Text of the Seifim — Shulchan Aruch with the Hagahos of the Rama
א. לֹא יַשְׂכִּיר אָדָם מֶרְחָץ שֶׁלּוֹ לְעַכּוּ״ם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּקְרָא עַל שְׁמוֹ וְעַכּוּ״ם זֶה עוֹשֶׂה בּוֹ מְלָאכָה בְּשַׁבָּת, דִּסְתַם מֶרְחָץ לָאו לַאֲרִיסוּתָא עֲבִיד, וְאָמְרִי שֶׁכָּל הָרֵיוַח שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׂכַר אֶת הָעַכּוּ״ם בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ לְיוֹם, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהָעַכּוּ״ם עוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲבָל שָׂדֶה — מֻתָּר, שֶׁכֵּן דֶּרֶךְ לְקַבֵּל שָׂדֶה בַּאֲרִיסוּת, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹמְרִים הָעַכּוּ״ם לְקָחָהּ בַּאֲרִיסוּת וּלְעַצְמוֹ הוּא עוֹבֵד. וְתַנּוּר דִּינוֹ כַּמֶּרְחָץ, וְרֵחַיִם דִּינוֹ כְּשָׂדֶה.
הגה (רמ״א, בסוף סעיף א): וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא לְקָחָהּ הָעַכּוּ״ם רַק לִשְׁלִישׁ אוֹ לִרְבִיעַ, וְיֵשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲנָאָה בְּמַה שֶּׁהָעַכּוּ״ם עוֹבֵד בְּשַׁבָּת — שָׁרֵי, דְּעַכּוּ״ם אַדַּעְתָּא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ עוֹבֵד.
ב. אֲפִלּוּ מֶרְחָץ אוֹ תַנּוּר, אִם הִשְׂכִּירָם שָׁנָה אַחַר שָׁנָה וְנִתְפַּרְסֵם הַדָּבָר עַל יְדֵי כָּךְ שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לִשְׂכּוֹר פּוֹעֲלִים אֶלָּא לְהַשְׂכִּירָם, וְכֵן אִם מִנְהַג רוֹב אַנְשֵׁי אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם לְהַשְׂכִּירָם אוֹ לִיתְּנָם בַּאֲרִיסוּת — מֻתָּר לְהַשְׂכִּירָם לְעַכּוּ״ם אוֹ לִיתְּנָם לוֹ בַּאֲרִיסוּת.
הגה (רמ״א, בסוף סעיף א): וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא לְקָחָהּ הָעַכּוּ״ם רַק לִשְׁלִישׁ אוֹ לִרְבִיעַ, וְיֵשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲנָאָה בְּמַה שֶּׁהָעַכּוּ״ם עוֹבֵד בְּשַׁבָּת — שָׁרֵי, דְּעַכּוּ״ם אַדַּעְתָּא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ עוֹבֵד.
ב. אֲפִלּוּ מֶרְחָץ אוֹ תַנּוּר, אִם הִשְׂכִּירָם שָׁנָה אַחַר שָׁנָה וְנִתְפַּרְסֵם הַדָּבָר עַל יְדֵי כָּךְ שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לִשְׂכּוֹר פּוֹעֲלִים אֶלָּא לְהַשְׂכִּירָם, וְכֵן אִם מִנְהַג רוֹב אַנְשֵׁי אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם לְהַשְׂכִּירָם אוֹ לִיתְּנָם בַּאֲרִיסוּת — מֻתָּר לְהַשְׂכִּירָם לְעַכּוּ״ם אוֹ לִיתְּנָם לוֹ בַּאֲרִיסוּת.
Seif Alef: One does not rent out his bathhouse to a non-Jew, because it is called by his name and this non-Jew does work in it on Shabbat — for a bathhouse is not ordinarily taken in sharecropping: people will say all the profit is the Jew's and that he hired the non-Jew at so much a day, and the non-Jew is found doing work as the Jew's agent. But a field — permitted, for the custom is to take a field in sharecropping: even though people know it is a Jew's, they say the non-Jew took it in sharecropping and works for himself. And an oven — its law is the bathhouse's; a mill — the field's.
