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Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 19

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19 ‎[1] We may not go out [wearing] any weaponry on the Sabbath. [The following rules apply should one] go out [wearing weaponry]: If they are objects that are worn as garments - e.g., a coat of mail, a helmet, or iron boots - one is not liable. If, however, one goes out [carrying] articles that are not worn as garments - e.g., a spear, a sword, a bow, a round shield or a triangular shield - he is liable. ‎[2] We may not go out wearing a sandal studded with nails to fasten it. Even on festivals, the Sages decreed that we should not go out wearing [such sandals].

It is permitted to go out wearing a belt with pieces of gold and silver imbedded into it as kings wear, for this is a piece of jewelry, and it is permitted [to wear] all jewelry. [This license is granted] provided [the belt] does not hang loosely, lest it fall in the public domain and one go and bring it. ‎[3] A ring that has a seal is considered to be a piece of jewelry for a man, but not for a woman. A ring without a seal, by contrast, is considered to be a piece of jewelry for a woman, but not for a man. Accordingly, a woman who goes out wearing a ring that has a seal and a man who goes out wearing a ring without a seal are liable.

Why are they liable? They did not transfer them in an ordinary manner - i.e., it is not an ordinary practice for a man to wear a ring on his finger that is not appropriate for him, nor for a woman to wear a ring on her finger that is not appropriate for her. [Nevertheless,] there are times when a man gives his ring to his wife to hide at home and she places it on her finger while she is walking. Similarly, there are times when a woman gives her ring to her husband to take to a jeweler to fix, and he places it on his finger while he is walking to the jeweler's store. Therefore, [although the rings are not appropriate for the individuals mentioned above, because they do occasionally wear such rings,] they are considered to have transferred them in an ordinary manner. Accordingly, they are liable. ‎[4] Although a ring that does not have a seal is considered to be a piece of jewelry for a woman, a woman should not go out wearing such a ring, lest she take it off in the public domain and show it to her friends, as women often do. If, however, she went out wearing such a ring, she is not liable.

A man, by contrast, may go out wearing a ring that has a seal, for it is considered to be a piece of jewelry for him and it is not usual practice for a man to show off [his jewelry to others]. It has, [nevertheless,] become accepted practice for people to go out without wearing any rings at all. ‎[5] A woman who goes out [wearing] a pin with an eye is liable, while a man is not liable. A man who goes out [wearing] a pin without an eye is liable, while a woman is not liable, for this is considered to be a piece of jewelry for her. She is prohibited against wearing it only because of a decree lest she [take it off and] show it to her friends.

The [following] general principles apply: Whenever a person goes out wearing an item that is not considered to be jewelry for him, and it is not [worn as] a garment, he is liable if he transfers it in an ordinary manner.

Whenever a man goes out wearing a piece of jewelry that hangs loosely and could easily fall and thus cause him to bring it through the public domain, and similarly, whenever a woman goes out wearing a piece of jewelry that she is likely to take off and show [to her friends], they are not liable.

Whenever an adornment that is not likely to fall, nor is it likely to be shown to others, [a woman] is permitted to go out [wearing] it. Therefore, she may go out [wearing] a bracelet that is placed on the forearm or [a garter that is placed on] the thigh if it clings tightly to the flesh and will not slip off. These rules apply in other similar situations. ‎[6] A woman should not go out with woolen strands, linen strands, or straps attached to her head lest she remove them when she immerses herself and carry them in the public domain.

She should not go out [wearing] a frontlet on her forehead, nor with bangles of gold that hang from the frontlet on her cheeks if they are not sewn together. Nor may [she go out wearing] a crown of gold on her head, nor with the ankle chains worn by maidens so that they will not take long strides and thus destroy [the signs of] their virginity.

It is forbidden to go out [wearing] any of these articles lest they fall and one carry them by hand. ‎[7] A woman should not go out [wearing] a necklace, a nose ring, a flask of perfume attached to her forearm, a small round pouch in which balsam oil is placed, referred to as a *cochellet*.

Nor should she wear a wig that will give the appearance that she has a full head of hair, nor a woolen pad that goes around her face, nor a false tooth, nor a golden crown that she places over a black tooth or a red blemish that she has on her teeth. She may go out with a silver tooth, because this is not obvious.

All these prohibitions were instituted lest {the article fall and [the woman] carry it in her hand or} lest she remove it and show it to a friend. ‎[8] Whenever the Sages forbade wearing an item in the public domain, it is forbidden to go out [wearing] that item even in a courtyard for which there is no *eruv*. An exception is made with regard to a face pad and a wig; permission is granted to go out [wearing] them to a courtyard where there is no *eruv* so that [the woman] would not appear unattractive to her husband.

