Template:Diapers on Shabbat
From Halachipedia
- Most authorities permit putting on a diaper on Shabbat by sticking the tabs of the diaper to the diaper. [1]
- Nonetheless, one should be careful and open the diaper slowly so that one doesn’t rip it and leave the tabs attached permanently. [2]
- One should not use the sticky tabs in order to close it up in order to throw it out since it’s considered permanent. [3] Some were lenient.[4]
- The issue of using baby wipes has been widely discussed ever since they've arrived on the market. Some poskim are lenient to use baby wipes if one does it gently and doesn't press down,[5] while others prohibit using diaper wipes entirely and give preference to wetting the baby (with oil, water, "baby shpritz" etc.) and then using a dry tissue to clean the child.[6]
- The older baby wipes are made from more similar to paper materials and today they are made from cotton materials.[7] Although this change according to some poskim makes using the baby wipes forbidden, nonetheless, there are some who are still lenient.[8]
- Most diapers have an adhesive that needs to be unfastened and then taped onto the diaper. While it is praiseworthy to to be stringent and unfasten them and then refasten them again before Shabbos[9] [hence when putting on the diaper you would not be "ripping" something that was "sewn" for over twenty four hours], one can be lenient if he failed to do so.[10]
- It is permitted to open a diaper on Shabbat even if the flaps are stuck to the back of the diaper and they need to be torn on the perforations to be opened.[11]
- ↑ Minchat Yitzchak 5:39 (Dayan Weiss) is strict on diapers. Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:14 is lenient about using pampers on Shabbat since it’s only a temporary connection. Sh”t Tzitz Eliezer 16:6 is lenient because it isn’t not even considered temporary. 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat; pg 813) permits since the tabs are made to be used that way. Children in Halacha (Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen; pg 212-3) and Chazon Ovadia v. 5 p. 85 are lenient. See http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?ClipDate=7/25/2005.
- ↑ Sh”t Yacheve Daat 6:23
- ↑ 39 Melachos (Rav Ribiat; pg 814), Menuchat Ahava 2:15:11, and Rabbi Mansour (http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?ClipDate=7/25/2005) hold that it is forbidden to wrap up the diaper after it is used since that adhesive connection will remain permanent.
- ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach quoted in Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata ch. 35 fnt. 67 and ch. 15 fnt. 233 explained that leaving something connected until it is destroyed if one doesn't actually care about it staying connected isn't considered as though one connected it permanently. Therefore, it is permitted to wrap up the diaper before throwing it out so that it doesn't open up and become a mess.
- ↑ Rabbi Heshy Kahn (What's Doing, Greater Connecticut, 3/3/11) quoting Rabbi Moshe Plutchok based on the Har Tzvi and R' Shlomo Zalmen Aurbauch Zt”l, Rabbi Mansour on Dailyhalacha.com
- ↑ Minchat Yitzchak 10:25, Shevet Halevi 8:59, 39 Melachos (vol 2, pg 351-3). Nishmas Shabbos 233 requires the wipes to be squeezed out prior to Shabbos to the extent that if someone touches the wipe he won't be able to moisten something else.
- ↑ Wikipedia entry "Wet Wipe" describes some of the history of baby wipes. It points out that originally wipes were paper clothes and today more of them are made with cotton materials. For example, Pampers wipes are made from cellulose, which is 90% of cotton, and polypropylene, which is synthetic. See also, Target wipes which are made from cotton fiber.
- ↑ Yalkut Yosef 2 p 90 writes that it is muter to use a diaper wipe on Shabbat. But Yalkut Yosef 2 p. 688 in a later edition he limits it to paper wipes and not cloth ones. Chazon Ovadia Shabbat v. 4 p. 148-154 says all baby wipes are permitted on Shabbat. Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 14:37 says only paper ones are muter and not cloth ones. Har Tzvi 190 is lenient about using diaper wipes made from paper. Igrot Moshe 2:70 as understood by Rivevot Efraim 6:194:3 writes that paper wipes are permitted. Chazon Ovadia writes four reasons to say why it is derabbanan:
- It is only a derabbanan form of disha since the paper isn't meant to be squeezed out and it is like pickles and not olives (Shabbat 145a).
- Also, the water goes to waste (Meor Hashabbat v. 2 p. 522 quoting Rav Shlomo Zalman).
- Also, it isn't gidulei karka (Rambam Shabbat 8:7). Disha is only bgedulei karka. Even if it is made with cotton it still can be called non-gedulei karka since it is so processed and it is like panim chadashot (chatom sofer 6:81 by ketamim on toilet paper).
- Also, it is less than a shiur of a grogeret making the isur only derabbanan (Chacham Tzvi 86). He isn't sure to use this factor because perhaps there's no shiur for sechita in this form which is normal just to squeeze out a tiny bit (Chazon Ovadia p. 150).
- If it is only derabbanan or a double derabbanan a pesik reisha is muter (even if it is nicha leh). Also it could be that we matir derabbanans for child who is like a choleh shein bo sakana.
- ↑ Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 16:81
- ↑ Sha'arim Metzuyanim L'Halacha 80:45
- ↑ 39 Melachot v. 3 p. 846 writes that the flaps are only connected to the back of the diaper in the cutting process and because of the friction they are connected. The same is true of the packaging process. Since they are only connected temporarily it isn't koreah to tear it apart see Mishna Brurah 340:45 regarding pages stuck together. Similarly, it isn't makeh bpatish since it already resembled a diaper when it was cut even before it was completed. Therefore, tearing these flaps isn't creating a diaper.
