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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman 321 · 19 Seifim
Tolesh, tochen, me'abed, lash on Shabbos — to discover and understand
סימן שכ"א
דִּינֵי תּוֹלֵשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת וְדֵין טוֹחֵן וְדִין תִּקּוּנֵי מַאֲכָל אוֹ מְעַבֵּד וְלָשׁ
🌱 Introductory Level · Beginners
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First approach to Siman 321: full Hebrew text of the Mechaber, fluent English translation, pedagogical explanations of halachic concepts, modern practical cases and summary.
📑 Study Plan
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch — the 19 seifim of the Mechaber
2. The general context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. The key halachic concepts of this siman
4. Detail of the seifim — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
6. The Rema's position — Ashkenazic vs Sephardic differences
7. Modern practical cases
8. Practical summary and rules to remember
9. Comprehension questions
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch
Siman 321 contains 19 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) which codify the laws relating to tolesh (plucking), tochen (grinding), me'abed (tanning/salting), lash (kneading) on Shabbos.
Seif 1 — Herbs: food use vs fuel
דיני תולש בשבת ודין טוחן ודין תיקוני מאכל או מעבד ולש. ובו יט סעיפים:
חבילי פאה אזוב וקורנית [פירוש מין עשב] הכניסן לעצים אין מסתפקין מהם הכניסן למאכל בהמה קוטם ואוכל ביד אבל לא בכלי ומולל בראשי אצבעותיו:
Translation: Bundles of pe'ah, hyssop, and savory (types of herbs): if one brought them in as firewood — one does not take from them (they are muktzeh). If one brought them in as animal feed — one may break off and eat by hand, but not with a utensil, and one crumbles them with the fingertips (in an unusual manner, to avoid tochen).
Seif 2 — Preparing brine
אין עושין מי מלח הרבה ביחד לתת לתוך הכבשים משום דדמי לעיבוד אבל יכול לעשות ממנו מעט לתת לתוך התבשיל ואם נתן לתוכו שני שלישי מלח אסור לעשות ממנו אפילו מעט:
Translation: One does not prepare a large quantity of brine (salt water) at once to pour over pickled foods — because this resembles tanning (me'abed). But one may prepare a small quantity to put into a dish. And if one added two-thirds salt (highly concentrated brine) — it is forbidden to make even a small quantity.
Seif 3
אסור למלוח חתיכות צנון ד' או ה' ביחד מפני שנראה ככובש כבשין והכובש אסור מפני שהוא כמבשל אלא מטבל כל אחת לבדה ואוכלה אבל בצים מותר למלחן:
See practical analysis: this seif deals with several melachos — tochen, lash, me'abed. For details — see "Overview" and Level 2.
Seif 4
יש מי שכתב שמותר לטבול כמה חתיכות צנון אחת אחת לבדה ולהניחם יחד לפניו כדי לאכלם מיד זו אחר זו:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 5
אסור למלוח בשר מבושל או ביצה מבושלת להניחה:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 6
אין למלוח ביחד הרבה פולין ועדשים שנתבשלו בקליפתן:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 7
מותר לדוך פלפלין אפילו הרבה יחד והוא שידוכם בקתא של סכין ובקערה:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 8
אין כותתין מלח במדוך של עץ אבל מרסק הוא ביד של סכין ובעץ הפרור ואינו חושש: הגה ודוקא מלח הגס אבל מלח שהיה דק מתחלה ונתבשל ונעשה פתיתין מותר לחתכן בסכין כמו שחותך הפת [כל בו]:
Translation: One does not pound salt with a wooden pestle, but one may crush it with the handle of a knife or with a wooden spoon, and need not be concerned.
Hagahah of the Rema: This applies specifically to coarse salt; but salt that was fine from the start, was cooked, and turned into small pieces — it is permitted to cut it with a knife as one cuts bread [Kol Bo].
Hagahah of the Rema: This applies specifically to coarse salt; but salt that was fine from the start, was cooked, and turned into small pieces — it is permitted to cut it with a knife as one cuts bread [Kol Bo].
Seif 9
מותר לחתוך בשר מבושל או צלי דק דק בסכין: הגה אבל אסור לחתוך דק דק בשר חי לפני העופות הואיל ואינן יכולים לאכלו בלא חיתוך קמשוי לה אוכל [תה"ד סי' כ"ז] [ועיין לעיל סי' שכ"ד ס"ז]:
Translation: It is permitted to cut cooked or roasted meat very finely with a knife.
