Orach Chayim של"ג · Level 4 · Shitah of the Alter Rebbe

דעת הרב

Daas HaRav — The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch on Siman של"ג

The shitah of the Alter Rebbe on the 6 se'ifim that codify the prohibition of clearing a grain storehouse / wine cellar on Shabbos (except for mitzvah need). Framework: avoid transport and reorganization work.

Why a Level 4 dedicated to the Alter Rebbe? The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mechaber — it is an autonomous and complete Shulchan Aruch. Its uniqueness: it combines halachah + ta'amei hamitzvos + inner dimension in a single work.

For Chabad, the Alter Rebbe is the posek acharon. This page gathers, for siman של"ג, the full text of the Rav, his chiddush, and the divrei haRebbe that illuminate the topic.

→ Read the general preface on the Alter Rebbe's shitah

1 · Text of the Alter Rebbe

שלחן ערוך הרב — סימן של"ג

The full text of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch

סימן של"ג — שֶׁלֹּא לְפַנּוֹת אוֹצָר בְּשַׁבָּת — וּבוֹ ו סְעִיפִים
Source: Kehot edition, as reproduced on Sefaria. 6 se'ifim + 0 entries of Kuntres Acharon.

סעיף א שֶׁלֹּא לְפַנּוֹת אוֹצָר בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ו' סְעִיפִים: אוֹצָר שֶׁל תְּבוּאָה אוֹ שֶׁל כַּדֵּי יַיִן...

שֶׁלֹּא לְפַנּוֹת אוֹצָר בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ו' סְעִיפִים:

אוֹצָר שֶׁל תְּבוּאָה אוֹ שֶׁל כַּדֵּי יַיִן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְהִסְתַּפֵּק מִמֶּנּוּ וְאֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם מֻקְצֶה — אָסוּר לְפַנּוֹתוֹ לִדְבַר הָרְשׁוּת, מִפְּנֵי הַטֹּרַח. אֲבָל לִדְבַר מִצְוָה, כְּגוֹן לְהַכְנִיס שָׁם אוֹרְחִים אוֹ שְׁאָר סְעֻדַּת מִצְוָה, אוֹ לִקְבּוֹעַ שָׁם בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ — מֻתָּר לְפַנּוֹתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ טֹרַח יָתֵר, כְּגוֹן לְהַגְבִּיהָם וּלְשַׁלְשְׁלָם בְּחַלּוֹנוֹת שֶׁבַּכֹּתֶל, אוֹ לְהוֹרִידָם בְּסֻלָּמוֹת, אוֹ לְטַלְטְלָם מִגַּג לְגַג:

Not to clear out a storehouse (otzar) on Shabbos — and it contains 6 seifim:

A storehouse of grain or of wine-jars — even though it is permitted to take from it and there is no muktzeh concern — it is forbidden to clear it out for a non-mitzvah purpose, because of the exertion (tora'ch). But for the purpose of a mitzvah — for example, to bring in guests there or some other mitzvah-meal, or to establish a beis hamidrash there — it is permitted to clear it out, even in a manner that involves considerable exertion, such as lifting [the sacks] and lowering them through windows in the wall, or lowering them on ladders, or carrying them from roof to roof:

סעיף ב כֵּיצַד מְפַנֵּהוּ? אִם הָיָה הָאוֹצָר גָּדוֹל — מְפַנֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ ה' קֻפּוֹת...

כֵּיצַד מְפַנֵּהוּ? אִם הָיָה הָאוֹצָר גָּדוֹל — מְפַנֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ ה' קֻפּוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל קֻפָּה ג' סְאִין, דְּהַיְנוּ ט"ו סְאִין. לֹא הָיָה בּוֹ אֶלָּא ה' קֻפּוֹת — מְפַנֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ ד' קֻפּוֹת. אֲבָל כֻּלּוֹ לֹא יְפַנֶּה, שֶׁמָּא יִרְאֶה גּוּמוֹת בְּקַרְקָעִיתוֹ וְיַשְׁוֶה אוֹתָן:

How does one clear it out? If the storehouse was large — one clears out 5 baskets from it, each basket containing 3 se'in, that is 15 se'in. If it only contained 5 baskets — one clears out 4. But one does not clear it out entirely, lest one notice depressions in its ground and come to level them:

סעיף ג כְּשֶׁמְּפַנֶּה אֵלּוּ ד' אוֹ ה' קֻפּוֹת — לֹא יְחַלְּקֵן בְּקֻפּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת...

