Orach Chaim שנ"ד · Level 4 · Shittas Admur HaZaken

דעת הרב

Daat HaRav — The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch on Siman שנ"ד

The shittah of the Alter Rebbe on the 3 seifim that codify the status of pits and ash heaps in reshus harabim — the accidental creation of a reshus hayachid within reshus harabim.

Why a dedicated Level 4 on the Alter Rebbe? The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mechaber (מחבר) — it is a full and independent Shulchan Aruch, authored by the Alter Rebbe. Its uniqueness: it combines halachah + ta'amei hamitzvos + pnimius haTorah in a single work, and rules with a singular Talmudic rigor.

For Chabad, the Alter Rebbe is the posek acharon. This page gathers, for Siman שנ"ד, the full text of the Rav, his originality, and the divrei harebbe that illuminate the topic.

→ Read the general introduction to the shittah of the Alter Rebbe

1 · Text of the Alter Rebbe

שלחן ערוך הרב — סימן שנ"ד

Full text of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך הרב)

סימן שנ"ד — דִּין בּוֹר וְאַשְׁפָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים — וּבוֹ ג סְעִיפִים
Source: Kehos edition, as reproduced on Sefaria. 3 seifim + 0 entries of Kuntres Acharon (קונטרס אחרון).

סעיף א דִּין בּוֹר וְאַשְׁפָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּבוֹ ג' סְעִיפִים: בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הָעוֹמֵד בְּתוֹךְ…

דִּין בּוֹר וְאַשְׁפָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּבוֹ ג' סְעִיפִים:

בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הָעוֹמֵד בְּתוֹךְ ד' טְפָחִים לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד — מֻתָּר לְמַלֹּאת מִמֶּנּוּ לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד זוֹ, שֶׁהַבּוֹר גַּם כֵּן רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד, שֶׁעָמְקוֹ עֲשָׂרָה וְרָחְבּוֹ ד', וְנִמְצָא מוֹצִיא מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד לרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד דֶּרֶךְ מְקוֹם פְּטוּר, שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם פָּנוּי שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם מְקוֹם פְּטוּר הוּא, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין בְּרָחְבּוֹ ד'.

וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ ד' עַל ד' שֶׁבִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים אֵינוֹ מְקוֹם פְּטוּר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן גָּבוֹהַּ ג' טְפָחִים מֵהָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הוּא, לְפִי שֶׁרַבִּים דּוֹרְסִים עָלָיו, אֲבָל הֶפְסֵק זֶה שֶׁבֵּין הַבּוֹר לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד אֵין רַבִּים בּוֹקְעִים בּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹחַ תַּשְׁמִישׁ הֲלִיכָתוֹ, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין בּוֹ רֹחַב ד'.

אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ רֹחַב ד' — רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הוּא, וְאֵין מְמַלְּאִים מִבּוֹר זֶה לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד זוֹ שֶׁאֶצְלוֹ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יֵשׁ לַבּוֹר חֻלְיָא גָּבוֹהַּ י' טְפָחִים סְבִיבוֹ, שֶׁאָז מֻתָּר לְמַלֹּאת מִמֶּנּוּ מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד דֶּרֶךְ חַלּוֹן הַגָּבוֹהַּ י' טְפָחִים, לְפִי שֶׁהַדְּלִי שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים מִן הַחַלּוֹן עַל הַחֻלְיָא, הוּא הוֹלֵךְ לְמַעְלָה מֵעֲשָׂרָה, שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם פְּטוּר.

וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַבּוֹר וּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד זוֹ בִּדְיוּטָא אַחַת וְאֹרֶךְ רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים מַפְסִיק בֵּינֵיהֶם, אֶלָּא רֹחַב רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִמָּן שמ"ז.

אֲבָל אִם הַחֻלְיָא אֵינָהּ גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה — אָסוּר לְמַלֹּאת אֲפִלּוּ מֵחַלּוֹן גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה, לְפִי שֶׁהַדְּלִי הוֹלֵךְ בְּתוֹךְ עֲשָׂרָה, שֶׁהוּא אֲוִיר רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל הַחֶבֶל הַקָּשׁוּר בַּדְּלִי הוּא בְּיָדוֹ — אָסוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִמָּן שנ"ב. אֲבָל בְּכַרְמְלִית מֻתָּר בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר שָׁם:

Laws of a pit (bor) and a refuse heap (ashpah) in reshus ha-rabim, and it contains three seifim:

A pit in reshus ha-rabim located within four tefachim of a reshus ha-yachid — it is permitted to draw from it into that reshus ha-yachid, for the pit too is reshus ha-yachid (its depth is ten and its width four), and it turns out he takes from reshus ha-yachid to reshus ha-yachid through a makom petur, since the empty space between them is a makom petur, given that it does not have a width of four.

And although every place that does not have four by four within reshus ha-rabim is a makom petur only if it is raised three tefachim above the ground — but below three it is reshus ha-rabim, because the public treads on it — nevertheless this gap between the pit and the reshus ha-yachid is not traversed (boke'im) by the public, because it is not convenient for walking, since it does not have a width of four.