Rama's gloss (end of Seif Alef): And even if the non-Jew took it only for a third or a quarter, and the Jew derives benefit from the non-Jew's working on Shabbat — it is permitted, for the non-Jew works on his own account.
Seif Beit: Even a bathhouse or an oven: if he rented them year after year and the matter thereby became known — that his way is not to hire workers but to rent them out —, and likewise if the custom of most people of that place is to rent them or give them in sharecropping: it is permitted to rent them to a non-Jew or give them to him in sharecropping.
📖 The Acharonim (Beis Yosef, Taz, Magen Avraham) draw out 5 sub-themes from Seif Beis + the Hagahos, which spell out when a bath may nevertheless be rented: (1) public knowledge built up over 2-3 years, (2) a be-havlaa / kablanus contract, (3) a bath inside a residential house, (4) sub-renting from a non-Jew, (5) bought from a non-Jew and not yet settled. Full details across the 4 levels below.
Rama's gloss (end of Seif Alef): And even if the non-Jew took it only for a third or a quarter, and the Jew derives benefit from the non-Jew's working on Shabbat — it is permitted, for the non-Jew works on his own account.
Seif Beit: Even a bathhouse or an oven: if he rented them year after year and the matter thereby became known — that his way is not to hire workers but to rent them out —, and likewise if the custom of most people of that place is to rent them or give them in sharecropping: it is permitted to rent them to a non-Jew or give them to him in sharecropping.
📖 The Acharonim (Beis Yosef, Taz, Magen Avraham) draw out 5 sub-themes from Seif Beis + the Hagahos, which spell out when a bath may nevertheless be rented: (1) public knowledge built up over 2-3 years, (2) a be-havlaa / kablanus contract, (3) a bath inside a residential house, (4) sub-renting from a non-Jew, (5) bought from a non-Jew and not yet settled. Full details across the 4 levels below.
The 4 levels of study — Siman רמ״ג
01
Available
רמת המתחילים
Basics — Entry Level
Hebrew text with full translation. The 4 types of arrangement (yom sachir, kablanus, hasakara, arisus), the 3 key concepts (maaras ayin, amira l'akum, avid d'nafsheih), summary table, and contemporary practical cases.
02
Available
רמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
Chakira on the foundation of the issur of amira l'akum: 3 shitos (Sheiltos, Rashi, Rambam). Machlokes Magen Avraham / Bayis Chadash. Geder of maaras ayin. Nafka mina for contemporary cases.
03
Available
חזרה וסיכום
Master Synthesis
Structured review for quick memorization: central axiom, 2-step decision tree, the 4-property test, 3 key concepts, mnemonics, common pitfalls, and contemporary practical cases.
04
Available
דעת הרב
Daat HaRav — Shitah of the Alter Rebbe
The Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe on this siman: 16 complete seifim, Kuntress Acharon, and the Mahadura Basra (revised second edition — exclusive to the Kehos printing). The strength and originality of the Alter Rebbe's psak vis-à-vis the Mechaber and the Rama, the Rav's own chiddush, sichos and igros of the Rebbe that illuminate the topic, and practical guidance le-maaseh.
05
Personalized
לימוד אישי
Study According to My Poskim
Rebuild this siman according to the Rabbanim YOU follow. Choose your Poskim (Rav Ovadia, the Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe, Ben Ish Chai, Mishna Berura, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu…) — Daat AI rebuilds the siman with their opinions, their reasoning, and their machlokesim. If your Poskim do not address a point, the AI will ask you before expanding.
Key concepts of Siman רמ״ג
אמירה לגוי
Amira L'Akum
General rule (Mishna Shabbos 121a): any melacha forbidden to a Jew on Shabbos may not be told to a non-Jew to do. Rabbinic prohibition (shevus). 3 reasons: Sheiltos (speech), Rashi (shelichus), Rambam (so Shabbos not be taken lightly).
מראית עין
Maaras Ayin — Appearances
Even when something is permitted on pure halachic grounds, Chazal forbade it where people might THINK there is a transgression. The bath is forbidden for this reason: the customary practice of the trade is daily wages.
