to the side [so that the stone] falls. If the jug with the stone upon it is standing among other jugs, it should be lifted to another place, and then tilted to the side [so that the stone] falls. Similarly, if one forgets money on a pillow that one needs, one may shake the pillow [so that the money] falls. If one needs [to use] the place where the pillow [is located], one may remove the pillow [although] the money is upon it.
When, by contrast, one [intentionally] places money on a pillow on Friday or places a stone on the opening of a jug, it is forbidden to carry them. [This applies even when later] the stone or the money is removed, for [the pillow or the jug] has become the base for a forbidden article. ‎[18] [The following rule applies to] a stone that is placed in an earthenware bucket [as a weight]: If it does not fall out when one draws water [with the bucket], it is considered part of the bucket and one is permitted to draw water with it. If not, one may not draw water with it. A garment that is [hanging] on a reed may be slipped off the reed. ‎[19] It is forbidden to carry produce that is forbidden to eat - e.g., produce that has not been tithed, even if the obligation to tithe is only Rabbinic, produce separated as the first tithe, from which *terumat [ma'aser]* has not been separated,*terumah* that has contracted ritual impurity, produce separated as the second tithe or produce that has been consecrated and has not been redeemed.
It is, by contrast, permitted to carry *d'mai*, for it is fit to be eaten by the poor, and produce separated as the second tithe or produce that has been consecrated and has been redeemed, but for which an additional fifth of its value has not been given. ‎[20] An Israelite is allowed to carry *terumah*, even though it is not appropriate for him. One may carry *terumah* that has contracted ritual impurity together with *terumah* that is pure, or together with ordinary produce, if both of them are contained in a single receptacle.
When does the above apply? When the pure *terumah* is below [the impure], and the [*terumah* consists of] produce that would be soiled by the ground. Thus, if the container were overturned, it would be spoiled. If, by contrast, the produce is nuts, almonds, or the like, one must overturn the container, take the *terumah* and the ordinary produce, and leave the impure [*terumah*].
If one requires the place where the container is located, one may take all the produce at once, regardless of whether the pure [*terumah*] is located at the top or at the bottom. ‎[21] [The following rules apply when] a person has in mind [to sit on] a row of stones before the commencement of the Sabbath: If he prepares them, he is permitted to sit on them on the morrow; if not, that is forbidden.
When a person gathers the branches of a date palm [to use as kindling] wood, but changes his mind on Friday and decides to use them to sit on [in place of mats], he is allowed to carry them. Similarly, if he actually sat upon them before the commencement of the Sabbath, it is permitted to carry them. ‎[22] One may not move straw that is on a bed with one's hands;one may, however, move it with one's body. [Moreover,] if it is [useful as] animal fodder, one is permitted to carry it [by hand]. Similarly, if a pillow or a sheet is placed upon it, it is considered as if one had sat on it before the commencement of the Sabbath, and one may move it by hand.
[The following rules apply when] a person has brought a container [filled] with earth into his home: If he sets aside a corner for it on Friday, he may carry it on the Sabbath, and use it for all his needs. ‎[23] It is forbidden to negate the possibility of using a utensil, since this is comparable to destroying [it]. What is implied? A person should not place a receptacle below a lamp on the Sabbath to receive any oil that drips. For the oil in the lamp is forbidden to be carried, and when it falls into the receptacle it will cause the receptacle that had been permitted to become forbidden. The same applies in all analogous situations.
For this reason, a receptacle may not be placed below a chicken to receive the eggs it lays. One may, however, cover [the eggs] with an [overturned] utensil. Similarly, one may use an overturned utensil to cover any article that is forbidden to be carried, for by doing so one has not negated its use. Should one desire to take [the overturned article], one may. ‎[24] One may place a receptacle under dripping water to collect it. If the receptacle becomes full, one may pour out the water and return [the receptacle to its place] without hesitation.
[The above applies] only when the dripping water is fit to use for bathing. If the water is not fit [for washing], one should not place a receptacle there. [Nevertheless, after the fact,] should one have placed a receptacle there, one may carry it together with the repulsive water it contains. [The reason for the restriction against placing the receptacle there is] that we do not create a repulsive situation at the outset. ‎[25] Should a barrel containing [wine or oil] that is *tevel*, be broken [on the Sabbath], one may bring a receptacle and place it under [the barrel]. [By doing so, one is not considered to have nullified the possibility of using the receptacle,] since were one to transgress and separate [the *terumah* and tithes as required], the produce would be permitted for use..
A receptacle may be placed below a candle to collect the sparks that fall, for [the sparks] have no substance. In such an instance, it is permissible to move the receptacle.
When a beam breaks, we should not support it with a bench or a bed post unless there is ample space [between the beams] and one can remove [the bench or the bed post] whenever one desires, so that one will not nullify a utensil from the possibility of being used.
