Carrying on Shabbat: Where You Can and Can't Carry Part 1

MISHNA: One may arrange upright boards [passin] around a well in the public domain in order to permit drawing water from the well on Shabbat. A well is usually at least four handbreadths wide and ten handbreadths deep. Therefore, it is considered a private domain, and it is prohibited to draw water from it on Shabbat, as that would constitute a violation of the prohibition to carry from a private domain into a public one. The Sages therefore instituted that a virtual partition may be built in the area surrounding the well, so that the enclosed area could be considered a private domain, thus permitting use of the well and carrying of the water within the partitioned area. In this specific instance, the Sages demonstrated special leniency and did not require a proper partition to enclose the entire area. For this purpose, it suffices if there are four double posts [deyomadin] that look like eight single posts, i.e., four corner pieces, each comprised of two posts joined together at right angles; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: There must be eight posts that look like twelve. How so? There must be four double posts, one in each corner, with four plain posts, one between each pair of double posts. The height of the double posts must be at least ten handbreadths, their width must be six handbreadths, and their thickness may be even a minimal amount. And between them, i.e., between the posts, there may be a gap the size of two teams [revakot] of three oxen each; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda disagrees and says: There may be a slightly larger gap, the size of two teams of four oxen each, and this gap is measured with the cows being tied together and not untied, and with the minimal space necessary for one team to be entering while the other one is leaving. It is permitted to bring the posts closer to the well, provided that the enclosed area is large enough for a cow to stand with its head and the majority of its body inside the partitioned space while it drinks. It is permitted

MISHNA: The acts of carrying out from a public domain into a private domain or vice versa, which are prohibited on Shabbat, are primarily two basic actions that comprise four cases from the perspective of a person inside a private domain, and two basic actions that comprise four cases from the perspective of a person outside, in a public domain. The mishna elaborates: How do these eight cases take place? In order to answer that question, the mishna cites cases involving a poor person and a homeowner. The poor person stands outside, in the public domain, and the homeowner stands inside, in the private domain. The poor person lifted an object in the public domain, extended his hand into the private domain, and placed the object into the hand of the homeowner. In that case, the poor person performed the prohibited labor of carrying from the public domain into the private domain in its entirety. Or, the poor person reached his hand into the private domain, took an item from the hand of the homeowner, and carried it out into the public domain. In that case, the poor person performed the prohibited labor of carrying out from the private domain into the public domain in its entirety. In both of these cases, because the poor person performed the prohibited labor in its entirety, he is liable and the homeowner is exempt. The mishna cites two additional cases. In these, the prohibited labor is performed by the homeowner, who is in the private domain: The homeowner lifted an item in the private domain, extended his hand into the public domain, and placed the object into the hand of the poor person. In that case, the homeowner performed the labor of carrying out from the private domain into the public domain in its entirety. Or, the homeowner reached his hand into the public domain, took an object from the hand of the poor person, and carried it into the private domain. In that case, the homeowner performed the labor of carrying from the public domain into the private domain in its entirety. In both of those cases, because the homeowner performed the prohibited labor in its entirety, he is liable and the poor person is exempt. There are four additional cases where neither the homeowner nor the poor person performed the labor in its entirety, and therefore neither is liable: The poor person extended his hand into the private domain and either the homeowner took an object from his hand and placed it in the private domain or the homeowner placed an object into the hand of the poor person, and the poor person carried the object out into the public domain. In those cases and the two that follow, the act of transferring the object from one domain to another was performed jointly by two people, the poor person and the homeowner. Because each performed only part of the prohibited labor, both of them are exempt. So too, in a case where the homeowner extended his hand into the public domain and, either the poor person took an object from the homeowner’s hand and placed it in the public domain or the poor person placed an object into the homeowner’s hand and the homeowner carried the object into the private domain. Because each performed only part of the prohibited labor, both of them are exempt.

(1) There are four classes of domains with regard to the laws of Shabbos: private domain, public domain, karmelis and makom petur.

(1) It is forbidden to move anything a distance of¹The amah referred to is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Each person measures this according to his own amah. See Shulchan Aruch 349: 1. four amos²Not four amos, but the diagonal of a 4-amah square, i.e., 5. 6 amos. (Shulchan Aruch 349: 2] Also see Mishnah Berurah. in a public domain or in a karmelis whether by carrying, throwing it, or handing it over. Even carrying [an object] a little at a time a distance of less than four amos³Carrying an object in intervals of less than four amos is forbidden only if the total distance adds up to four amos. However, carrying a total distance of less than four amos is permitted. [Rambam, Tur, Shulchan Aruch, Mishnah Berurah] is also forbidden.

(2) It is forbidden to carry, to throw, or to hand over anything from a private to a public domain or to a karmelis; or [to carry] from a public domain or from a karmelis to a private domain. It is likewise [forbidden to carry] from a public domain to a karmelis, or from a karmelis to a public domain. But regarding a mekom petur, you are permitted to carry out and bring in from it into a private domain, public domain, or a karmelis ; and from the latter into the former, provided you do not carry the article four amos within the public domain or the karmelis. Since there are many complex differentiations regarding what constitutes a public domain, a karmelis, and a private domain, (aside from those mentioned in the previous chapter) ; therefore, in a town where no eiruv has been erected, a person who is not well versed [in these laws] should be careful not to carry any article from the place where it rests into a domain of a different category, unless he is certain that it is permissible.