עביד דנפשיה אדעתיה
"He's doing it for himself"
The criterion that permits sharecropping and piecework: the non-Jew is working for his own benefit (he will take a share of the produce, or has a contract to finish), so we say he is working for himself — the Jew is not responsible for it.
אריסות
Arisus — Sharecropping
The non-Jew receives the land in order to share the revenues with the Jew (1/3, 1/4, or 1/2). Permitted because the non-Jew has a personal stake in working well. The customary arrangement for a field and a mill.
קבלנות
Kablanus — Piecework Contract
The non-Jew commits to completing a defined job in exchange for a sum fixed in advance, with no one telling him when to work. Permitted in principle (except for a bath/oven because of maaras ayin).
סתם מרחץ לאו לאריסותא
The customary practice of the trade
The decisive rule: if the customary practice of the trade is daily wages (yom sachir) → forbidden (even on a kablanus contract). If the customary practice is sharecropping → permitted. Bath and oven: yom sachir custom. Field and mill: arisus custom.
The 4-property table — מרחץ · שדה · תנור · רחיים
| Property | Customary practice | יום שכיר | קבלנות / אריסות | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מרחץ (Bath) | Daily wages | 🔴 Forbidden | 🔴 Forbidden (maaras ayin) | Known as belonging to the Jew; passersby will think the non-Jew is his employee |
| שדה (Field) | Sharecropping | 🔴 Forbidden | 🟢 Permitted | The custom is arisus; people know the non-Jew is working for himself |
| תנור (Oven) | Daily wages | 🔴 Forbidden | 🔴 Forbidden (maaras ayin) | Like the bath — runs continuously, custom = yom sachir (Rama's gloss) |
| רחיים (Mill) | Kablanus / Sharecropping | 🔴 Forbidden | 🟢 Permitted | Like the field — custom = kablanus/arisus (Rama's gloss) |
Connections with the adjacent Simanim
| Siman | Topic | Connection with Siman רמ״ג |
|---|---|---|
| Siman רמ״ב → study | Kavod and oneg Shabbos | General context: obligations toward Shabbos preceding the laws of rental |
| Siman 244 | Having a non-Jew perform work | Direct continuation: real-estate properties in general, amira l'akum in detail |
| Siman רמ״ו → study | Lending and renting objects to a non-Jew | Companion to Siman רמ״ג: same principles, but for movable property (shevisas keilim, sechar Shabbos, havlaa) |
Frequently Asked Questions — Siman רמ״ג
Why may one rent out a field to a non-Jew but not a bath for Shabbos?
According to the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim רמ״ג:1-2, the bath is forbidden because "נקרא על שמו" (it is known by the Jew's name), and the normal practice of a bath is not sharecropping — people will think the non-Jew is working for the Jew (maaras ayin). The field is permitted because arisus is the norm there, so we say "אדעתא דנפשיה עביד" (the non-Jew is working for his own benefit).
What is the difference between hasakara, kablanus, and arisus?
Hasakara (rental): the non-Jew pays a fixed rent and uses the property as he wishes.
Kablanus (be-kablanut / piecework contract): the non-Jew is paid for a defined job, not by the hour.
Arisus (sharecropping): the non-Jew shares the produce/profits with the owner — he has a personal stake in working.
Level 1 (Basics) spells out the halachic implications of each structure.
What does the Rama say about the oven and the mill?
According to the Rama's gloss (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim רמ״ג:2), "ותנור דינו כמרחץ ורחיים דינם כשדה": an oven (תנור) follows the din of the bath (forbidden), a mill (רחיים) follows the din of the field (permitted). The difference comes from how customary sharecropping is for each type of property.
What are the 5 cases where a bath may nevertheless be rented?
The Acharonim (Beis Yosef, Taz, Magen Avraham) draw out 5 sub-themes from Seif Beis and the Hagahos: (1) public knowledge built up over 2-3 years, (2) a be-havlaa / kablanus contract, (3) a bath inside a residential house, (4) sub-renting from a non-Jew, (5) bought from a non-Jew and not yet settled. See Level 2 (Lamdan).