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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman שס"ה · 8 Seifim
Mavoy shenifratz — last siman of Hilchos Shabbos — to discover and understand
סימן שס"ה
דִּין מָבוֹי שֶׁנִּפְרַץ
🌱 Beginner Level · מתחילים
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First approach to Siman שס"ה: complete Hebrew text of the Mechaber, fluent English translation, pedagogical explanations of halachic concepts, modern practical cases and synthesis.
Topic: Mavoy shenifratz — last siman of Hilchos Shabbos
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן שס"ה (8 seifim)
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study Plan
1. The Shulchan Aruch text — the 8 seifim of the Mechaber
2. General context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. Key halachic concepts of this siman
4. Detail of the seifim — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
6. Position of the Rema — Ashkenazi vs Sephardi differences
7. Modern practical cases
8. Practical synthesis and rules to remember
9. Comprehension questions
1. The Shulchan Aruch text
Siman שס"ה contains 8 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) codifying the halachos regarding mavoy shenifratz — and it is the last siman of Hilchos Shabbos.
Seif א
דין מבוי שנפרץ. ובו ח סעיפים:
מבוי שנפרץ בו פירצה מצידו כלפי ראשו אם נשאר עומד בראשו פס רחב ארבעה טפחים מותר והוא שלא תהא הפרצה יתר על י' ואם לא נשאר פס ד' אסור אלא אם כן היתה הפרצה פחות מג"ט:
Translation: A mavoy in which a pirtzah was opened in its side, near its head [where the lechi or korah is set up]: if there remained standing, at the head, a pas of mur 4 tefachim wide, it is mutar — provided the pirtzah does not exceed 10 amos. And if no pas of 4 tefachim remained, it is asur — unless the pirtzah is less than 3 tefachim [in which case lavud "closes" it].
Seif ב
נפרץ מצדו שלא כלפי ראשו שיעורו בעשרה אפי' לא נשתייר מן הכותל ביסוד כלום והוא דלא בקעי בה רבים (אבל אי בקעי בה רבים אפילו לא נפרץ רק ד"ט צריך לתקנו שם) (הרי"ף והרא"ש וטור):
Translation: If it was breached in its side not near its head [in the middle of the side wall], its shiur [of toleration] is 10 amos — even if nothing remained of the wall at its base — provided the rabbim do not pass through this pirtzah. Gloss of the Rema: but if rabbim pass there, even if it was breached by only 4 tefachim, one must repair it (Rif, Rosh and Tur).
Seif ג
מבוי שנפרץ במילואו לחצר ונפרץ החצר מצד השני לרה"ר אם לא עירבו בני חצר עם בני המבוי חצר מותר ואפי' נפרץ נגד פרצת המבוי ואפילו בקעי בה רבים ובלבד שלא יהא יותר מעשר ומבוי אסור אפי' אינו כנגד פרצת החצר דכיון שלא עירבו עם המבוי אוסרת עליו וכגון שנכנסו כתלי המבוי בחצר בענין שאין הגיפופין שנשארו בחצר נראין למי שעומד במבוי אבל אם נראים עולים לו משום לחי ומותר ואם עירבו בני החצר עם בני המבוי והפרצה שבמבוי לחצר אינה מצד החצר ופרצת החצר מצד השני אינן מכוונות כנגד פרצת המבוי והחצר של רבים גם המבוי מותר אבל אם לא עירבו או אפילו עירבו ופרצת החצר למבוי מצדו או אפילו באמצע החצר ופרצת החצר מצד השני כנגדה או אפי' אינה כנגדה והחצר הוא של יחיד אסור ואם נפרץ לרחבה פחותה מסאתים או יותר על סאתים והוקף לדירה דינו כאלו נפרץ לחצר אבל אם יתירה על סאתים ולא הוקפה לדירה הוי כאלו נפרץ לכרמלית וצריך תיקון:
Translation: A mavoy breached on its full width into a chatzer, where the chatzer itself is breached on its other side into reshus harabbim: if the inhabitants of the chatzer have not made an eruv with those of the mavoy, the chatzer is mutar — even if its pirtzah faces that of the mavoy and even if rabbim pass through, provided [each pirtzah] does not exceed 10 amos. The mavoy, however, is asur, even if its pirtzah does not face that of the chatzer — for since the chatzer did not make an eruv with the mavoy, it "forbids" [carrying in] the mavoy. This is when the walls of the mavoy enter into the chatzer such that the remaining wall-returns (gippufin) inside the chatzer are not visible from the mavoy; but if they are visible, they count as a lechi and it is mutar. — If the inhabitants of the chatzer did make an eruv with those of the mavoy, the pirtzah of the mavoy into the chatzer is not on the side of the chatzer, the pirtzah of the chatzer [into the public] on the other side does not face it, and the chatzer belongs to multiple people — then the mavoy too is mutar. But if they did not make an eruv, or even if they did but the pirtzah of the chatzer onto the mavoy is on its side, or even in the middle of the chatzer with the pirtzah of the chatzer on the other side facing it, or even not facing it but the chatzer belongs to a single person — it is asur. — If it was breached into a rechavah of less than two seasayim, or more than two seasayim but encompassed for dwelling (muktaf le'dirah), its din is as if breached into a chatzer; but if it exceeds two seasayim and is not muktaf le'dirah, it is as if breached into a karmelis and requires tikun.
