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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman של״ט · 7 Seifim
Various particular Shabbos rules (shevus) — to discover and understand
סימן של״ט
כַּמָּה דִּינִים פְּרָטִיִּים הַנּוֹהֲגִים בְּשַׁבָּת
🌱 Introduction Level · מתחילים
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First approach to Siman של״ט: full Hebrew text of the Mechaber, fluent translation, pedagogical explanations of the halachic concepts, modern practical cases, and a summary.
Topic: Various particular Shabbos rules (shevus)
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן של״ט (7 seifim)
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study plan
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch — the 7 seifim of the Mechaber
2. The general context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. The key halachic concepts of this siman
4. Breakdown of the seifim — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
6. The position of the Rema — Ashkenazi vs Sephardi differences
7. Modern practical cases
8. Practical summary and rules to remember
9. Comprehension questions
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch
Siman של״ט contains 7 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) which codify the rules relating to various particular Shabbos rules (shevus).
Seif א
כמה דינים פרטיים הנוהגים בשבת. ובו ז סעיפים:
אין רוכבין על גבי בהמה: (וע״ל סי' ש״ה סי״ח מדין הליכת קרון):
Translation: one does not ride on an animal [on Shabbos] — by decree, lest one cut off a branch to steer it.
What this seif says:
- One does not ride upon an animal.
Seif ב
אין שטין על פני המים אפילו בבריכה שבחצר מפני שכשהמים נעקרים ויוצאים חוץ לבריכה דמי לנהר ואם יש לה שפה סביב מותר דכיון אפילו נעקרו המים השפה מחזרת אותם למקומם הוי ליה ככלי וליכא למיגזר ביה שמא יעשה חבית של שייטין:
Translation: one does not swim on the surface of water, even in a pool located in a courtyard — because when the water is displaced and spills out of the pool, it resembles [swimming in] a river. But if the pool has a rim all around, it is permitted: since, even if the water is displaced, the rim returns it to its place, the pool is like a vessel, and there is no cause to decree that one would come to make a swimmer's barrel (a float).
What this seif says:
- One does not swim on the water — even in a pool that is in the courtyard.
- Because when the waters are displaced and go out of the pool, it resembles a river.
- And if it has a rim round about — permitted: even if the waters are displaced, the rim returns them to their place; it is as a vessel, and there is no cause to decree lest he make a swimmers' barrel.
Seif ג
אין מטפחין להכות כף אל כף ולא מספקין להכות כף על ירך ולא מרקדין גזירה שמא יתקן כלי שיר ואפי' להכות באצבע על הקרקע או על הלוח או אחת כנגד אחת כדרך המשוררים או לקשקש באגוז לתינוק או לשחק בו בזוג כדי שישתוק כל זה וכיוצא בו אסור גזירה שמא יתקן כלי שיר ולספק כלאחר יד מותר: הגה והא דמספקין ומרקדין האידנא ולא מחינן בהו משום דמוטב שיהיו שוגגין וכו' וי״א דבזמן הזה הכל שרי דאין אנו בקיאין בעשיית כלי שיר וליכא למיגזר שמא יתקן כלי שיר דמלתא דלא שכיח הוא ואפשר שעל זה נהגו להקל בכל. (תוספות סוף פרק המביא כדי יין):
Translation: one does not clap the hands (one palm against the other), one does not slap the hand on the thigh, and one does not dance — by decree, lest one repair a musical instrument. And even tapping the finger on the ground or on a board, or one hand against the other in the manner of singers, or jingling a nut to [amuse] a child, or playing a bell for him so that he be quiet — all this and the like is forbidden, by the decree "lest one repair an instrument." But clapping in an unusual manner (kil'achar yad) is permitted. (Rema: and if people clap and dance nowadays without being reprimanded, it is "because better that they transgress unknowingly…" And some say that in our times all this is permitted, since we are not expert at making musical instruments, and there is no cause to decree — a rare matter; and perhaps it is on this that they relied to be lenient in all.)
What this seif says:
- One does not clap hand on hand, nor beat palm on thigh, nor dance — by decree, lest he mend a musical instrument.
- And even to strike with a finger on the ground or on a board, or one against the other in the manner of singers; or to rattle a nut for a child, or play a bell so that he be quiet — all this is forbidden, by the same decree; but to clap in an altered manner is permitted.
- Rama: and that they clap and dance nowadays and we do not rebuke them — because it is better they be inadvertent, and so forth. And some say that in our time all is permitted, for we are not skilled in making musical instruments, and there is no cause to decree lest he mend one, that being a thing which does not occur; and it may be that on this ground they took the custom to be lenient in all.
