Shabbat 125 – Prohibited and permitted

Stones are normally not prepared for Shabbat use and are therefore considered to be set aside from use, or muktzeh. However, if this is stone is inside a gourd – which is needed to help the gourd sink and draw water – then if the stone is attached so securely that it will not fall out, it is considered to be part of the gourd, and the whole contraption is permitted to draw water with. Similarly, if a vine is tied to pitcher, it is considered part of the pitcher, and one can draw water with it.

A window shutter is also a utensil, but in some ways it is a part of the building. Therefore, it can be used only if it is attached to the building by a rope, and only if the rope is so short that it hangs on it while not in use and does not reach the ground – these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. However, the Sages say that even without these two conditions one can use the shutter on Shabbat. What is the reason for the disagreement? Rabbi Eliezer maintains that unless the shutter is attached by a short rope, putting it in the window constitutes building. However, the Sages answer that this is a temporary situation, and is therefore not considered building at all.

Art: Claude Oscar Monet - Camille Monet At The Window Argentuile