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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman ש״מ · 14 Seifim
Toldos of the avos melachos — derivatives forbidden on Shabbos — to discover and understand
סימן ש״מ
כַּמָּה דִינִים מִדְּבָרִים הָאֲסוּרִים בְּשַׁבָּת כְּעֵין תּוֹלָדוֹת מֵאָבוֹת
🌱 Introductory Level · מתחילים
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A first approach to Siman ש״מ: the full Hebrew text of the Mechaber, a fluent translation, clear explanations of the halachic concepts, modern practical cases, and a summary.
Topic: Toldos of the avos melachos — derivatives forbidden on Shabbos
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ש״מ (14 seifim)
Compilation: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study plan
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch — the 14 seifim of the Mechaber
2. The general context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. The key halachic concepts of this siman
4. The seifim in detail — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — opening entries
6. The position of the Rama — 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 ש״מ contains 14 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo), which codify the halachos relating to toldos of the avos melachos — derivatives forbidden on Shabbos.
Seif א
כמה דינים מדברים האסורים בשבת כעין תולדות מאבות. ובו יד סעיפים:
אסור ליטול שערו או צפרניו בין ביד בין בכלי בין לעצמו בין לאחרים וחייב על שתי שערות ומלקט לבנות מתוך שחורות אפי' באחת חייב ודבר זה אפי' בחול אסור משום לא ילבש גבר שמלת אשה: הגה ועיין לעיל סוף סימן ש״ג דין סריקה וחפיפה:
Translation: it is assur to remove one's hair or nails, whether by hand or with a utensil, for oneself or for others — this is the melacha of גוזז (gozez, shearing); and one is chayav for two hairs. One who plucks white hairs from among black ones is chayav even for a single one. This act [plucking the white ones] is in fact assur even during the week — under "לֹא יִלְבַּשׁ גֶּבֶר שִׂמְלַת אִשָּׁה" (a man shall not wear a woman's garment). (Rama: see siman ש״ג for the halacha of combing and untangling.)
What this seif says:
- Forbidden to remove his hair or his nails — by hand or with a vessel, for himself or for others — and he is liable for two hairs.
- And one who picks white hairs from among black — liable even for one.
- And this is forbidden even on a weekday, under « לא ילבש גבר שמלת אשה ».
Seif ב
אסור לחתוך יבלת מגופו בין ביד בין בכלי בין לו בין לאחר:
Translation: it is assur to cut off a wart from one's body, whether by hand or with a utensil, for oneself or for another.
What this seif says:
- Forbidden to cut a wart from his body — by hand or with a vessel, for himself or for another.
Seif ג
המוחק דיו שעל הקלף או שעוה שעל הפנקס אם יש במקומו כדי לכתוב ב' אותיות חייב: הגה אסור לשבור עוגה שכתוב עליה כמין אותיות אע״פ שאינו מכוין רק לאכילה דהוי מוחק: (מרדכי פרק כלל גדול):
Translation: one who erases ink on parchment, or wax on a tablet — if there remains in that spot room to write two letters, he is chayav [for מוחק, mochek, erasing]. (Rama: it is assur to break a cake on which letter-shapes are drawn, even though one's only intent is to eat it — because this is mochek.)
What this seif says:
- One who erases ink on the parchment, or wax on the tablet: if there is in its place room to write two letters — he is liable.
- Rama: forbidden to break a cake on which letter-shapes are written, though he intends only to eat — for that is erasing.
Seif ד
יש ליזהר שלא לכתוב באצבעו במשקין על השולחן או באפר: אבל מותר לרשום באויר כמין אותיות (תרומת הדשן סי' ס״ג):
Translation: one must be careful not to trace letters with one's finger in a liquid spilled on the table, or in ashes [this is a form of כותב, kosev, writing]. (But it is muttar to trace letter-shapes in the air — since this leaves no mark.)
What this seif says:
- One must take care not to write with his finger in liquids on the table, or in ashes.
- Rama: but permitted to trace letter-shapes in the air.
Seif ה
מותר לרשום בצפורן על הספר כמו שרושמין לסימן שאין זה דבר המתקיים:
Translation: it is muttar to mark with one's fingernail on a sefer, as one marks to note a spot — since this is not a lasting mark (the assur writing is that which endures).
What this seif says:
- Permitted to mark with a fingernail on the book, as one marks for a sign — for this is not a lasting thing.
Seif ו
חוט של תפירה שנפתח אסור למתחו משום תופר:
Translation: a stitching thread that has come loose [slackened] — it is assur to pull it taut, under תופר (tofer, sewing — since pulling the thread tight draws the join together).
What this seif says:
- A sewing thread that has come loose: forbidden to draw it tight — under תופר.
Seif ז
אותם שמהדקים הבגדים סביב זרועותיהם על ידי החוט שמותחין אותו ומתהדק אסור למתחו אלא אם כן יהיו הנקבים רחבים קצת ומתוקנים בתפירה ובעיגול:
Translation: those who tighten garments around their arms by means of a cord that they pull taut — it is assur to pull it [this would be תופר], unless the eyelets are somewhat wide and finished off with a rounded stitching [in which case the cord slides as in a permanent hem, and tightening it is not sewing].