A woman who goes out [carrying] an empty flask with no perfume is liable. ‎[9] A woman may go out [wearing] strands of hair that are attached to her head. Water passes through them and they are therefore not considered to be an interposing substance were she to immerse herself. [Consequently,] she will not remove them. Hence, there is no necessity to prohibit [wearing them lest she remove them] and carry them into the public domain.

This applies regardless of whether [the strands of hair were taken from] the woman's own tresses, those of another woman, or from an animal. An elderly woman should not, however, go out [wearing strands of hair from] a young woman, for they are becoming to her, [and we fear that] she might remove them and show them to a friend. A young woman, by contrast, may go out [wearing] strands of hair from an elderly woman.

Any woven hair-covering may be worn. ‎[10] A woman may go out [wearing] strands [tied around] her neck, because she does not tie them tightly, and they are therefore not considered to be an interposing substance [with regard to ritual immersion]. If, however, they are colored, she may not go out wearing them, lest she show them to a friend.

A woman may go out wearing a golden diadem, since these are worn only by dignified woman who are not accustomed to removing [their jewelry] and showing them to their friends. A woman may also go out [wearing] a frontlet on her forehead with bangles of gold [that hang from the frontlet], provided they are sewn into her head-covering so that they do not fall. The same applies in all similar situations. ‎[11] A woman may go out with wadding in her ear provided it is attached to her ear, with wadding in her sandal provided it is attached to her sandal, and with wadding for her menstrual discharge even though it is not attached. [The latter rule applies] even if it has a handle. Since it is repulsive, even if it falls, she would not carry it. ‎[12] She may go out with pepper, a grain of salt, or any other substance that is placed in the mouth [to prevent] bad breath. She should not, however, place these substances in her mouth on the Sabbath itself.

Women may go out [wearing] slivers of wood in their ears, or with bells on their necks or garments, and with a cloak fastened with a make-shift button.

Indeed, a woman may fasten her cloak in this manner using a stone or a nut on the Sabbath and go out, provided she does not [use this leniency as] a ruse and use a nut for this purpose in order to bring it to her young son. Similarly, she should not fasten her cloak in this manner using a coin, for it is forbidden to carry it. If her cloak was fastened [using a coin], she may go out wearing it. ‎[13] A man may go out to the public domain with a sliver of wood in his teeth or in his sandal. If, however, it falls, he should not put it back. [He may go out with] wadding or a sponge over a wound, provided he does not wind a cord or a string over them. [The latter restriction applies] because he considers the cord or the string as important and they do not assist [the healing of] the wound.

[He may go out with] a garlic peel or an onion peel on a wound, and with a bandage on a wound. He may open and close [the bandage] on the Sabbath. [He may go out with] a compress, a plaster, or a dressing on a wound. [Similarly, one may go out with] a *sela* on a footsore, a locust's egg, a fox's tooth, a nail from a gallows, and any other entity that is hung on a person's body to [bring] a cure, provided that physicians say that it is effective. ‎[14] [A woman] may go out with a *tekumah* stone or with the weight of a *tekumah* stone, which was weighed [and carried] with the intent that it serve as a remedy. This applies not only to a pregnant woman, but to all women, [as a safeguard] lest they become pregnant and miscarry.

One may go out [wearing] an amulet that has proven its efficacy. What is an amulet that has proven its efficacy? [An amulet] that has cured three individuals or that was prepared by an individual who cured three people with other amulets. If a person goes out wearing an amulet that has not proved its efficacy, he is not liable. [The rationale:] he carried it out as a garment. Similarly, a person who goes out [wearing] *tefillin* is not liable. ‎[15] A person who has a wound on his foot may go out [wearing] one sandal on his healthy foot. If, however, a person does not have a wound on his foot, he may not go out [wearing] a single sandal.

A child should not go out [wearing] the sandals of an adult. He may, however, go out [wearing] the cloak of an adult. A woman should not go out [on the Sabbath], [wearing] a loose-fitting sandal, nor [wearing] a new sandal that she did not wear for even a short period of time before [the commencement of the Sabbath].

A one-legged man may not go out [wearing] his wooden leg. We may not go out [wearing] wooden shoes, because it is not the ordinary practice to wear them. If, however, one goes out [wearing] them, he is not liable. ‎[16] [A man] may go out [wearing] tufts of flax or a woolen wig worn by men with sores on their heads. When does this apply? When he colored them with oil and wound them, or he went out [wearing] them [at least] momentarily before the commencement of the Sabbath. If, however, he did not perform a deed [that indicated his desire to use these articles], nor did he go out [wearing] them before the Sabbath, it is forbidden for him to go out [wearing] them. ‎[17] We may go out [wearing] coarse sackcloth, tent-cloth,a thick woolen blanket, or a coarse wrap [as protection] against rain. We may not, however, go out [wearing] a chest, a container, or a mat, [as protection] against the rain.