One may spread a mat over stones or over a beehive on the Sabbath in the summer, [as protection] from the sun, and in the rainy season, [as protection] from the rain, provided that one has no intention of snaring [the bees]. [By doing so, one is not considered to have nullified the possibility of using the receptacle] because one may remove [the mat] whenever one desires.
On the Sabbath one may overturn a basket onto which chicks may climb and descend, since one is permitted to carry [the basket] after they descend. Similar rules apply in all analogous situations. ‎[26] [The following rules apply when] an animal falls into a cistern or into a water conduit [from which it cannot ascend on its own]: If one can supply it with its needs while it is there, one should do so until Saturday night. If not, one may bring cushions and blankets and place them beneath it. If this [enables the animal] to ascend, there is no difficulty. Although one is nullifying the possibility of using a utensil - for one is throwing it into a cistern [filled with] water - [our Sages did] not institute a decree [in this instance], because of the suffering [the] animal endures.
[Regardless of the circumstances,] it is forbidden to lift the animal up by hand. Similarly, one may not lift up an animal, beast, or fowl in a courtyard. One may, however, push them until they enter.
One may support calves and ponies as they walk. One may not, however, hold a chicken that fled [as one directs] it [to return to its coop]. [This prohibition was instituted] because [the chicken tries] to free itself from [the person's] hand, and [in the process, causes] its wings to be torn off. One may, however, push it until it enters [its coop].
26 ‎[1] All the utensils used for weaving, including the cords and the reeds, may be carried [according to the rules governing] other utensils that are used for forbidden tasks. An exception is made regarding the upper weaver's beam and the lower weaver's beam. They may not be carried, because they are [usually] fixed [within the loom].
Similarly, the pillars [of the loam] may not be moved, lest one fill the hole [in the earth created when they are removed]. It is permitted to move the other utensils of a weaver. ‎[2] Brooms made of date branches and the like, which are used to sweep the ground, are considered utensils that are used for a permitted purpose, since sweeping is permitted on the Sabbath.
Bricks that remain after a building [was completed] are considered utensils that are used for a permitted purpose, for they are fit to recline upon,, as is obvious from the fact that they are filed and adjusted for this purpose. If, however, one collects them, [it is evident] that they have been set aside [for building], and it is forbidden to carry them. ‎[3] A small shard may be carried, even in the public domain.[This leniency is granted] because it is fit to be used in a courtyard to cover the opening of a small utensil. [When] the stopper of a barrel has been cut off, both it and its broken pieces are permitted to be carried. If one threw it into a garbage dump before the commencement of the Sabbath, carrying it is forbidden.
When a utensil has been broken [but not shattered into pieces], one should not remove a shard from it to use to cover [another utensil] or to use as a support. ‎[4] It is permitted to bring three rounded stones into a lavatory to clean oneself. Of what size may they be? A fistful.A clod of earth, by contrast, which is likely to crumble, is forbidden to be taken to clean oneself.
It is permitted to take these stones up to a roof [so that one will be able] to clean oneself with them. When rain descends upon them and they sink in the mud, they may be taken if there is a distinct mark [showing their location].
[When] a stone has filth on it, one can be certain that it is used to clean oneself. Therefore, carrying it is permitted it even though it is large. ‎[5] Should a person have a choice of [using] a stone or an earthenware shard [to clean himself], one should use the stone.If, however, the shard comes from the handle of a utensil, one should use the shard.
[The following rules apply when] a person has a choice of [using] a stone or grass: If the grass is soft, one should use it. If not, one should use the stone. ‎[6] The remnants of mats that have become tattered are considered utensils that may be used for a permitted purpose, for they are fit to be used to cover filth. In contrast, the remnants of clothes that are less than three [thumbbreadths] by three [thumbbreadths], and have become tattered may not be carried, for they are not fit - neither for the poor nor for the rich.
The broken pieces of an oven are permitted to be carried; they are considered to be like all other utensils that are permitted to be carried. When, however, one leg of a range has slipped from its place, it may not be carried, lest one affix [it in its place]. ‎[7] A ladder leading to a loft is forbidden to be carried [on the Sabbath], since it is not considered to be a utensil. [A ladder leading] to a dovecote [by contrast, is not considered *muktzeh* and] is permitted to be tilted. One should not, however, carry it from one dovecote to another, lest one follow one's ordinary course of conduct and come to snare [the doves].