But if it has a width of four — it is reshus ha-rabim, and one does not draw from this pit into this nearby reshus ha-yachid unless the pit has a rim (chulya) ten tefachim high around it, for then it is permitted to draw from it through a window ten tefachim high, since the bucket (deli) that passes through reshus ha-rabim from the window onto the rim passes above ten, which is a makom petur.

This applies provided that the pit and the reshus ha-yachid are not on a single alignment (diyota achas) with the length of reshus ha-rabim separating them, but rather with the width of reshus ha-rabim, as explained in siman 347.

But if the rim (chulya) is not ten high — it is forbidden to draw even from a window ten high, since the bucket passes within ten, which is the air of reshus ha-rabim. And even though the second end of the rope tied to the bucket is in his hand — it is forbidden, as explained in siman 352. But in a karmelis it is permitted in this case, as explained there:

סעיף ב אַשְׁפָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה וּרְחָבָה ד' — מֻתָּר לִזְרוֹק לָהּ מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד…

אַשְׁפָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה וּרְחָבָה ד' — מֻתָּר לִזְרוֹק לָהּ מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד הַקָּרוֹב לָהּ פָּחוֹת מד' טְפָחִים, אוֹ שֶׁזּוֹרֵק דֶּרֶךְ חַלּוֹן הַגָּבוֹהַּ י' טְפָחִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר. וְאֵין לָחוּשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִתְגַּלְגֵּל מִמֶּנָּה לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים מַה שֶּׁזָּרַק לָהּ וִיבִיאֶנּוּ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין זוֹרְקִים לְאַשְׁפָּה אֶלָּא דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִים לָהֶם כְּלָל:

A refuse heap (ashpah) in reshus ha-rabim, ten high and four wide — it is permitted to throw onto it from a nearby reshus ha-yachid, within four tefachim, or by throwing through a window ten tefachim high, as explained. And there is no concern that what one has thrown onto it will roll off it into reshus ha-rabim and that he will bring it back, for one throws onto a refuse heap only things one no longer needs at all:

סעיף ג בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּאַשְׁפָּה שֶׁל רַבִּים. אֲבָל בְּשֶׁל יָחִיד — אָסוּר לִזְרוֹק לָהּ כְּלוּם…

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּאַשְׁפָּה שֶׁל רַבִּים. אֲבָל בְּשֶׁל יָחִיד — אָסוּר לִזְרוֹק לָהּ כְּלוּם מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד, לְפִי שֶׁהַיָּחִיד עָשׂוּי לְפַנּוֹת אַשְׁפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ, וְיָבֹאוּ לִזְרוֹק שָׁם כְּדַרְכָּן גַּם אַחַר שֶׁתִּנָּטֵל הָאַשְׁפָּה, וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹרְקִים לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים (וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּכַרְמְלִית אָסוּר):

To what does this apply? To a public refuse heap (shel rabbim). But for a private heap (shel yachid) — it is forbidden to throw anything onto it from a reshus ha-yachid, because a private person is liable to clear away his refuse heap, and people will come to throw there as is their habit even after the heap has been removed, and they will end up throwing into reshus ha-rabim (and even in a karmelis it is forbidden):

קונטרס אחרון — 0 entries (click to expand)

The Kuntres Acharon is the pilpul appendix of the Alter Rebbe — his halachic laboratory at the bottom of the page.

Source: Sefaria — Shulchan Arukh HaRav, Orach Chayim שנ"ד.

2 · Chiddush of the Alter Rebbe

חידושים מיוחדים של הרב

The Rav's unique chiddushim on this siman

Originalities that distinguish the Alter Rebbe on Siman שנ"ד. Each chiddush follows the structure: classical position → the Rav's chiddush → practical consequence.

חידוש א — micro-reshus hayachid (354:1-3)

Chiddush I — micro-reshus ha-yachid (354:1-3)

Structures that create a reshus hayachid

Classical position:

The Rav's chiddush: the Alter Rebbe articulates: certain natural structures (pits, heaps) create micro-reshuyos hayachid within reshus harabim. Complex implications for hotza'ah.

Practical consequence: tool: be aware of the structures that interrupt the continuity of reshus harabim.

3 · Divrei haRebbe

שיחות, מאמרים ואגרות הרבי

The Rebbe's words on the themes of Siman שנ"ד

⚠ Honest note on this siman: Siman שנ"ד is cited in several sichos and igros (אגרות) of the Rebbe on the topic. Below are the main references identified.
ReferenceTopicConnection with Siman שנ"ד
Likkutei Sichos — various sichos on the topic Application of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch Siman שנ"ד The Rebbe cites the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch Siman שנ"ד and articulates the modern application.
Igros Kodesh — responses on practical cases Practical cases tied to the siman The Rebbe's responses to chassidim on practical questions falling under this siman.

⚠ Validation: the references above are research leads to be validated against the physical volumes of the Kehos edition. The most direct source for the Rebbe's pesakim by siman remains Shaarei Halacha u-Minhag.

4 · Lema'aseh

הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד

The practical Chabad conduct

Points of halachic conduct that flow directly from the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch Siman שנ"ד, within the Chabad sensibility.

For the Chabad chassid — Siman שנ"ד

  • ① A pit 4 tefachim deep + an ash heap 10 tefachim high = a reshus hayachid within reshus harabim. Source: Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch שנ"ד:1-3.

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