כְּשֶׁמְּפַנֶּה אֵלּוּ ד' אוֹ ה' קֻפּוֹת — לֹא יְחַלְּקֵן בְּקֻפּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת לְהוֹלִיכָן בְּהַרְבֵּה פְעָמִים כְּדֵי לְהָקֵל מַשָּׂאוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּרְבֶּה בְּהִלּוּךְ (עַיֵּן סִמָּן שכ"ג):

When one clears out these 4 or 5 baskets — one does not divide them into small baskets to carry them in many trips in order to lighten one's load, because that increases walking (see siman 323):

סעיף ד ד' אוֹ ה' קֻפּוֹת שֶׁאָמְרוּ — לְאוֹרֵחַ אֶחָד אוֹ לְתַלְמִיד אֶחָד...

ד' אוֹ ה' קֻפּוֹת שֶׁאָמְרוּ — לְאוֹרֵחַ אֶחָד אוֹ לְתַלְמִיד אֶחָד שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב שָׁם בִּמְקוֹמָן, אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה אוֹרְחִים — מְפַנֶּה כְּשִׁעוּר זֶה לְכָל אוֹרֵחַ וְאוֹרֵחַ, וּבִלְבָד שֶׁלֹּא יִגְמוֹר אֶת הָאוֹצָר. וְלֹא יְפַנֶּה אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם, אֶלָּא כָּל אֶחָד יְפַנֶּה לְעַצְמוֹ, אוֹ אַחֵר יְפַנֶּה לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ:

The 4 or 5 baskets they spoke of — that is for one guest or one student who will dwell there in their place. But if he has many guests — he clears out this measure for each and every guest, provided that he does not finish [emptying] the storehouse. And one person shall not clear out for all of them; rather, each one shall clear out for himself, or another may clear out for him alone:

סעיף ה חָבִיּוֹת שֶׁל יַיִן שֶׁהוּבְאוּ עַל עֲגָלָה — אָסוּר לְהוֹרִידָם בְּשַׁבָּת...

חָבִיּוֹת שֶׁל יַיִן שֶׁהוּבְאוּ עַל עֲגָלָה — אָסוּר לְהוֹרִידָם בְּשַׁבָּת, אִם לֹא לְהוֹשִׁיב שָׁם אוֹרְחִים אוֹ לְצֹרֶךְ מִצְוָה. וְהוּא שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן יוֹתֵר מִט"ו סְאִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בִּמְפַנֶּה אֶת הָאוֹצָר.

וְאַף אִם צָרִיךְ לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵהֶן בְּשַׁבָּת — יִמְשׁוֹךְ מִשָּׁם וְיִשְׁתֶּה. וְלֹא יוֹרִידֵן אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי נָכְרִי, אֶלָּא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְסֵד גָּדוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִמָּן ש"ז. אֲבָל אִם אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִמְשׁוֹךְ מִשָּׁם — מֻתָּר לְהוֹרִיד אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ לְאוֹתָהּ שַׁבָּת:

Wine-casks brought on a wagon — it is forbidden to unload them on Shabbos, unless to seat guests there or for the purpose of a mitzvah. And this is provided that they do not contain more than 15 se'in, as was explained regarding one who clears out a storehouse.

And even if one needs to drink from them on Shabbos — one shall draw [the wine] out from there and drink. And one does not unload them even via a non-Jew, except in case of great loss (hefsed gadol), as was explained in siman 307. But if it is impossible to draw [the wine] from there — it is permitted to unload, even via a Jew, as much as he needs for that Shabbos:

סעיף ו כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהִתִּירוּ כַּאן לְצֹרֶךְ אוֹרְחִים כְּמוֹ לְצֹרֶךְ דְּבַר מִצְוָה...

כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהִתִּירוּ כַּאן לְצֹרֶךְ אוֹרְחִים כְּמוֹ לְצֹרֶךְ דְּבַר מִצְוָה, כָּךְ בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהִתִּירוּ אֵיזֶה דָבָר לְצֹרֶךְ מִצְוָה — מֻתָּר גַּם כֵּן לְצֹרֶךְ אוֹרְחִים.

וְאֵינָן נִקְרָאִים אוֹרְחִים אֶלָּא שֶׁבָּאוּ מֵעִיר אַחֶרֶת, בֵּין שֶׁנִּתְאָרְחוּ אֶצְלוֹ, בֵּין שֶׁזִּמֵּן אוֹרְחִים שֶׁנִּתְאָרְחוּ אֵצֶל אֲחֵרִים, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁזִּמֵּן חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁבְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר שֶׁיִּסְעוֹד אֶצְלוֹ — אֵינוֹ נִקְרָא אוֹרֵחַ, וּסְעֻדַּת הָרְשׁוּת הִיא, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן זִמְּנוֹ לָבֹא אֶצְלוֹ לִכְבוֹד הָאוֹרֵחַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ, שֶׁאָז גַּם חֲבֵרוֹ בִּכְלַל אוֹרֵחַ לְעִנְיָן זֶה:

Just as they permitted here for the sake of guests as for the sake of a mitzvah matter, so in every place where they permitted some matter for the sake of a mitzvah — it is likewise permitted for the sake of guests.

And one is not called a "guest" unless one came from another city — whether they lodge with him, or [whether] he invited guests who lodge with others. But when one invites his friend who lives in the same city to eat with him — he is not called a "guest," and it is a non-mitzvah meal (se'udas hareshus) — unless he invited him to come because of the honor of the guest he has, in which case his friend too is included as a "guest" in this respect:

Source: Sefaria — Shulchan Arukh HaRav, Orach Chayim 333.

2 · Chiddush of the Alter Rebbe

חידושים מיוחדים של הרב

The Rav's chiddushim on this siman

Originalities that distinguish the Alter Rebbe on siman של"ג.

חידוש א — uvdin de-chol as a category (333:1-3)

Chiddush א — uvdin de-chol as a category (333:1-3)

Weekday work prohibited on Shabbos

Classical position:

The chiddush of the Rav: the Alter Rebbe articulates: uvdin de-chol (weekday act) is a distinct category — not a melachah but an atmosphere that has no place on Shabbos.

Practical consequence: tool: no material reorganization on Shabbos (tidying, moving boxes).

3 · Divrei HaRebbe

סיכות, מאמרים ואגרות הרבי

The Rebbe's words on the themes of siman של"ג

⚠ Honest note on this siman: Siman של"ג is cited in several sichos and igros of the Rebbe on the subject. Here are the main references identified.
ReferenceTopicLink with siman של"ג
Likkutei Sichos — various sichos on the subject Application of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ג The Rebbe cites the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ג and articulates modern application.
Igros Kodesh — responses on practical cases Practical cases related to the siman Rebbe's responses to Chassidim on practical questions arising from this siman.

⚠ Validation: the references above are research leads to be verified against the physical Kehot volumes. The most direct source for the Rebbe's pesakim by siman remains Sha'arei Halachah u'Minhag.

4 · L'maaseh

הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד

Practical Chabad conduct

Points of halachic conduct that flow directly from the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ג, in the Chabad sensibility.

For the Chabad Chassid — Siman של"ג

  • ① Do not clear a storehouse / reorganize storage on Shabbos. Reference: Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch 333:1-3.
  • ② For a mitzvah (guests, sefer Torah) = OK. Reference: Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch 333:4-6.

⚠ This section presents Chabad halachic conduct. For any concrete question: consult your Rav.