What this seif says:
- Those who tighten their clothes about their arms by a cord they draw so it tightens: forbidden to draw it.
- Unless the holes be somewhat wide, and finished with stitching and rounded.
Seif ח
מוכין שנפלו מן הכסת מותר להחזירם אבל אסור ליתנם בתחלה בכסת:
Translation: stuffing that has fallen out of a cushion — it is muttar to put it back, but it is assur to insert it for the first time into the cushion (stuffing a new cushion would be an act of fashioning a keli — תיקון כלי).
What this seif says:
- Stuffing that fell from the cushion: permitted to put it back.
- But forbidden to put it in for the first time.
Seif ט
אסור לקבץ מלח ממשרפות המלח שדומה למעמר וכן אסור לקבץ כל דבר במקום גידולו:
Translation: it is assur to gather salt from the salt-pans, since it resembles מעמר (me'amer, gathering); and likewise it is assur to gather anything at its place of growth (gathering at the spot where something grows is the essence of the melacha of me'amer).
What this seif says:
- Forbidden to gather salt from the salt-pans, for it resembles מעמר.
- And likewise forbidden to gather anything in the place where it grows.
Seif י
המקבץ דבילה ועשה ממנה עיגול או שנקב תאנים והכניס החבל בהם עד שנתקבצו גוף אחד הרי זה תולדות מעמר וחייב וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
Translation: one who gathers dried figs and forms them into a [compact] cake, or who pierces figs and threads a cord through them until they form a single mass — this is a tolada of מעמר, and he is chayav; and so too in any similar case.
What this seif says:
- One who gathers dried figs and makes of them a round, or who pierces figs and passes the cord through them until they became one body:
- This is a derivative of מעמר, and he is liable — and so with all like it.
Seif יא
אע״פ שנותנים שומשמין ואגוזים לדבש לא יחבצם בידו:
Translation: although one may put sesame seeds and nuts into honey, one should not press them firmly together by hand [to form a compact mass — this would be close to מעמר].
What this seif says:
- Though one puts sesame and nuts into honey — he shall not press them with his hand.
Seif יב
הנותן זרע פשתן או שומשמין וכיוצא בהם במים חייב משום לש מפני שמתערבים ונתלים זה בזה:
Translation: one who puts flaxseed, sesame and the like into water is chayav under לש (lash, kneading) — because [the seeds] mix and cling to one another [forming a mass].
What this seif says:
- One who puts flaxseed or sesame and the like into water is liable for לש.
- Because they mix and cling one to another.
Seif יג
אין שוברים החרס ואין קורעין הנייר מפני שהוא כמתקן כלי:
Translation: one may not break a shard nor tear paper [in order to use it], because this is like fashioning a keli (מתקן כלי, a tolada of makeh be-patish).
What this seif says:
- One does not break the shard nor tear the paper — because it is as fashioning a vessel.
Seif יד
המדבק ניירות או עורות בקולן של סופרים וכיוצא בו הרי זה תולדת תופר וחייב וכן המפרק ניירות דבוקים או עורות דבוקים ולא נתכוין לקלקל בלבד הרי זה תולדת קורע וחייב:
Translation: one who glues papers or hides with scribe's glue and the like — this is a tolada of תופר (tofer, sewing), and he is chayav. Likewise, one who separates glued papers or hides, not intending merely to ruin — this is a tolada of קורע (koreya, tearing), and he is chayav.
The full text: these 14 seifim constitute the entirety of the Mechaber's codification of this topic. Each clarifies a case, a condition, or an exception.
What this seif says:
- One who glues papers or hides with scribes' glue and the like: this is a derivative of תופר, and he is liable.
- And likewise one who separates glued papers or glued hides, not intending merely to spoil: this is a derivative of קורע, and he is liable.
2. The general context
What is this siman about?
Siman ש״מ gathers toldos — "derivatives" of several avos melachos, applied to everyday objects: cutting hair and nails (gozez), erasing and writing (mochek, kosev), sewing and tearing (tofer, koreya), gathering (me'amer), kneading (lash), the final-hammer-blow (makeh be-patish). The siman shows how the 39 melachos of the Mishkan extend into the most ordinary actions.
The logic of the siman: each seif attaches a mundane action to its reference av melacha. The thread running through it is the concept of תולדה (tolada) — an act that is not the av itself but is its halachic equivalent, and therefore equally assur (often carrying chiyuv chatas).
Place within Hilchos Shabbos
Siman ש״מ follows simanim של״ז-של״ט (unintentional act, sound, shevus) and serves as a kind of applied review of the less common avos melachos, just before the simanim on chol ha-mo'ed.
3. The key halachic concepts
Five avos melachos and their toldos structure the 14 seifim:
The key concepts of siman ש״מ:
- תולדה — a derivative of an av melacha: assur to the same degree, often carrying chiyuv chatas.
- גוזז — shearing: cutting hair, nails, wool — chayav for two hairs.
