Mochek

From Halachipedia

Erasing on Shabbat is one of the 39 primary melachot of Shabbat.[1] The topic of writing on Shabbat is dealt with on a its own page.

Erasing

  1. Many poskim permit eating cake that has writing on it but forbid breaking the letters when cutting the cake, while others permit breaking the letters as well. [2]
  2. Regarding opening a book with letters on the side, see the Kotaiv page.
  3. The Ashkenazic custom is to avoid ripping letters when opening a package on Shabbat, while the Sephardic custom is to be lenient in this issue. [3]
  4. If ink or wax fell on writing one should not erase the ink or wax because that would be erasing in order to write. [4]
  5. If this is found in a Torah during Torah reading, if one can read the letter through the wax the Torah is fit to be read, but if it’s not readable some say to take out another Torah and some say just to read that word by heart. [5]
  6. It is considered a Biblical prohibition to erase in order to write and one example of is where one erases one letter to form another letter or erasing one letter to form two letters such as separating an m into two n’s. [6]

Sources

  1. ↑ Mishna Shabbat 7:2, Daf 73a. Rashi 73a writes that erasing is a melacha because the numbers written on the boards were sometimes erased when a board was improperly marked
  2. ↑ The Mordechai (Shabbat 369) cites the Maharam as ruling that on Yom Tov, it is rabbinically forbidden to eat cake that has letters written on it. He explains that it only is a rabbinic prohibition because one is erasing without intending to write in the place where he just erased. This is codified in the context of Shabbat by the Rama (O.C. 340:3).
    • The Dagul Meirvavah 340 argues that eating the cake should be permitted, since it is only a psik reisha of a rabbinic prohibition that anyway is being done in an abnormal way. He asserts that breaking letters on a cake is an abnormal way of erasing, and certainly breaking the letters in one’s mouth is unusual. Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer O.C. 4:38) adds that it should be permitted because it is only a psik riesha d’lo nicha lei on a rabbinic prohibition. Rav Mordechai Willig (“Hilchos Shabbos - Kotev/Mocheik #2,” min 39-43), however, argues that there is room to distinguish between a gezeirah, where psik riesha d’lo nicha lei may apply, and an action that is only d’rabanan because of a general principle, such as doing something in a destructive manner, where such a leniency doesn’t apply.
    • The Taz 340:2 also permits because the letters are being broken for the purpose of eating, a leniency found regarding to Borer and Tochen. The Chazon Ish (O.C. 61), however, answers that since chewing and eating always involve Borer and Tochen it is permitted even immediately prior to eating. No such permission was given in the context of erasing.
    • Kitzur S”A 80:63 and Aruch HaShulchan 340:23 are lenient, while the Mishna Brurah 340:17 and Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 11:7 permit only breaking the letters in one’s mouth, not cutting them with one’s hands prior to eating. Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky (“Hilchos Shabbos Series Mocheik Removing Letters from a cake” min 15-6) states that the minhag to be strict for the Rama is only a chumra.
    • See further: Sh”t Yabia Omer O”C 4:38, Sh”t Tzitz Eliezer 11:20, Sh”t Beir Moshe 6:92, Sh”t Az Nidabru 10:8, Sh”t Vayeshev Moshe 1:4
  3. ↑ Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 9:13 (quoting Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach) rules it is only rabbinically forbidden to rip through letters when opening a package, as is not considered erasing in order to write.
    • Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky (ibid. min 18) explains that strictly speaking, it should be permitted to tear through letters for the same reasons that the Dagul Meirvavah permitted cutting letters on a cake. The minhag, though, is to be strict. Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat vol 5, p. 117) permits tearing through letters because it is a psik reisha d’lo nicha lei on a rabbinic prohibition.
  4. ↑ Mishna Brurah 340:10
  5. ↑ Yabia Omer vol. 4 Orach Chaim 15:3, Mishna Brurah 340:10
  6. ↑ Mishna Brurah 340:22(4)
Retrieved from "http://localhost:80/index.php?title=Mochek&oldid=11864"