Seif ד
מותר להשתמש תחת הקורה כנגד הלחי והני מילי בפתוח לרה"ר אבל בפתוח לכרמלית אסור בין תחת הקורה ובין כנגד הלחי מפני שמצטרף לכרמלית שאצלו שמצא מין את מינו וניעור:
Translation: It is mutar to use the space under the korah [the transverse beam] and opposite the lechi [the post] — but this applies to a mavoy that opens to reshus harabbim. For a mavoy that opens to a karmelis, however, it is asur, both under the korah and opposite the lechi, because [this narrow space] joins itself to the adjacent karmelis: "the same has found its same and re-awoken" (מָצָא מִין אֶת מִינוֹ וְנֵיעוֹר).
Seif ה
אע"פ שמותר להשתמש תחת הקורה לא ישב אדם בראש המבוי וחפץ בידו שמא יתגלגל החפץ מידו לרה"ר ויביאנו אליו כיון שאין היכר בינו לרה"ר אבל על פתח החצר מותר בין פתוח לרה"ר בין פתוח לכרמלית שיש בו הכירא:
Translation: Although it is mutar to use the space under the korah, one should not sit at the head of the mavoy with an object in hand — lest the object roll from his hand into reshus harabbim and he then bring it back to himself, since there is no heker (distinguishing mark) between him and reshus harabbim. But at the opening of a chatzer, it is mutar, whether it opens onto reshus harabbim or onto a karmelis — because there is a heker.
Seif ו
נשים היושבות על פתח המבוי וכדיהן בידן אין ממחין בידן דכיון דמידי דרבנן הוא מוטב שיהיו שוגגות ולא מזידות:
Translation: Women sitting at the opening of the mavoy with their jugs in hand [where the practice would be asur] — one does not stop them: since this is a derabbanan issur, better they act beshogeg (inadvertently) than bemeizid (knowingly).
Seif ז
מבוי שנפלו קורותיו או לחייו בשבת אף על פי שהותר למקצת שבת אסור משם ואילך בין פתוח לרה"ר בין פתוח לכרמלית ויש מי שאומר דהני מילי בעיר שאינה מוקפת חומ' אבל בעיר מוקפת חומה מותר: הגה ויש לסמוך על זה להתיר וכל זה שהיה ראוי לעמוד כל השבת אבל אם היה עומד לסתור מע"ש אסור לאחר שנסתר ואם ספק אם נסתר מע"ש או לא אזלינן לקולא: (תה"ד סימן ע"ג):
Translation: A mavoy whose korah or lechi fell on Shabbos: although it was mutar for part of Shabbos, it becomes asur from that moment onward, whether it opens onto reshus harabbim or onto a karmelis. And some say that this applies only to a city not surrounded by a wall; but in a city surrounded by a wall, [the mavoy] remains mutar [all of Shabbos]. Gloss of the Rema: and one may rely on this to be matir. All this [applies] when [the tikun] was fit to stand all of Shabbos; but if it was already going to collapse from before Shabbos, it is asur after it collapses. And in case of doubt whether it collapsed before Shabbos or not, we go to the lenient side (Terumas HaDeshen siman 73).