When a pillow and a blanket are soft and thin as garments are, one may go out [wearing] them as a wrap on one's head on the Sabbath. When they are firm, they are considered to be burdens and it is forbidden. ‎[18] We may go out with bells woven into our clothes. A servant may go out [wearing] a clay seal around his neck, but not with a metal seal, lest it fall and he carry it.

[The following rules apply when] a person wraps himself in a *tallit* and folds it, either [holding the folds] in his hand, or [placing them] on his shoulder: If his intent is that [the ends of the garment] should not tear or become soiled, it is forbidden. If his intent is for the sake of fashion, since this is the style in which people of his locale wear their clothes, it is permitted. ‎[19] A person who goes out [to the public domain] with a garment that is folded and placed on his shoulders is liable. He may, however, go out with a wrap [folded] around his shoulders even though a thread is not tied to his fingers.

Whenever a wrap does not cover [a person's] head and the majority of his body, he is forbidden to go out [wearing it]. A cloth that is worn as a head covering that is short and not wide should be tied below one's shoulders. Thus, it will serve as a belt and one will be permitted to go out [wearing] it. ‎[20] It is permitted to wrap oneself in a *tallit* that has unwoven strands at its edges, even though they are long and do not enhance the appearance of the *tallit*, because they are considered to be subsidiary to it. The person [wearing the *tallit*] does not care whether they exist or not.

Based on the above, a person who goes out [wearing] a *tallit* whose *tzitzit* are not halachically acceptable is liable. For these strands are important to him and he is concerned with completing what they are lacking, so that they can be considered to be *tzitzit*.

When, however, the *tzitzit* are halachically acceptable, it is permitted to go out [wearing this garment] during the day and during the night. *Tzitzit* that are halachically acceptable are not considered to be a burden, but rather to be an article that enhances the garment and beautifies it. Were the strands of *tzitzit* that are halachically acceptable to be considered a burden, one would be liable [for wearing such a garment] even on the Sabbath day, since a positive commandment [whose negation] is not [punishable by] *karet* does not supersede the Sabbath [prohibitions]. ‎[21] A tailor should not go out on the Sabbath with a needle stuck into his clothes, nor a carpenter with a sliver of wood behind his ear, nor a weaver with wool in his ear, nor a carder of flax with a string around his neck, nor a money-changer with a *dinar* in his ear, nor a dyer with a sample in his ear.

If one [of these individuals] goes out [wearing such an article], he is not liable. Although this is the usual practice for artisans of this craft, [he is not liable,] because he is not considered to have transferred the article in an ordinary manner. ‎[22] A *zav* who goes out with his receptacle is liable, for this is the only way this receptacle is transferred. [He is liable] although he has no need to take out [the receptacle] itself; [he needs it] only to prevent his clothes from being soiled. For a person who performs a labor is liable even when he has no need for the actual labor he performed. ‎[23] What should a man do when he finds *tefillin* in the public domain on the Sabbath? He should wear them in the ordinary fashion, placing the head *tefillin* on his head and the arm *tefillin* on his arm, enter a home and remove them there. Afterwards, he should go out, return, put on a second pair, [return to the home,] remove them, and [continue this pattern] until he brings in all [the *tefillin*].

If there were many pairs of *tefillin* and there was not enough time to bring them in during the time by wearing them as garments, he should remain [watching] them until [after] nightfall, and bring them in on Saturday night. In a time of oppressive decrees, when one might fear to linger and watch them until the evening because of the gentiles, he should cover them where they are located, leave them, and proceed [on his way]. ‎[24] Should he be afraid to wait until after nightfall because of thieves, he should take the entire group at once and carry them less than four cubits at a time, or he should give them to a colleague [standing within four cubits], who in turn will give them to another colleague until they reach the courtyard at the extremity of the city.

When does the above apply? When they are found together with their straps that are tied with the knots with which *tefillin* are tied, since then they are surely *tefillin*. If, however, their straps are not tied, one should not pay attention to them. ‎[25] A person who finds a Torah scroll should linger and watch it until after nightfall. In a time of danger, he may leave it and go on his way. If rain is descending, one should wrap himself in the parchment, cover it [with one's outer garments], and enter [a home] with it. ‎[26] On Friday, shortly before nightfall, a tailor should not go carrying a needle in his hand, nor should a scribe [go out carrying] his pen, lest he forget and transfer it on the Sabbath.

A person is obligated to check his clothes on Friday before nightfall, lest he forget something in them and [inadvertently] transfer it on the Sabbath.

It is permissible to go out wearing *tefillin* on Friday shortly before sunset. Since a person is obligated to touch his *tefillin* at all times, there is no possibility that he will forget them. If a person forgets and goes out to the public domain [wearing] *tefillin*, [when] he remembers the *tefillin* on his head, he should cover his head until he reaches his home or the house of study.

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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

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