Hagahah of the Rema: But it is forbidden to cut raw meat very finely for the birds, since they cannot eat it without cutting — by cutting one is rendering it edible [Terumas HaDeshen §27] [and see above siman 324:7].
Hagahah of the Rema: But it is forbidden to cut raw meat very finely for the birds, since they cannot eat it without cutting — by cutting one is rendering it edible [Terumas HaDeshen §27] [and see above siman 324:7].
Seif 10
אסור לגרור הגבינה בשבת במורג חרוץ בעל פיפיות שקורין ראלי"ו:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 11
מותר להשקות את התלוש כדי שלא יכמוש:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 12
המחתך הירק דק דק חייב משום טוחן. הגה וה"ה דאסור לחתוך גרוגרות וחרובים לפני זקנים [ב"י בשם תוספתא] ודוקא פירות וכדומה לזה אסור אבל מותר לפרר לחם לפני התרנגולים דהואיל וכבר נטחן אין לחוש דאין טוחן אחר טוחן [הגה"מ פרק כ"א ומרדכי ור"ן פרק כלל גדול וסמ"ג] וכל זה לא מיירי אלא לחותך ומניח אבל אם לאכלו מיד הכל שרי מידי דהוי אבורר לאכול מיד דשרי [תשובת הרשב"א והר"ן פרק כלל גדול] כדלעיל סי' שי"ט:
Translation: One who cuts vegetables very finely is liable on account of tochen (grinding).
Hagahah of the Rema: And the same applies that it is forbidden to cut dried figs and carobs for the elderly [Beis Yosef in the name of the Tosefta]. And this specifically applies to fruits and the like, but it is permitted to crumble bread for chickens, since it has already been ground — there is no concern, for there is no tochen after tochen [Hagahos Maimoniyos chapter 21, and Mordechai and Ran on chapter Klal Gadol, and Semag]. And all of this only applies to one who cuts and sets aside, but if it is to eat immediately, all is permitted, just as with borer to eat immediately which is permitted [Responsa of the Rashba and Ran on chapter Klal Gadol], as above in siman 319.
Hagahah of the Rema: And the same applies that it is forbidden to cut dried figs and carobs for the elderly [Beis Yosef in the name of the Tosefta]. And this specifically applies to fruits and the like, but it is permitted to crumble bread for chickens, since it has already been ground — there is no concern, for there is no tochen after tochen [Hagahos Maimoniyos chapter 21, and Mordechai and Ran on chapter Klal Gadol, and Semag]. And all of this only applies to one who cuts and sets aside, but if it is to eat immediately, all is permitted, just as with borer to eat immediately which is permitted [Responsa of the Rashba and Ran on chapter Klal Gadol], as above in siman 319.
Seif 13
אסור לרדות דבש מהכורת [פי' הקן שהדבורים עושים בו הדבש] מפני שדומה לתולש: הגה ודוקא אם דבוקים בכוורת [המגיד פרק כ"א] אבל אם נתלשו מבעוד יום או שנתרסקו מבעוד יום והדבש צף בכוורת מותר לרדותו בשבת [ב"י]:
Translation: It is forbidden to extract honey from the hive (the nest where the bees produce the honey) because it resembles tolesh (plucking).
Hagahah of the Rema: And this specifically applies if [the honeycombs] are still attached to the hive [the Maggid, chapter 21]; but if they were detached while it was still day, or were crushed while it was still day and the honey floats in the hive — it is permitted to extract it on Shabbos [Beis Yosef].
Hagahah of the Rema: And this specifically applies if [the honeycombs] are still attached to the hive [the Maggid, chapter 21]; but if they were detached while it was still day, or were crushed while it was still day and the honey floats in the hive — it is permitted to extract it on Shabbos [Beis Yosef].