Seif ד
אין דנין: הגה ולכן אסור לתפוס ולהכניס לבית הסוהר מי שנתחייב איזה עונש כדי שלא יברח וכל שכן שאסור להלקותו דהוה בכלל דין ואם יברח אין עלינו כלום (ב״י סוף סימן רס״ג בשם שבולי הלקט) ולא מקדשין: הגה ויש מתירין לקדש היכא דאין לו אשה ובנים (ר״ת) ואפשר דה״ה הכניסה לחופה שרי (סמ״ג) ואע״ג דלא קי״ל הכי מ״מ סומכין על זה בשעת הדחק כי גדול כבוד הבריות כמו שרגילין שלפעמים שלא היו יכולים להשוות עם הנדוניא יום ו' עד הלילה דעושין החופה והקידושין בליל שבת הואיל וכבר הוכנו לסעודה ולנשואין והוי ביוש לכלה ולחתן אם לא יכנוס אז ומ״מ לכתחלה יש ליזהר שלא יבא לידי כך (ועיין בטור אבן העזר סימן ס״ג): ולא חולצין ולא מיבמין ואין כונסין ולא מקדישין ולא מעריכין ולא מחרימין ולא מפרישין תרומות ומעשרות ואין פודין הבן ואין מגרשין אלא אם כן הוא גט שכיב מרע (דתקיף ליה עלמא) וכולם אם נעשו שוגגין או מזידין או מוטעין מה שעשוי עשוי:
Translation: one does not judge [hold a beis din] on Shabbos. (Rema: it is therefore forbidden to seize and imprison one who is liable to a punishment, lest he flee; and all the more so it is forbidden to flog him. If he flees, we bear no responsibility.) One does not perform kiddushin (betrothal). (Rema: some permit betrothing one who has no wife or children… one relies on this in pressing need, for great is human dignity — e.g. when one could not settle the dowry before the night of Friday: one then performs the chuppah and the kiddushin on the night of Shabbos, since everything is already prepared for the meal and the wedding, and it would be a humiliation for the couple. Nevertheless, a priori one must take care not to come to this.) One does not perform chalitzah or yibbum, one does not marry, one does not consecrate [property to the Temple], one does not perform arachin or charamim, one does not separate terumah and maaser, one does not perform the redemption of the firstborn, and one does not divorce — except the get of a dying man. And all this, if it was done unknowingly, deliberately, or in error — what is done is done (the act is valid after the fact).
What this seif says:
- One does not judge — Rama: and therefore it is forbidden to seize and imprison one who has incurred a penalty, that he not flee; and all the more to flog him, for that falls under judgment — and if he flees, it is not upon us.
- And one does not betroth — Rama: and some permit betrothing where he has neither wife nor children; and though the halakhah is not so, one relies on it in pressing need, for great is human dignity — as it happens that they could not agree on the dowry by Friday night, and they make the chuppah and the betrothal on Shabbat night, since all is already prepared for the meal and the wedding and it would be a shame for the couple. And even so, at the outset one must take care not to come to that.
- And one does not perform chalitzah or yibbum; one does not wed; one does not consecrate, value or devote; one does not separate terumah or ma'aser; one does not redeem the firstborn son; and one does not divorce — save the get of a dangerously ill man. And all of these, if done inadvertently, deliberately or in error — what is done is done.
Seif ה
הכונס את האלמנה לא יבא עליה ביאה ראשונה לא בשבת ולא בי״ט (עסי' ר״פ):
Translation: one who marries a widow should not have the first marital relation with her either on Shabbos or on Yom Tov [for reasons developed in siman ר״פ].
What this seif says:
- One who weds a widow shall not have the first union with her — neither on Shabbat nor on a festival.
Seif ו
אסור לאדם להשיט במים דבר להוליכו מאצלו או להביאו אצלו ולכן קסמים שעל פני המים אסור להפצילן לכאן ולכאן כדי לנקות המים שיהיו יפים:
Translation: it is forbidden to float an object on water to carry it away from oneself or to bring it toward oneself; and therefore, twigs on the surface of water — it is forbidden to push them aside one way and the other to clean the water and make it look nice.
What this seif says:
- It is forbidden to float a thing on the water, to carry it from him or bring it to him.
- And therefore splinters on the water's surface: forbidden to push them this way and that, to clean the water and make it fair.
Seif ז
ספינה אם היא יושבת בקרקע הים ואינה שטה כלל מותר ליכנס בה ואם היא קשורה כמנהג הספינות העומדות בנמל אע״פ שהיא שטה על פני המים מותר ליכנס בה:
Translation: a boat — if it rests on the sea floor and does not float at all, it is permitted to board it; and if it is moored, in the manner of boats in port, it is permitted to board it even if it floats on the surface of the water (the mooring attaches it to the shore).
Full text: these 7 seifim constitute the entirety of the Mechaber's codification of this topic. Each one specifies a case, a condition, or an exception.
What this seif says:
- A ship resting on the sea floor and not floating at all: permitted to board it.
- And if it is moored, as ships lying in harbour — even though it floats on the water, permitted to board it.
2. The general context
What is this siman about?
Siman של״ט gathers several particular Shabbos rules that do not directly belong to the 39 melachos, but to rabbinic prohibitions (shevus) and the notion of עובדין דחול — "weekday acts." Riding an animal, swimming, holding a beis din, performing a wedding: all acts permitted during the week but which the Sages set apart from Shabbos.