[The following rule governs the use of] a rod that is used to harvest olives: When it is categorized as a utensil, it is considered to be a utensil that is used for a forbidden purpose. [The following rule governs the use of] a reed that is adjusted by a homeowner to open and lock [his door]: When it is categorized as a utensil, it is considered to be a utensil that is used for a permitted purpose. ‎[8] [The following rules apply to] a door that once had a hinge - though at present it does not have a hinge - which is prepared to close a yard, but which drags on the ground when it is opened and closed: If the door is attached to and hanging on the wall, it may be used to close the space and may be locked. If not, it may not be used to close the space. If the door is [suspended] above the ground, it may be used to close the space. The same rules apply to a [partition made from] brambles or a mat that drags on the floor. ‎[9] [The following rules apply to] a door that is made from a single piece of wood and which is placed in [a doorway] to close it and removed [to open it]. If [the doorway] does not have a base at the bottom that resembles a doorstep that would indicate that [the door] is a utensil that is used for [opening and] closing, [the door] may not be used to close [the doorway]. If [the doorway] has a doorstep, one may use [the door].
Similarly, a bolt that has a bulb at its end that indicates that it is a utensil used to bolt a door, and is not merely an ordinary beam, may be used to bolt a door on the Sabbath. ‎[10] [The following rules apply to] a bolt that does not have a bulb at its end: If it is tied to the door and suspended from it, we may use it to bolt the door on the Sabbath. [This ruling] also applies when it is carried together with the rope attaching it to the door.
If, by contrast, the rope attaching it is fixed permanently to the door and the bolt is removed like a beam, placed in a corner, and then reattached when one desires, its use as a bolt is forbidden [on the Sabbath]. This is forbidden because [the bolt] is not considered to be a utensil, nor is there any indication [that it is being used as a utensil], for it is not attached to the door, nor is it connected to a rope. ‎[11] A candelabrum that is made of several separate parts may not be moved on the Sabbath. [This restriction applies] regardless of whether it is large or small. [Why was this prohibition instituted? As a safeguard] lest [it fall apart and] one reconstruct it on the Sabbath.
[The following rules apply when] a candelabrum has grooves and thus appears to resemble one that is made from several parts: If it is large and can be carried only with two hands, carrying it is forbidden because of its weight. If it is smaller than that, carrying it is permitted. ‎[12] We may remove a shoe from a shoemaker's block on the Sabbath. We may release a clothes press belonging to an ordinary person on the Sabbath. We may not, however, set the press in place. A press belonging to a launderer should not be touched at all; it is set aside not to be used, because of the financial loss [that might be incurred through its improper use].
Similarly, unprocessed rolls of wool may not be carried, because [their owner] objects [to their use for purposes other than spinning fabric]. Therefore, if they have been set aside for a particular purpose, it is permitted to use them. Unprocessed hides - regardless of whether they belong to a private person or to a [leather] craftsman - may be carried, because [their owner] does not object to their [use]. ‎[13] All filth - e.g., feces, vomit, excrement, and the like - that is located in a courtyard where [people] are dwelling may be removed to a dung heap or to a latrine. Such entities are referred to as a chamber pot. If it is located in another courtyard, it should be covered by a utensil so that a child will not become soiled by it.
One may step on spittle that is lying on the ground without taking any notice of it. One may carry a warming-pan because of its ash. [This leniency is granted] despite the fact that it contains chips of wood, because it is equivalent to a chamber pot.
At the outset, we may not bring about the creation of a repulsive entity on the Sabbath. If, however, [such an entity] comes about as a natural process, or one transgresses and creates it, it may be removed. ‎[14] It is permitted to partake of oil that flows from beneath the beam of an olive press on the Sabbath and from dates and almonds that are prepared to be sold. One may even begin to take grain from a storehouse or from a grain pile on the Sabbath, for food never becomes *muktzeh* on the Sabbath at all. On the contrary, all [types of food] are [always] prepared for use.
[There is, however, one] exception: figs and raisins that have been set aside to dry. Since they pass through an intermediate stage when they become repulsive and are unfit to eat, they are considered *muktzeh* and are forbidden [to be carried] on the Sabbath.
A barrel [of wine] or a watermelon that was opened may be carried and stored away, even though it is no longer fit to eat. Similarly, an amulet that has not proven its efficacy may be moved, although one is forbidden to go out [into the public domain] wearing it.
The oil that remains in a lamp or in a bowl that was kindled on a particular Sabbath may not be used on that Sabbath. It is *muktzeh* because of the forbidden [labor with which it was associated *beyn hash'mashot*]. ‎[15] Although taking [produce] from a storehouse of grain or of barrels of wine is permitted, it is forbidden to begin to empty [the storehouse] unless this is being done for a purpose associated with a mitzvah - e.g., emptying it to host guests or to establish a hall of study.
[In the latter situations,] how should the storehouse be emptied? Every person should take [out] four or five containers until it has been completely [cleared]. We may not sweep the floor of the storehouse, as has been explained.