Seif 14
אין מגבלין (פי' נתינת מים בקמח נקרא גיבול) קמח קלי הרבה שמא יבא ללוש קמח שאינו קלוי ומותר לגבל את הקלי מעט מעט אבל תבואה שלא הביאה שליש שקלו אותה ואח"כ טחנו אותה טחינה גסה שהרי הוא כחול והיא הנקראת שתיתא מותר לגבל ממנה בחומץ וכיוצא בו הרבה בבת אחת והוא שיהי' רך אבל קשה אסור מפני שנראה כלש (ואפי' ברך) צריך לשנות כיצד נותן את השתיתא ואח"כ נותן את החומץ:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 15
חרדל שלשו מע"ש למחר יכול לערבו הן ביד הן בכלי ונותן לתוכו דבש ולא יטרוף לערבו בכח אלא מערבו מעט מעט:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 16
שחלים [פי' שחלים בערבי תכא לשאר ובלע"ז קרישין] שדכן מערב שבת למחר נותן יין וחומץ ולא יטרוף אלא מערב וכן שום שדכו מע"ש למחר נותן פול וגריסין ולא יטרוף אלא מערב: הגה וי"א דלא יערב בכף אלא ביד [אור זרוע ומרדכי סוף פרק תולין] ויש אומרים דהא דשרי לערב משקה בחרדל דוקא שנתנו מבעוד יום אבל בשבת אסור לתת משקה בחרדל או בשום הכתושים משום לש: הגה ואם נתן האוכל תחלה ואח"כ החומץ או היין ומערבו באצבעו שרי דהוי שינוי כמו בשתיתא דלעיל וכן נוהגין להתיר ע"י שינוי ומקום שדרכו לעשות כך בחול יתן בשבת החומץ תחלה ואח"כ האוכל:
Translation: Cress (a kind of herb) that one crushed on Erev Shabbos — on the morrow one may add wine and vinegar, but he may not whisk it forcefully; rather he merely mixes it. Similarly, garlic that one crushed on Erev Shabbos — on the morrow one may add beans and groats, but he may not whisk it; rather he merely mixes it.
Hagahah of the Rema: And some say that one should not mix with a spoon but only by hand [Or Zarua and Mordechai, end of chapter Tolin]. And some say that what is permitted — to add liquid to mustard — applies specifically when [the mustard] was placed [in the vessel] while it was still day; but on Shabbos itself it is forbidden to add liquid to mustard or to crushed garlic, on account of lash (kneading).
Hagahah of the Rema: And if one placed the food first and afterward the vinegar or the wine, and mixes it with his finger — it is permitted, since this constitutes a shinui (change), like with the shesisa mentioned above. And so is the custom: to permit by means of a shinui. And in a place where it is customary to do this way during the week, on Shabbos one should put the vinegar first and afterward the food.
Hagahah of the Rema: And some say that one should not mix with a spoon but only by hand [Or Zarua and Mordechai, end of chapter Tolin]. And some say that what is permitted — to add liquid to mustard — applies specifically when [the mustard] was placed [in the vessel] while it was still day; but on Shabbos itself it is forbidden to add liquid to mustard or to crushed garlic, on account of lash (kneading).
Hagahah of the Rema: And if one placed the food first and afterward the vinegar or the wine, and mixes it with his finger — it is permitted, since this constitutes a shinui (change), like with the shesisa mentioned above. And so is the custom: to permit by means of a shinui. And in a place where it is customary to do this way during the week, on Shabbos one should put the vinegar first and afterward the food.
Seif 17
מותר לעשות יינומלין שהוא יין ישן דבש ופלפלין מפני שהוא לשתיה ואין עושין אלונתית שהוא יין ישן ומים צלולים ושמן אפרסמון שהוא לרפואה:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 18
אין שורין את החלתית לא בפושרין ולא בצוננין שדרך לשרותו לרפואה אבל נותנו לתוך החומץ ומטבל בו פתו היה שרוי מאתמול מותר לשתותו בשבת ואם שתה ממנו יום חמישי ויום ששי וצריך לשתותו גם בשבת מותר שכך הוא דרך רפואתו לשתותו שבעה ימים זה אחר זה הילכך מותר לשרותו בצונן וליתנו בחמה מפני שהוא סכנה אם לא ישתה ממנו:
See practical analysis: for details — see Level 2.
