Extra buttons and other attachments

Hi,

There is halachic debate regarding whether one may travel outside an eruv on Shabbos wearing a shirt that has extra buttons attached to it. Those who permit it contend that the buttons are considered nullified to the shirt, and many people are lenient along these lines.

A similar approach permits travelling outside an eruv with clothing that has a laundry tag or a shaatnez-certification tag stapled to it.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:242)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

My hat fell off!

Hi,

One whose hat falls off in an area outside and eruv on Shabbat may pick it up and put it on. One is not transporting it for the prohibited lateral distance of four amot (about seven feet), and one is not transporting it between public and private areas.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:241)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Medical ID bracelet on Shabbos

Hi,

[Please see the disclaimer atop this blog - like all of the "daily halachah" listings, this represents the views brought in the cited responsum below, and it is not necessarily a universally accepted ruling.]

There are conflicting opinions regarding wearing a medical bracelet outside an eruv on Shabbat. Some contend that there is no halachic concern at all, since this is a garment. Others argue that it is only permitted because of medical need, and if so one should opt to stay indoors where that is reasonably possible.

Therefore, it would be best to find some other way to note one's medical information. Where that is not possible, one could satisfy all of the views by attaching the bracelet to one's sleeve. And where that is not possible, one may rely on the views that see the bracelet as a garment.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:237)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When a child refuses to walk, on Shabbos

Hi,

What may one do, when a young child stops on the way somewhere on Shabbat, and refuses to walk any further, and there is no eruv to license carrying?

[Note: This responsum assumes there is no immediate danger to life; the child is not in the street, the weather is not dangerously cold, etc.]

Because our communities tend to be private domains by biblical standards, so that transport is a rabbinic prohibition rather than a biblical one, there are leniencies one may use where the child does not respond to coaxing.

Ideally, one would arrange with a non-Jew to carry the child. Where that is not an option, one could carry the child distances of fewer than four cubits [7 feet] at a time, picking up and setting down the child each time. Alternatively, one person could pick up the child and transport him, and hand him off to another person in the air, without pausing; this way, one carrier would perform the act of picking up the child, and the other would perform the act of setting down the child, so that each would be performing an incomplete act of transport. In either of these cases, one should avoid transporting the child directly into the house or enclosed yard, where possible; the transition from public area to private area carries special liability.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:233)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Fetch!

Hi,

One may not instruct his dog to go outside and bring in an object, where the space is not enclosed by an eruv. This is part of the law requiring that our animals rest on Shabbat.

There is room to contend that where an animal brings in an object on its own, one may use the object. However, there are grounds to prohibit as well, both in terms of having one's animal perform a prohibited act on Shabbat, and in terms of marit ayin (the appearance of wrongdoing).

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:231)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing a glasses chain outside the Eruv

Hi,

One may travel outside an eruv on Shabbat with a chain or cord attached to the handles of his glasses, so long as the glasses are worn normally rather than carried by the chain/cord. The chain or cord is consided part of the arms of the glasses. However, one may not travel with the glasses suspended by the cord, around one's neck.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:227)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shoe inserts on Shabbos

Hi,

One may put a shoe insert into a shoe on Shabbos, to make the shoe wearable; it is considered part of the shoe, and not a separate entity that is "fixing" the shoe. One may also wear the shoe outside of the eruv, with the insert in it.

[Note: Some prohibit putting an insert in a shoe for the first time; this view is referenced in the Rivivot Ephraim here, but he does not state his own view.]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:225)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A lining outside the eruv on Shabbat

Hi,

One may travel outside of an eruv on Shabbat with paper lining his hat, in order to make it fit better. The paper is considered part of the hat, and it need not be physically attached. Ideally, though, the paper should be inserted before Shabbat [to avoid the appearance of a trick meant to transport the paper].

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:223:17)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shoelaces outside the eruv

Hi,

If one is walking outside the eruv, and his shoe becomes untied, is he obligated to tie his shoes, lest he be considered "carrying" his shoelaces?

