ב. שָׂדֶה מֻתָּר לְקַבֵּל בַּאֲרִיסוּת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים שֶׁהִיא שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהַגּוֹי עוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, דַּאֲדַעְתֵּיהּ דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ עָבִיד.
הגה (רמ״א): וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא לְקָחָהּ הַגּוֹי רַק לְשָׁלִישׁ אוֹ לְרָבִיעַ... שָׁרֵי, דְּגוֹי אַדַּעְתָּא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ עָבִיד. וְתַנּוּר דִּינוֹ כְּמֶרְחָץ וְרֵחַיִים דִּינָם כְּשָׂדֶה.
Seif Beis: A field — it is permitted to give it out as arisus (sharecropping), even though people know it belongs to a Jew, and it turns out that the non-Jew is doing melacha as his shaliach — because the non-Jew is working adata d'nafsheih (for his own benefit).
Rama's Gloss: And even if the non-Jew takes only a third or a quarter of the produce — it is permitted, because the non-Jew is working for his own benefit. An oven (תנור) — its din is like a bath; a mill (רחיים) — its din is like a field.
📖 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 3 levels below.
Key concepts of Siman רמ״ג
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).