Seif 19
שום בוסר ומלילות שריסקן מערב שבת מחוסרים דיכה אסור לגמור דיכתן בשבת ואם אין מחוסרים אלא שחיקה מותר לגמור בשבת לפיכך מותר לגמור שחיקת הריפות בעץ פרור בקדירה בשבת אחר שמורידין אותה מעל האש: הגה ומותר להחליק האוכל בשבת ולא הוי בזה משום ממחק הואיל ואפשר לאכלו בלא זה ומ"מ המחמיר במאכל של תפוחים וכדומה שדרכו בכך תע"ב [מרדכי ר"פ כלל גדול] אסור לקלוף שומים ובצלים כשקולף להניח אבל לאכול לאלתר שרי ועיין לקמן סימן שי"ט [סמ"ג הגה"מ סי' כ"ב וב"י בשם סמ"ק ותה"ד ורבינו ירוחם]:
Translation: Garlic, unripe grapes, and ears of grain that one crushed on Erev Shabbos — if they still require pounding, it is forbidden to complete their pounding on Shabbos; but if they are only lacking grinding, it is permitted to complete it on Shabbos. Therefore, it is permitted to complete the grinding of the groats with a wooden spoon in the pot on Shabbos, after it has been removed from the fire.
Hagahah of the Rema: And it is permitted to smooth food on Shabbos, and there is in this no issue of memachek (smoothing), since it is possible to eat [the food] without doing so. And nevertheless, one who is stringent regarding apple-dishes and the like, where it is customary to do so — blessing shall come upon him [Mordechai, beginning of chapter Klal Gadol]. It is forbidden to peel garlic and onions when one peels to set them aside; but to eat immediately, it is permitted; and see below siman 319 [Semag, Hagahos Maimoniyos siman 22, and Beis Yosef in the name of Semak and Terumas HaDeshen and Rabbeinu Yerucham].
Hagahah of the Rema: And it is permitted to smooth food on Shabbos, and there is in this no issue of memachek (smoothing), since it is possible to eat [the food] without doing so. And nevertheless, one who is stringent regarding apple-dishes and the like, where it is customary to do so — blessing shall come upon him [Mordechai, beginning of chapter Klal Gadol]. It is forbidden to peel garlic and onions when one peels to set them aside; but to eat immediately, it is permitted; and see below siman 319 [Semag, Hagahos Maimoniyos siman 22, and Beis Yosef in the name of Semak and Terumas HaDeshen and Rabbeinu Yerucham].
Complete text: these 19 seifim constitute the entire codification of the Mechaber on this topic. Each one specifies a case, a condition, or an exception.
2. The general context — one siman, several melachos
What does this siman deal with?
Siman 321 is a composite siman: it gathers several melachos that converge in food preparation — tochen (grinding), lash (kneading), me'abed (tanning/salting), and some aspects of tolesh (plucking) and tikkun ochel ("preparing" food).
The melachos of the siman:
- טוחן (tochen — grinding): reducing food to small particles/powder. Grating, finely chopping, mashing.
- לש (lash — kneading): binding a substance into dough through a liquid.
- מעבד / עיבוד (me'abed — tanning): by extension, heavy salting for preservation = "tanning" the food.
The common thread: this siman governs cutting, grinding, salting, and mixing of foods on Shabbos. Three key principles recur: (1) ein tochen achar tochen — no grinding after grinding (what is already ground/transformed may be re-broken down); (2) the shinui (unusual manner) mitigates; (3) l'altar — cutting finely just before the meal is often permitted.
Place in Hilchos Shabbos
Siman 321 continues the food-preparation block (318 cooking, 319 sorting, 320 pressing). It is extremely practical: cutting a salad, grating, mashing a banana for a baby, salting vegetables, preparing a vinaigrette.
3. The key halachic concepts
1. טוחן (tochen) — grinding. Reducing into small particles. Cutting a vegetable very finely, grating, mashing = toldah of tochen.
2. אין טוחן אחר טוחן — no grinding after grinding. A food already ground/transformed (bread, cheese) may be re-cut up — it has already lost its "natural" form.
3. לש (lash) — kneading. Binding a powder/substance into a mass through a liquid (making a dough, a thick puree). Concepts: order of ingredients, blilah avah (thick mixture) vs blilah rakah (liquid mixture).
4. עיבוד / מליחה (me'abed) — tanning / salting. Heavily salting foods to preserve them "resembles tanning" → forbidden. Light salting for the immediate meal = permitted.
5. שינוי (shinui) — the unusual manner. Crumbling an herb with fingertips, cutting differently than during the week — the shinui transforms a melachah into a simple permitted or lightened act.
