Why a Level 4 dedicated to the Alter Rebbe? The Shulchan Aruch HaRav is not a commentary on the Mechaber — it is a complete, independent Shulchan Aruch, authored by the Alter Rebbe. Its uniqueness lies in combining halachah + ta'amei ha-mitzvos + the inner dimension of Torah in a single work, with a uniquely Talmudic rigor in its pesak.
For Chabad, the Alter Rebbe is ha-posek ha-acharon. This page gathers, for siman שכ״ז, the full text of the Rav, his chiddushim, and the divrei ha-Rebbe that illuminate the subject.
→ Read the general introduction on the Shitah of the Alter Rebbe
שלחן ערוך הרב — סימן שכ״ז
Full text of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (שולחן ערוך הרב)
סימן שכ״ז — דִּינֵי סִיכָה בְּשַׁבָּת — וּבוֹ ה' סְעִיפִים
Source: Kehot edition, as reproduced on Sefaria. 5 seifim + 0 entries in the Kuntras Acharon.
סעיף א דִּינֵי סִיכָה בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ה' סְעִיפִים: הַחוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּמָתְנָיו — לֹא יָסוּךְ שֶׁמֶן וְחֹמֶץ…
דִּינֵי סִיכָה בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ה' סְעִיפִים:
הַחוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּמָתְנָיו — לֹא יָסוּךְ שֶׁמֶן וְחֹמֶץ (מְעֹרָבִים), מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ לָסוּךְ בָּהֶם אֶלָּא לִרְפוּאָה, וְכָל שֶׁהַדָּבָר נִכָּר שֶׁמִּתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה — אָסוּר, מִטַּעַם שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן שכ"ח.
אֲבָל סָךְ הוּא בַּשֶּׁמֶן (לְבַדּוֹ), אֲבָל לֹא בְּשֶׁמֶן וֶרֶד, לְפִי שֶׁדָּמָיו יְקָרִים וְאֵינוֹ מָצוּי, וְאֵין רְגִילִים לָסוּךְ בּוֹ אֶלָּא לִרְפוּאָה. וְאִם הוּא מָקוֹם שֶׁמָּצוּי בּוֹ שֶׁמֶן וֶרֶד וְדֶרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לְסוּכוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִרְפוּאָה — מֻתָּר לָסוּךְ בּוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לִרְפוּאָה.
וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵין נוֹהֲגִין לָסוּךְ בַּשֶּׁמֶן כִּי אִם לִרְפוּאָה — אָסוּר לָסוּךְ בְּשׁוּם שֶׁמֶן לִרְפוּאָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַדָּבָר נִכָּר שֶׁמִּתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה. וְלָכֵן אָסוּר לָסוּךְ הָרֹאשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֲטָטִין:
Laws of sikhah (anointing) on Shabbos — and it contains 5 seifim:
One who suffers in his loins shall not anoint with oil and vinegar (mixed), since one does not customarily anoint with them except for healing; and anything which makes it evident that one intends healing is forbidden, for the reason that will be explained in Siman 328.
But he may anoint with oil (alone), though not with rose-oil (shemen vered), since its price is dear and it is not common, and one does not customarily anoint with it except for healing. And if one is in a place where rose-oil is common and people customarily anoint with it not for healing — it is permitted to anoint with it even for healing.
And in these places where one does not customarily anoint with oil except for healing — it is forbidden to anoint with any oil for healing, since it is evident that one intends healing. Therefore it is forbidden to anoint the head that has chatatin (scabs/sores):
סעיף ב מֻתָּר לָסוּךְ וּלְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּיָד עַל כָּל הַגּוּף לַהֲנָאָה. וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּשַׁנֶּה מִדֶּרֶךְ חֹל,…
מֻתָּר לָסוּךְ וּלְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּיָד עַל כָּל הַגּוּף לַהֲנָאָה. וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּשַׁנֶּה מִדֶּרֶךְ חֹל, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיָּסוּךְ וִימַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּיַחַד, וְלֹא יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּכֹחַ אֶלָּא בְּרִפְיוֹן יָדַיִם:
It is permitted to anoint and to massage by hand on the entire body for pleasure, provided that one departs from the weekday manner — that is, that one anoint and massage together, and not massage forcefully but with relaxed hands:
סעיף ג אֵין מְגָרְדִין בִּכְלִי הַמְיֻחָד לְכָךְ כְּדֶרֶךְ חֹל, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיוּ יָדָיו אוֹ רַגְלָיו…
אֵין מְגָרְדִין בִּכְלִי הַמְיֻחָד לְכָךְ כְּדֶרֶךְ חֹל, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיוּ יָדָיו אוֹ רַגְלָיו מְטֻנָּפוֹת בְּטִיט אוֹ צוֹאָה. וְאִם הָיָה לוֹ מְגָרֶדֶת הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לְשַׁבָּת — מֻתָּר.
וּמִזֶּה נָהֲגוּ הַבְּתוּלוֹת לִהְיוֹת לָהֶן כְּלִי מִשְּׂעַר חֲזִיר הַמְיֻחָד לְשַׁבָּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ש"ג:
One does not scrape with an instrument designated for this purpose in the weekday manner, unless his hands or feet were soiled with mud or excrement. And if he had a scraper (megaredet) designated for Shabbos — it is permitted.
