Power Up!

Seems little to do with our lives!, some of questions to investigate:

1) Picking a plum

2) Walking on grass

3) Using a hammock 

4) Riding a horse

5) Smelling a fruit on a tree

Reaping is the uprooting or severing of any living plant or vegetation from its source of growth.

This can be by uprooting an entire plant or even by breaking off a leaf or a branch.

Classic examples?

Picking an apple even though the tree remains rooted to the ground. Or picking vegetables, flowers or pulling weeds from a garden.

We are not discussing merely inhibiting growth, that is ok and not included. Eg you can close a blind near a plant even though this will block sunlight.

Some examples of how this melacha applies:

1) Removing moss from damp wood, as that's its natural growing surface. 

2) Removing seeds from a jar of water where they are sprouting.

3) Lifting a potted plant from soil.

4) Removing a non muktza seed from the ground isn't a problem as long as remained there less than 2 days as the seeds not yet began to germinate.

(Note - by dropping a seed onto the earth it's a problem immediately of sowing!)

5) Walking on grass is ok even though it may uproot grass because it's not inevitable.

6) Walking on delicate plants not ok as the stems will snap under foot, likewise heavy contact sports not simple at all. Even running on long grass an issue.

7) Deliberately kicking pollen laden dandelion not ok as the pollen will become detached.

On top of this the Rabbi's restricted 4 areas that could lead to this melacha:

1) Using a Tree:

Use includes climbing a tree, leaning against one or sitting on it. The concern was breaking off a part of the tree whilst on it. Therefore trees are muktza including even to lean one's full weight on it or even to place your jacket on it.

2) Using an animal:

The Rabbi's were concerned riding an animal could lead to this melacha as one might need a stick to prod the animal and may rip it off a tree.

3) Smelling a fruit on a tree:

Lest one come to pick it off the tree

4) Fruits that fell from a tree on Shabbos:

Are muktza.

Sowing is the initiation or promotion of plant growth, whether accomplished by sowing, planting, watering or any other means.

1) Placing a seed on mud?

2) Planting a seed on a well used path?

3) Throwing remains of your apple core in the garden?

4) Washing hands over grass when having a picnic?

5) So how can you take off a sukkah roof when it's water logged and will get into the grass?

6) Covering a plant with a blanket to protect it from say the sunlight or cold

7) Plants, what's there status on Shabbos?

8) Flowers, what's there status on shabbos?

1) Placing a seed in mud is a problem as growth is possible.

2) Planting a seed on a well used path isn't a problem of sowing as the constant trampling will prevent the seeds from sprouting. Similarly fine to plant a seed in a dessert.

3) Must be careful of discarding fruits and vegetables outdoors as they could germinate in the ground.

4) Can't get water on grass as it promotes the growth. Just be careful not saying you can't drink outdoors.

5) It could be OK to take sukkah roof off even when you know the water will get onto the grass when either:

The grass is already water saturated so not adding anything.

Or if you open it over pavement even if it will then roll onto the grass.

A way out of this is to put a plastic tarp out before yom tov and that way when you lift the roof it will spill onto the tarp.

6) Can't cover a plant with a blanket as it's promoting its growth.

7) Indoor plants are looked same way as outdoor ones so we don't water indoor plants, nor do we proposely improve the light, air or temperature.

We can't put it on grass or even suspend it over grass as it as it's possible that in hakachik terms this assists in drawing extra nutrients from the soil.

8) Once a plant is detached it's no longer living so it's not muktza like a plant is. But we don't put into water if not done before shabbos.

Questions to look at:

1) Why would plowing be a problem?

2) What does plowing have to do with us anyway??

3) Dragging a chair on mud, is that ok?

4) Digging in a sandbox, is that ok?

5) Can I remove rocks and twigs from a lawn?

6) Can I weeding?

7) Can I fertilise soil?

8) Can I place a bean in a jar of water?

9) Can I walk on soft soil and make a foot print?

10) Can I push a baby carriage on soil?

Now we begin going through the 39 types of work they did in the mishkan, which was like the temporary temple whilst they travelled through the desert.

In the mishkan they had the miraculous "lechem hapanim", which stayed fresh for an entire week!

The 1st 11 melachas will go through the steps of producing the bread, the 1st of which is plowing.

The basic premise of plowing is the preparation of soil for the purpose of making it more suitable for seeding or planting. Plowing loosens the soil, so any activity which loosens soil is included even if planting wasn't his intention. 

So many ways we are involved in this even when we are not gardeners as we shall see.

Remember the tiniest hole is sufficient to accommodate a very small seed.

So going back to each question:

3) Not ok to drag a chair on earth as the chair legs scrape and loosen the soil whilst it's being dragged.

4) Digging in a sandbox is ok as it's too loose to form a hole. However if it was wet then could be an issue. (Reason sandbox not muktza is its automatically set aside for play.)

5) Removing rocks and the like not ok as it's making the land surface more cultivable.

6) Weeding not ok as it improves the soil potential.

7) Fertilising soil not ok as it enriches the soil so improving it for seeding or planting.

8) Placing a bean in a jar of water to sprout not ok.

9) Walking on soft soil is ok even if will cause a footprint because the walking only compresses the soil beneath the foot.

Loosening the soil is the problem, not compressing it. Compacting soil doesn't improve it for planting.

10) Pushing baby carriage on soil is also ok even if get a wheel mark as again it merely compresses it.