The common thread: these prohibitions are not melachos, but fences. Each has its own reason — fear of cutting a branch (riding), fear of making a float (swimming), an offense to the spirit of Shabbos (judging, marrying). The siman gathers them because they share this status of shevus.
Place in Hilchos Shabbos
Siman של״ט follows siman של״ח (sound) — another shevus — and precedes siman ש״מ (the toldos of the melachos). With them it forms the block of prohibitions that "surround" the melachos themselves.
3. The key halachic concepts
Four concepts structure the 7 seifim:
The key concepts of siman של״ט:
- שבות — the rabbinic prohibition: none of these acts is a melachah of the Torah, but all were set apart from Shabbos.
- גזירה — each prohibition has its decree: riding an animal (cutting a branch), swimming (making a float).
- אין דנין ואין מקדשין — legal acts set apart: judging, betrothing, divorcing, redeeming — because they have the appearance of a weekday matter, or risk leading to writing.
- מה שעשוי עשוי — "what is done is done": these legal acts, done despite the prohibition, remain valid after the fact.
The logic of the siman: each prohibition closes a door. But remember its counterpart too — "what is done is done": the prohibition to betroth on Shabbos is real, and yet a wedding performed is validly performed. It is a prohibition of procedure, not a defect of substance.
4. Breakdown of the seifim — one by one
| Seif | Theme | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| א-ב | Riding an animal, swimming | Forbidden — decrees (branch, float); a rimmed pool is permitted |
| ג | Clapping the hands, dancing | Forbidden (instrument); lenient custom today |
| ד | Legal acts | No judging, kiddushin, get… but "what is done is done" |
| ה-ז | Widow, floating an object, boat | No first relation with a widow; a moored boat is permitted |
Method of reading: for each seif — (1) which act; (2) which decree or reason sets it apart from Shabbos; (3) is there a condition that permits it (rim, mooring); (4) conclusion.
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
The Mishnah Berurah of Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan (Chofetz Chaim) has 37 entries on this siman. Here are the first ones — to better understand the meaning of the seifim:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) אין רוכבין - לעיל בסימן ש״ה סעיף י״ח בארתי במ״ב הטעם וכל פרטיהן:
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) על פני המים - בידיו ורגליו שגם רגליו עקר מן קרקע המים והטעם שמא יעשה חבית של שייטין כדמסיים לקמן והוא כלי של גומא שאורגין אותו ועושין כמין חבית ארוכה ללמוד בו לשוט על המים:
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) בבריכה - הוא מקום כנוס מים לכביסה או לשרות פשתן:
The Mishnah Berurah spells out the decree of swimming: one does not move hands and feet on the surface of the water — to the point that the feet leave the bottom — "lest one make a swimmer's barrel," a float of woven reeds used to learn to swim. This is the classic example of shevus: the act itself is innocuous, but it leads to another.
For the full text of the 37 entries: Mishnah Berurah 339.
6. The position of the Rema
The Rema adds two major glosses to seif ד:
The Rema's glosses:
- Seif ג: if people dance and clap nowadays without being reprimanded, it is because we are no longer expert at making instruments — "a rare matter," on which one relies to be lenient.
- Seif ד (kiddushin): in pressing need — human dignity (כבוד הבריות) — one may perform a chuppah on the night of Shabbos; but a priori one must avoid coming to this.
- Seif ד (justice): one may neither imprison nor flog a guilty party on Shabbos; if he flees, we are not responsible.
7. Modern practical cases
| Situation | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Swimming in a pool on Shabbos | Forbidden as a rule (the float decree); a rimmed pool changes the status — but other prohibitions are added (wringing, etc.). Consult a Rav. |
| Dancing, clapping during songs | Forbidden in principle (siman של״ח); lenient custom tolerated today — follow your minhag. |
| Performing a wedding / signing a document on Shabbos | Forbidden; but in extreme need (human dignity) a Rav may permit it. "What is done is done." |
| Boarding a boat, a cruise | A boat moored in port: one may board it; a sailing boat: other questions (techum, etc.). |
For halachah lema'aseh, consult your Rav — particularly regarding swimming and late Friday-night weddings.
8. Practical summary of the Siman
Siman של״ט in 5 rules:
- No riding an animal nor swimming — decrees of shevus (branch, float).
- A rimmed pool — changes the status: permitted as a "vessel."
- No drumming or dancing in principle — lenient custom today.
- No legal acts — judging, betrothing, divorcing, redeeming; but "what is done is done."
- A moored boat — one may board it; no first relation with a widow on Shabbos.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- Why are the prohibitions of this siman שבות and not melachos?
- Why is it forbidden to swim — what is the decree (seif ב)?
- How does a rimmed pool change the rule?
- Why does one not marry or judge on Shabbos (seif ד)?
- What does "what is done is done" mean for the legal acts?
- In what case may a boat that floats be boarded (seif ז)?
To go further
If you want to delve deeper into this siman:
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