4. Mapping the 19 seifim
| Seifim | Theme | Melachah |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herbs: food/fuel use; crumbling | tochen + muktzeh |
| 2-4 | Brine, salting of vegetables (radish, pickles) | me'abed / koveish |
| 5-9 | Finely chopping vegetables and meat | tochen |
| 10-12 | Grating, mashing, crushing | tochen — toldos |
| 13-16 | Kneading, mixing dough, order of ingredients | lash |
| 17-19 | Beating eggs, vinaigrette, borderline cases | lash / tochen |
Reading method:
- Identify the action: finely chopping (tochen)? mixing into dough (lash)? salting (me'abed)?
- Is the food already transformed? → ein tochen achar tochen
- Can it be done with a shinui?
- Is it for now (l'altar)?
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
The Mishnah Berurah of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) has 84 entries on this siman. Here are the first ones:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) פירוש מין עשב - צ"ל מיני עשבים הם. וראוים להסקה וראוים למאכל בהמה לפיכך הכל הולך אחר מחשבתו [מ"מ]:
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) לעצים - ליבשן ואם הכניסן סתמא נעשה כמי שהכניסן למאכל בהמה:
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) מהן - דמקצה דעתו מינייהו והו"ל מוקצה:
For the full text of the 84 entries, see Sefaria: Mishnah Berurah 321.
6. The Rema's position
The Rema adds several practical glosses to the siman:
Main glosses of the Rema:
- Cutting finely for now — the Rema (and the Ashkenazim) holds that cutting vegetables very finely remains problematic even for the immediate meal; cutting into medium pieces just before eating is permitted.
- Salting — the Rema broadens the prohibition of salting several vegetables together (radishes, cucumbers); one salts each piece separately, just before eating it.
- Kneading — the Rema specifies the order of ingredients and the need for a shinui (mixing crosswise, pouring differently).
Difference Mechaber vs Rema:
- Mechaber → cutting finely for the immediate meal = more broadly permitted.
- Rema → restricts very fine cutting, even for now; insists on the shinui.
- Chabad → Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman 321.
7. Modern practical cases
| Situation | Halachic analysis |
|---|---|
| Cutting a salad into medium pieces, just before the meal | Permitted (l'altar). Cutting very finely (into crumbs) → tochen, to avoid; for the immediate meal Sephardim are more lenient. |
| Grating vegetables / cheese | Forbidden — the grater is a grinding instrument (tochen). Prepare before Shabbos. |
| Mashing a banana / a potato for a baby | Mashing a raw food = tochen. Solution: mash with a shinui (spoon handle) and for now. Already-cooked/soft banana = more flexible. |
| Salting a salad | Salt lightly, just before eating, and stir = permitted. Salting heavily for preservation = forbidden (me'abed). |
| Preparing a puree / hummus | Mixing ingredients into a paste = lash. If the paste is already made (store-bought hummus) — stirring is OK. Making the paste from scratch → forbidden. |
| Beating eggs / a vinaigrette | Liquid mixture (blilah rakah) — often permitted with shinui. Thick mixture (blilah avah) → lash, forbidden. |
| Cutting bread, cake (already "ground") | Permitted — ein tochen achar tochen: bread has already lost its natural form. |
For halachah l'maaseh: The golden rules: (1) no grater or grinding instrument; (2) cut finely only for the immediate meal and not into crumbs; (3) no heavy salting; (4) making a dough from scratch = forbidden. Bread and already-transformed foods escape tochen. When in doubt → consult your Rav.
8. Practical summary of the Siman
Key teachings of Siman 321:
- Composite siman: tochen (grinding), lash (kneading), me'abed (salting) — the melachos of food preparation.
- Tochen: cutting very finely, grating, mashing a raw food = forbidden.
- Ein tochen achar tochen: an already-transformed food (bread) may be re-cut.
- Lash: making a dough from scratch = forbidden; stirring with shinui = often permitted.
- Me'abed: heavy salting for preservation = forbidden; light salting for now = permitted.
- Shinui and l'altar: the two great mitigators of the siman.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What are the melachos grouped in this siman?
- What is tochen? Give 3 modern examples.
- What does ein tochen achar tochen mean? Why can we cut bread?
- What is lash? What is the difference between blilah avah and blilah rakah?
- Why is heavy salting of vegetables forbidden?
- What role does shinui play in this siman?
- Can we grate vegetables on Shabbos? And mash a banana for a baby?
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DAAT · Rav Yossef Haim Samama
Siman 321 · Level 1 — Introduction
DAAT · Rav Yossef Haim Samama
Siman 321 · Level 1 — Introduction