Seif Aleph text — Shulchan Aruch with Rema's glosses
דיני השאלה והשכרה לעכו"ם בשבת. ובו ה סעיפים: מותר להשאיל ולהשכיר כליו לעכו"ם ואע"פ שהוא עושה בהם מלאכה בשבת מפני שאין אנו מצווים על שביתת כלים וי"א דכלים שעושין בהם מלאכה כגון מחרישה וכיוצא בה אסור להשכיר לעכו"ם בע"ש וביום הה' מות' להשכיר לו ובלבד שלא יטול שכר שבת אלא בהבלעה כגון שישכיר לו לחדש או לשבוע ולהשאיל לו מותר אפי' בערב שבת: הגה וכן עיקר כסברא האחרונה ומותר להשאיל לו בערב שבת (טור וסמ"ג וסמ"ק ותו' פ"ק דשבת) אע"ג שמתנה שהעכו"ם יחזור וישאיל לו לא אמרינן בכי האי גוונא דהוי כשכירות (הגהת מיי' פ"ז
One may lend and rent one's utensils to a non-Jew, even though he performs work with them on Shabbos, because we are not commanded regarding the resting of utensils (shevisas keilim). Some say that utensils used for work, such as a plow and the like, may not be rented to a non-Jew on erev Shabbos; on Thursday one may rent them to him, provided one takes no payment for Shabbos except as absorbed (be-havla'ah), for instance by renting to him by the month or by the week. As for lending them to him — it is permitted even on erev Shabbos. — Rema's gloss: And such is the main view, as the latter opinion; and one may lend to him on erev Shabbos, and even if he stipulates that the non-Jew will lend back to him, we do not say that in such a case it is like a rental.
The 4 levels of study — Siman 246, Seif Aleph
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רמת המתחיל
Foundation — Introduction
Hebrew text with a clear English rendering, pedagogical explanation of the three foundational concepts (shevitas kelim, nireh ki-shelucho, sechar Shabbos), and practical psak for both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities.
Full pilpul in 13 sections: the sugya in Shabbos 17b-19a, four שיטות ראשונים (Rambam/Rif, Tosafos, Rabbeinu Yonah, Rosh), the foundational חקירה of shevitas kelim vs. mar'is ayin, R' Akiva Eiger's dyukim, the dinim of havlaah, and the Rema's chiddush.
A structured recap for review and memorization. Comparison tables of she'ilah vs. sechirus, decision trees, golden rules, practical cases, and classic pitfalls to avoid.
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav on this siman: all 19 seifim complete and 7 entries of Kuntres Acharon (the densest of the three simanim). The strength and originality of the Alter Rebbe's psak on the diptych she'ilah / sechirus, the test of nireh ki-shelucho, the application of havlaah to kelim, and the structural distinction between kelim, beheimah, and sadeh.
Rebuild this siman according to the Rabbanim YOU follow. Choose your poskim (Rav Ovadia, the Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe, Ben Ish Chai, Mishnah Berurah, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu…) — Daat AI rebuilds the siman with their views, reasoning, and disagreements. If your poskim do not address a point, the AI asks you before broadening the discussion.
The question of whether a Jew's utensils must "rest" on Shabbos, even when they are in the hands of a non-Jew. According to Beis Hillel, there is no chiyuv of shevitas kelim.
נִרְאֶה כִּשְׁלוּחוֹ
Appears as his shaliach
The issue of mar'is ayin: if the non-Jew uses the Jew's item on Shabbos, he appears to be acting as his shaliach, creating a prohibited appearance even with no actual intent.
שְׂכַר שַׁבָּת
Payment for Shabbos
The independent prohibition against benefiting from payment for work performed on Shabbos. Even if the contract was made before Shabbos, profit derived specifically from Shabbos work is halachically problematic.
The two schools of opinion
Posek
Era
Position
Reasoning
רמב״ם / רי״ף
Rishonim — 11th–12th c.
View ① — Permitted
The forbidding baraisa follows only Beis Shammai. According to Beis Hillel (whose view is binding), there is no prohibition based on shevitas kelim.
רבנו יונה / רא״ש / תוספות
Rishonim — 12th–13th c.
View ② — Forbidden
Even according to Beis Hillel, the prohibition stands due to nireh ki-shelucho (mar'is ayin) and sechar Shabbos.
בית יוסף / שולחן ערוך
Acharonim — 16th c.
View ② (binding)
Permits lending and renting utensils (no שביתת כלים); cites the view forbidding the rental of a work tool on erev Shabbos, and allows Shabbos payment only when absorbed (בהבלעה).
הגהות הרמ״א
Acharonim — 16th c.
✦ Final psak
"וכן עיקר כסברא האחרונה" — Adopts the strict view on renting a work tool on erev Shabbos, but explicitly permits lending it on erev Shabbos, even with a promise to lend back.
Frequently asked questions — Siman 246
May one lend or rent an item to a non-Jew before Shabbos?
According to the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 246:1, one may lend (she'ilah) and rent (sechirus) an item to a non-Jew before Shabbos, even if he uses it on Shabbos: we are not commanded regarding the resting of our utensils. For a work tool (a plow, for example), the view the Rema adopts forbids renting it on erev Shabbos but permits lending it; and payment may cover Shabbos only when absorbed in a weekly or monthly rental. For a practical case, consult your Rav. The distinction between lending and renting, and the Rema's chiddush, are treated in depth in Level 2 (Lamdan).
What is shevitas kelim?
Shevitas kelim ("the resting of utensils") is the foundational dispute between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel (Beitzah 16b): Beis Shammai requires that the Jew's utensils themselves rest on Shabbos. Beis Hillel requires rest only for the Jew himself and his dependents. The halachah follows Beis Hillel, but the concept remains essential for understanding the heteirim of Siman 246.
May one rent a car to a non-Jew over Shabbos?
A modern application of Siman 246: yes, provided (1) the contract is signed before Shabbos, (2) the car is handed over to the non-Jew before Shabbos, and (3) there is no problem of sechar Shabbos (specific payment for Shabbos) — the concept of havlaah (payment encompassing several days) resolves it. A car is an object used for work: according to the view the Rema adopts, one does not rent it on erev Shabbos itself. For a practical case, consult your Rav. See Level 1 and Level 2.
What is the Rema's chiddush in Siman 246?
The Rema distinguishes between lending (she'ilah) and renting (sechirus) with different halachic ramifications — particularly whether the non-Jew is considered the Jew's shaliach (nireh ki-shelucho). Level 2 (Lamdan) treats this distinction in depth alongside the views of the Rambam, Rif, and Rabbeinu Yonah.