[Even when one is forbidden to empty the storehouse,] one may enter and leave and create a path with one's feet by entering and leaving. ‎[16] Any substance that is fit to be used as food for an animal, beast, or fowl that is commonly found may be carried on the Sabbath. What is implied? One may carry dry *turmos* beans because they are food for goats. Fresh [*turmos* beans,] by contrast, may not [be carried]. [One may carry] *chatzav* because it is food for deer, mustard seed because it is food for doves,and bones because they are food for dogs.
Similarly, we may carry all the shells and seeds [of produce] that are fit to serve as animal fodder. Concerning those that are not fit to be eaten: One should eat the food and throw [the shells or seeds] behind one's back; carrying them is forbidden.
One may carry meat that has spoiled, for it is fit to be eaten by beasts. One may carry raw meat - whether salted or unsalted- because it is fit to be eaten by humans. This ruling applies to [raw] fish that has been salted. By contrast, carrying unsalted [raw] fish is forbidden. ‎[17] We may not carry broken pieces of glass even though they are edible by ostriches, nor bundles of twigs from a vine even though they are edible by elephants, nor *luf*, even though it is edible by ravens. [These restrictions were instituted] because these and similar [species] are not commonly found among most people. ‎[18] [The following rules apply to] bundles of straw, bundles of wood, and bundles of twigs: If they were prepared to be used as animal fodder, one may carry them. If not, one may not carry them.
If one brought in bundles of wild hyssop, madder, hyssop, or thyme to be used as kindling wood, one may not use them on the Sabbath. If one brought them in for use as animal fodder, one may use them. Similar rules apply to mint, rue, and other herbs. ‎[19] We may not rake food that was placed before an ox that is being fattened for slaughter. [This applies regardless of whether the food has been placed] in a feeding trough that is a [separate] utensil or in an earthen feeding trough. [Similarly,] one may not shift [the food] to the side so that [it does not become mixed with] feces. [These restrictions are] decrees, [instituted] lest one level grooves [in the floor].
One may take food that had been placed before a donkey and place it before an ox. One may not, by contrast, take food that had been placed before an ox and place it before a donkey. [This restriction was instituted] because the food that is before an ox becomes soiled by its spittle and is not fit to be eaten by another animal.
Leaves that produce a foul and repulsive odor and are not eaten by animals may not be carried. For similar reasons, carrying the hook on which fish are hung is forbidden. By contrast, the hook on which meat is hung is permitted to be carried. The same applies in all similar situations. ‎[20] Although carrying a corpse on the Sabbath is forbidden, one may anoint it and wash it, provided one does not move any of its limbs. We may slip out a pillow from underneath it so that it will be lying on the ground to enable it to remain without decomposing.
We may bring a utensil that will cool [a corpse] or a metal utensil and place it on the belly [of the corpse] so that [the corpse] will not swell. We may stop up [the corpse's] orifices so that air will not enter them. We may tie its jaw - not so that it will close - but so that it will not [open] further. We may not close [a corpse's] eyes on the Sabbath. ‎[21] When a corpse is lying in the sun, we may place a loaf of bread or a baby on it and carry it [into the shade]. Similarly, if a fire breaks out in a courtyard where a corpse is lying, we may place a loaf of bread or a baby on it and carry it [out from the fire].
Indeed, even if a loaf of bread or a baby are not available, one may save a corpse from a fire. [This leniency is granted] lest one extinguish the fire out of apprehension that the corpse not be consumed [by the flames].
[The leniency of carrying an entity with] a loaf of bread or a baby upon it is granted only in the case of a corpse, because a person is distraught over the corpse [of his loved ones]. ‎[22] [The following procedure should be adhered to when] a corpse is lying in the sun and there is no place to carry it, or [the people] do not desire to move it from its place: Two people should come and sit, one on either side [of the corpse]. If it is [too] warm for them [to sit on the ground], they may both bring couches and sit on them. If it is [too] warm for them [to sit in the sun], they may both bring mats and spread them over the couches.
[Afterwards,] they both may [depart], overturn their couches, and remove them [leaving the mats suspended over the corpse]. In this manner, the covering is created on its own accord, [as it were], for the two mats are next to each other and their two ends are located on the ground on either side of the corpse. ‎[23] When a corpse has decomposed in a house [to the extent that it produces a foul odor] and thus is being disgraced in the eyes of the living, and their honor is being compromised because of it, carrying it into a *carmelit is permitted*.
[This leniency was granted because] the honor of the creatures is great enough to supersede [the observance of] a negative commandment of the Torah, namely: "Do not swerve right or left from the words they tell you" [Deuteronomy 17:11].
If [the people in the home] have an alternative place to go, they may not remove the corpse. Instead, the corpse should be left in its place and they should depart.
Version: Mishneh Torah, trans. by Eliyahu Touger. Jerusalem, Moznaim Pub. c1986-c2007
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001020101/NLI
License: CC-BY-NC