And from this, unmarried girls adopted the practice of having an instrument made of boar bristles designated for Shabbos, as explained in Siman 303:
סעיף ד לֹא יָסוּךְ רַגְלוֹ בַּשֶּׁמֶן כְּשֶׁהִיא בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּנְעָל אוֹ הַסַּנְדָּל הַחֲדָשִׁים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעוֹרָן…
לֹא יָסוּךְ רַגְלוֹ בַּשֶּׁמֶן כְּשֶׁהִיא בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּנְעָל אוֹ הַסַּנְדָּל הַחֲדָשִׁים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעוֹרָן מִתְרַכֵּךְ עַל יְדֵי לִכְלוּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, וְדוֹמֶה לְעִבּוּד.
אֲבָל סָךְ הוּא אֶת רַגְלוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַנִּיחָהּ בַּמִּנְעָל, וְסָךְ הוּא אֶת כָּל גּוּפוֹ וּמִתְעַגֵּל עַל גַּבֵּי הָעוֹר, וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ. וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא בַּשֶּׁמֶן הַנִּשּׁוֹף מִגּוּפוֹ שִׁעוּר כְּדֵי לְעַבְּדוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְצַחְצְחוֹ — מֻתָּר. וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִתְכַּוֵּן הוּא אֲפִלּוּ לְצַחְצְחוֹ, גְּזֵרָה מִשּׁוּם לְעַבְּדוֹ:
One shall not anoint his foot with oil while it is inside a new shoe or sandal, since their leather becomes softened by the smearing of the oil, and this resembles tanning (ibbud).
But he may anoint his foot and then place it in the shoe, and he may anoint his whole body and roll upon the leather, without concern — provided that there is not in the oil flowing from his body the measure needed to tan it; even if there is enough to polish it (letzaḥtzeḥo) — it is permitted. Provided he does not intend even to polish it — a decree on account of tanning:
סעיף ה הַדּוֹרֵס עַל הָעוֹר עַד שֶׁיִּתְקַשֶּׁה, אוֹ הַמְרַכְּכוֹ בְּיָדָיו וּמוֹשְׁכוֹ וּמַשְׁוֶה אוֹתוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ…
הַדּוֹרֵס עַל הָעוֹר עַד שֶׁיִּתְקַשֶּׁה, אוֹ הַמְרַכְּכוֹ בְּיָדָיו וּמוֹשְׁכוֹ וּמַשְׁוֶה אוֹתוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָאֻמָּנִים עוֹשִׂים —חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם מְעַבֵּד:
One who tramples on the leather until it hardens, or one who softens it with his hands and stretches it and smooths it in the manner that craftsmen do — is liable (chayyav) on account of me'abed (tanner):
Kuntras Acharon (קונטרס אחרון) — 0 entries (click to expand)
The Kuntras Acharon is the Alter Rebbe's pilpul appendix — his halachic laboratory at the bottom of the page.
חידושים מיוחדים של הרב
Chiddushim unique to the Rav on this siman
Originalities that distinguish the Alter Rebbe on siman שכ״ז. Each chiddush follows the structure: classical position → chiddush of the Rav → practical consequence.
חידוש א — distinction between healing and pleasure (שכ״ז:א-ב)
חידוש א — distinction between healing and pleasure (שכ״ז:א-ב)
The intent determines the halachah
Classical position: —
The Rav's chiddush: the Alter Rebbe articulates sharply: the same action (anointing) is forbidden for medical treatment, permitted for pleasure. The intent changes the halachah.
Practical consequence: applying cream on dry skin for pleasure = OK. Treating an infection = problematic.
סיכות, מאמרים ואגרות הרבי
The Rebbe's words on the themes of siman שכ״ז
| Reference | Subject | Link with siman שכ״ז |
|---|---|---|
| Likkutei Sichos — various sichos on the topic | Application of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman שכ״ז | The Rebbe cites the Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman שכ״ז and articulates the modern application. |
| Igros Kodesh — responses on practical cases | Practical cases related to the siman | Responses of the Rebbe to chassidim on practical questions relating to this siman. |
⚠ Validation: the references above are research leads to be verified against the physical volumes of the Kehot edition. The most direct source for the Rebbe's pesakim by siman remains Shaarei Halachah u-Minhag.
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
Chabad conduct in practice
Points of halachic conduct that flow directly from the Shulchan Aruch HaRav siman שכ״ז, in the Chabad sensibility.
For the Chabad Chassid — Siman שכ״ז
- ① Liquid cream / liquid perfume = OK. Reference: Shulchan Aruch HaRav שכ״ז:3.
- ② Solid cream / lip balm = problematic (memarei'ach / smoothing). The Rav's chiddush א. Reference: Shulchan Aruch HaRav שכ״ז:4-5.
- ③ Spray deodorant = OK; stick deodorant = to be debated.
- ④ Distinction: healing (forbidden) vs pleasure (permitted). Reference: Shulchan Aruch HaRav שכ״ז:1-2.
⚠ This section presents Chabad halachic conduct. For any concrete question: consult your Rav.