Seif ח
מבוי שנשתתפו בו ונשברה הקורה אותו חצר שהעירוב מונח בו וחצרות הפתוחות לו מותרות אבל חצרות שאין פתוחות לאותו חצר אסורות:
Translation: A mavoy in which a shittuf (joining of mavoyot) was made, and whose korah then broke [forbidding carrying via the mavoy]: the chatzer where the eruv rests, and the chatzeros that open into it, remain mutar [for carrying]. But the chatzeros that do not open into that chatzer are asur [for they can no longer reach the eruv].
Complete text: these 8 seifim constitute the entirety of the Mechaber's pesak on this topic. Each specifies a case, a tenai, or an exception.
2. General context
What does this siman discuss?
Siman שס"ה deals with the mavoy (מָבוֹי) whose wall or tikun has broken. A mavoy is an alleyway — closed on three sides, open on only one. To be able to carry there on Shabbos, one must "close" this fourth opening by a tikun: a lechi (post planted on the side) or a korah (beam laid across the entrance).
The fundamental question: what becomes of the mavoy when a pirtzah (פִּרְצָה — breach) opens in one of its walls, or when its tikun (lechi / korah) falls? Does the mavoy retain its status as a closed domain where one may carry, or does the pirtzah "re-open" it onto reshus harabbim, thereby forbidding it?
Place in Hilchos Shabbos
Siman שס"ה is the last siman of Hilchos Shabbos (siman 366 already opens Hilchos Eruvin proper). It closes the long series devoted to the domains and carrying (345-365). Its principal talmudic source is Maseches Eruvin, in the sugyos on the breached mavoy and on the tikun of the lechi and the korah.
3. Key halachic concepts
Five notions structure this siman:
The essential concepts of siman שס"ה:
- מָבוֹי — the alleyway closed on three sides, set up with a lechi or korah to permit carrying.
- לֶחִי וְקוֹרָה — the post and the transverse beam: the two modes of tikun for the opening of the mavoy.
- פִּרְצָה — the pirtzah: its effects differ according to its width (3 / 4 / 10) and its position (near entrance or not).
- לָבוּד — a gap less than 3 tefachim is treated as "joined", so a pirtzah of less than 3 does not break the wall.
- פַּס ד' טְפָחִים — a remaining wall-piece of 4 tefachim suffices to preserve the status of the mavoy.
4. Detail of the seifim — one by one
| Seif | Content |
|---|---|
| א | Pirtzah in the side of the mavoy near the head: mutar if a 4-tefachim pas remains standing at the head and the pirtzah does not exceed 10 amos. Without this pas: asur, unless pirtzah is less than 3 tefachim (lavud). |
| ב | Pirtzah in the side far from the head: tolerated up to 10 amos, even with no remnant of wall — provided rabbim do not pass through. Rema: if rabbim pass, one must set up tikun already from 4 tefachim. |
| ג | Mavoy breached on its full width into a chatzer, the chatzer itself breached onto reshus harabbim: the chatzer remains mutar; the mavoy is asur if the chatzer did not make eruv with it. Distinctions according to eruv, position of pirtzos, communal or private chatzer. Pirtzah onto a rechavah: status depending on its size and whether muktaf le'dirah. |
| ד | Using the space under the korah and opposite the lechi: mutar if the mavoy opens onto reshus harabbim; asur if it opens onto a karmelis (the space joins itself to the adjacent karmelis). |
| ה | One does not sit at the opening of the mavoy with an object in hand (lest it roll into reshus harabbim), since there is no heker. At the opening of a chatzer, it is mutar: the heker exists. |
| ו | Women carrying at the opening of the mavoy where this is asur: one does not stop them, since the issur is derabbanan — better an unwitting transgression than a knowing one. |
| ז | Mavoy whose korah or lechi falls on Shabbos: asur from that moment. Opinion that a city surrounded by a wall remains mutar. Rema: one may rely on this; but a tikun fated to collapse from the outset was never valid. |
| ח | Mavoy with shittuf whose korah breaks: the chatzer where the eruv rests and the chatzeros that open into it remain mutar; chatzeros without access to that chatzer are asur. |
Heart of the siman: everything depends on whether the mavoy retains, despite the pirtzah or the collapse of the tikun, its status as a closed domain. The width of the pirtzah (the decisive threshold is 10 amos, sometimes 4 or 3 tefachim), its position, and the passing of rabbim, determine whether carrying remains mutar.