If the shoelaces are still keeping the shoe somewhat closed, one need not stop to tie them. There are those who permit him to continue walking even where the shoes are entirely open; since the laces could be used to tie the shoe, they are considered part of the garment.

[I have seen a similar question discussed regarding the belt of an open raincoat, but there it seems that the consensus is that one need not close the coat with the belt; a belt in beltloops is considered part of the garment. - MT]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:223:15)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing a coat over your shoulders

Hi,

On Shabbat, one may walk outside an eruv with a coat worn over his shoulders, without his arms in the sleeves, where that is a normal mode of wearing a coat. This is considered "wearing" it, not carrying it. We are also not concerned that it might fall off and then you might carry it.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:223:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Earmuffs outside the eruv

Hi,

[Introductory note: Both earmuffs and gloves function as garments, and therefore they should be fine for wearing on Shabbat without an eruv. However, one may not wear garments without an eruv if there is a reasonable possibility that one might remove them, such as to display them for someone. Hence the following halachah.]

One may wear earmuffs on Shabbat outside an eruv, especially on days that are very cold. There is no concern that one might remove them, due to the cold. This is certainly true according to the view that one may wear gloves outside an eruv, even though gloves are removed from time to time.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:223:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Two belts

Hi,

One may not wear a second belt, in addition to his pants, when walking in a public area without an eruv on Shabbat. One may only do so when the belt is needed for his garb while walking.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:35)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A hair clip outside the eruv

Hi,

A woman may travel outside the eruv with a clip in her hair, where the clip is used to keep her braids in place. However, she may not do this if the goal is to transport the clip to her destination.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:48)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing a belt outside the Eruv

Hi,

One may wear a belt outside the Eruv, even if his pants have their own elastic band; people normally wear a belt to tighten the pants further. However, one could not wear an entirely superfluous belt, such as by wearing a gartel in addition to a regular belt, outside of an eruv.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:101:5)

Pitka tava,
Mordechai

Using a wheelchair outside an eruv on Shabbat

Hi,

One who needs a wheelchair may use it to wheel himself outside of the eruv; the wheelchair is viewed as the equivalent of his shoe. However, if the wheelchair must be lifted in order to cross a threshold, one should ask non-Jews to do it in a manner which will only violate rabbinic law; this may be done only in a case of need.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:90)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing a pager on Shabbat, outside an Eruv

Hi,

Doctors and emergency personnel may wear pagers on Shabbat outside of an eruv, to aid in saving lives. This is considered part of their clothing.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:81)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pinning a handkerchief to transport it

Hi,

One may not transport a cloth or handkerchief to one's clothing in order to be able to transport it on Shabbos in an area where there is no eruv. Granted that it is considered halachically attached to the garment, it is neither a garment nor an ornament in itself. Even if the cloth is intended for a mitzvah, this is prohibited.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:48)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moch dachuk where there is no eruv

Hi,

A woman should not travel with a moch dachuk in an area where there is no eruv.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:47)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Bringing a gartel to shul without an eruv

Hi,

One who wishes to bring a gartel [special belt worn by some when praying] to the synagogue on Shabbat, without an eruv, is required to wear it as one would wear a normal belt, so that it is a standard garment. Therefore, one may neither wrap it around his chest and say it is to keep his tie in place, nor invent any other pseudo-use; only normal use as a garment or ornament is acceptable.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:46)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Wearing a watch outside an Eruv

Hi,

One may wear a watch on one's wrist outside an Eruv on Shabbat, as this is like clothing, but one may not carry a pocket watch, or a watch attached to one's garment.

One who is careful should avoid wearing a wristwatch, lest he come to accidentally permit one of the other kinds of watches. [Note: Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote this in 1957; it is possible that he would not have been as concerned for this once the other types of watches became rare. On the other hand, this responsum does not address digital watches, with buttons which might easily be pressed by accident.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:111)

Have a great day,
Mordechai