- כותב / מוחק — writing / erasing: forming or erasing enough for two letters.
- תופר / קורע — sewing / tearing: pulling a thread taut, gluing or separating sheets.
- מעמר / לש — gathering / kneading: massing into a block, mixing seeds with water.
The master question: "of which av melacha is my act the derivative?" — cutting a nail = gozez; breaking a lettered cake = mochek; pulling a thread taut = tofer; kneading seeds = lash. To identify the av is to understand the issur.
4. The seifim in detail — one by one
| Seifim | Av melacha | Codified toldos |
|---|---|---|
| א-ב | גוזז (shearing) | Hair, nails, wool, wart |
| ג-ה | כותב / מוחק | Erasing, tracing in liquid, marking with a nail |
| ו-ח, יד | תופר / קורע | Pulling a thread taut, cord, stuffing, gluing/separating |
| ט-יב | מעמר / לש | Gathering salt, figs; kneading seeds |
| יג | מכה בפטיש | Breaking a shard, tearing paper |
Reading method: for each seif — (1) what concrete act; (2) of which av melacha is it the derivative; (3) is there a threshold (two hairs, two letters); (4) conclusion.
5. The Mishnah Berurah — opening entries
The Mishnah Berurah of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) has 45 entries on this siman. Here are the opening ones — to better understand the meaning of the seifim:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) בין ביד - וה״ה בשניו [גמרא]:
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) בין בכלי - אף דהמחבר השוה יד לכלי הוא רק לאיסורא דבכולן יש איסור אבל לענין חיובא יש חילוק ביניהן דביד פטור בכל גווני שאין דרך גזיזה בכך בחול ובכלי חייב בכל גווני דה״ל תולדה דגוזז ומה שכתב אח״כ דחייב על שתי שערות הוא דוקא בכלי:
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) וחייב על שתי שערות - ושער אחד יש בו איסורא דאורייתא כמו כל חצי שיעור של כל האיסורים וכן הדין בכל מלאכות שבת לא בעינן בהו שיעור לענין איסור אלא לענין חיוב חטאת. ולענין נטילת צפרנים כתב הא״ר דאפילו על צפורן אחד חייב וכן מוכח לעיל בסימן שכ״ח סל״א. ואשה ששכחה ליטול הצפרנים מע״ש ואירע טבילתה בליל שבת מסיק המ״א שתאמר לעו״ג ליטול ביד דהוי שבות דשבות במקום מצוה ואם א״א ביד מותר על ידו אפילו בכלי ואם א…
The Mishnah Berurah draws a fine distinction: the hand and the utensil are equal as to the issur (both are forbidden), but not as to the penalty — by hand one is patur (exempt from chatas), since this is not the normal manner of shearing; with a utensil one is chayav. And he recalls a principle valid for all melachos: a single hair, a chatzi shiur, are assur mi-d'Oraisa — the "threshold" (two hairs, two letters) bears only on the chiyuv chatas.
For the full text of all 45 entries: Mishnah Berurah 340.
6. The position of the Rama
The Rama adds two glosses:
The Rama's glosses:
- Seif א: refers to siman ש״ג for the halachos of combing and untangling hair on Shabbos.
- Seif ג: it is assur to break a cake bearing letters (drawn on it or in the dough) — even though one only intends to eat it, this is mochek (erasing).
7. Modern practical cases
| Situation | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Cutting nails, removing hair | Assur (gozez) — by hand as with a utensil. A woman who forgot before Shabbos and must go to the mikveh: via a non-Jew — consult a Rav (seif א). |
| Cake or cookie bearing letters / a design | The Rama forbids breaking through the letters. Many permit integrated letters made of dough — follow one's Rav (seif ג). |
| Writing in condensation, in powdered sugar, opening a sefer with a printed edge | Tracing in a liquid / a powder = a form of kosev; printed edge = a question of writing/erasing — consult a Rav (seif ד). |
| Re-gluing / separating, tape, stickers | Gluing sheets = tofer; separating = koreya. A frequent practical question — consult a Rav. |
For the halacha lema'aseh, consult your Rav — this siman touches on very many daily actions (lettered cakes, stickers, packaging).
8. Practical summary of the Siman
Siman ש״מ in 5 rules:
- Gozez — no cutting of hair, nails, wool, or a wart.
- Kosev / mochek — no forming or erasing of a lasting mark (lettered cake included).
- Tofer / koreya — no pulling a thread taut, nor gluing/separating sheets.
- Me'amer / lash — no massing into a block, nor mixing seeds with water.
- Makeh be-patish — one does not "fashion" by breaking a shard or tearing paper.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is a תולדה and what is its status relative to the av melacha?
- To which av melacha does cutting nails belong (seif א)?
- Why is it assur to break a cake bearing letters (seif ג)?
- What distinction does the Mishnah Berurah make between the hand and the utensil?
- Why does putting seeds into water fall under לש (seif יב)?
- Why does one not break a shard in order to use it (seif יג)?
Going further
If you wish to delve deeper into this siman:
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