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
The Mishnah Berurah of Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan (Chofetz Chaim) contains 40 entries on this siman. Here are the first ones — to better understand the meaning of the seifim:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) מצדו כלפי ראשו - פי' המבוי היה מתוקן בלחי או בקורה ונפרץ אחד מהכתלים שבצד ארכו כלפי ראשו סמוך ללחי או לקורה:
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) אם נשאר וכו' ארבעה טפחים - שעדיין נשאר שיעור חשוב במבוי לכן לא בטיל הפתח הגדול ואע"ג דבעלמא שיעור אורך מבוי לא פחות מד"א וכנ"ל בסימן שס"ג סכ"ו היינו אם נעשה מבוי בתחלה אבל כאן שכבר היה מבוי אלא שנסתר די בארבעה טפחים שנשאר ממנו:
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) והוא וכו' עשר - אמות דעד שיעור זה הוא בכלל פתח יתר מכאן חשוב פרצה וצריך לסתום או לעשות צוה"פ במקום הזה [ריטב"א]:
For the complete text of all 40 entries, consult Sefaria: Mishnah Berurah 365.
6. Position of the Rema
The Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) adds two glosses (הגהות) in this siman, where Ashkenazic minhag specifies or decides.
The Rema's glosses:
- Seif ב — for a pirtzah in the middle of the side: if rabbim pass through, one must set up tikun as soon as it reaches 4 tefachim (not wait for 10 amos). The Rema bases this on the Rif, the Rosh and the Tur.
- Seif ז — for the mavoy of a walled city whose tikun falls on Shabbos: the Rema rules that one may rely on the lenient opinion. He adds two specifications: (a) this applies only if the tikun was fit to last all of Shabbos; (b) in case of doubt as to when it fell, one goes to the lenient side (Terumas HaDeshen 73).
- Chabad → follow the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, siman שס"ה (see Level 4 — Daat HaRav).
7. Modern practical cases
Siman שס"ה remains very current: it grounds the halacha of communal eruvin, whose "wires" and poles today play the role of the lechi and the korah.
| Situation | Quick analysis |
|---|---|
| A communal-eruv pole torn down on Shabbos | Direct application of seif ז: if the pole or wire falls on Shabbos, carrying becomes asur from that moment — except in the case of a walled city. |
| Breach in the fence of a chatzer or housing complex | Measure the width of the pirtzah: less than 3 tefachim (lavud), up to 10 amos, or beyond — each threshold changes the halacha (seifim א-ב). |
| Rabbim use a gap in the fence | The passing of rabbim makes the rule stricter: one must set up tikun well before the 10-amos threshold (seif ב, Rema's gloss). |
| Damaged communal eruv: doubt about the timing | If one does not know whether the rupture occurred before or during Shabbos, one goes to the lenient side (seif ז, Rema) — but checking the eruv remains the Rav's responsibility. |
For precise practical cases: the state of a communal eruv is checked each week by a designated official. For halacha lemaaseh, consult your Rav.
8. Practical synthesis of the Siman
Teachings of Siman שס"ה:
- A pirtzah near the head: tolerated if a wall-pas of 4 tefachim remains standing and it does not exceed 10 amos.
- A pirtzah in the middle of the side: tolerated up to 10 amos — but from 4 tefachim if rabbim pass through.
- A pirtzah of less than 3 tefachim: of no effect — lavud "closes" it.
- A mavoy breached into a chatzer: the chatzer remains mutar; the mavoy depends on the eruv and the configuration of the pirtzos.
- If the tikun falls on Shabbos: carrying is asur from that moment — except in a walled city.
- For halacha lemaaseh, consult your local Rav.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the general topic of Siman שס"ה?
- How many seifim does this siman contain? What is the theme of each?
- What is the difference between the Mechaber and the Rema?
- What structuring halachic concepts appear in this siman?
- What is the practice to retain for daily life?
- In what borderline cases should one consult a Rav?
To go further
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