I The Melakha of Selecting (borer)
II The Melakha of Selecting with a utensil (meraked)
III Using a strainer
IV Halakha l'Maase I - Tea Bags
V Halakha l'Maase II - French Press
I The Melakha of Selecting (borer)
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הָיוּ לְפָנָיו מִינֵי אוֹכָלִין — בּוֹרֵר וְאוֹכֵל, בּוֹרֵר וּמַנִּיחַ. וְלֹא יִבְרוֹר, וְאִם בֵּירַר — חַיָּיב חַטָּאת.
The Sages taught - If there were several types of food before him, and he wants to remove one or more from the mixture, one selects and eats, selects and puts aside (for others to eat).
But one may not select, and if one did select, he is liable to bring a sin-offering.
תוספות ד"ה בורר ואוכל אוכל מתוך פסולת
משמע דאוכל מתוך פסולת אין דרך ברירה בכך
Tosafot 74a, d. h. borer ve'ochel ochel mitoch pesolet
Ochel from Pesolet is not the way of Selecting.
Shabbat 74aתנו רבנן: היו לפניו מיני אוכלין — בורר ואוכל, בורר ומניח. ולא יברור, ואם בירר — חייב חטאת.Statements in the contest of selecting (בורר) - what do they say and are they contradictory?
What do the three amoraim state:
- Rav Yosef
Many Rishonim (Rabbeinu Hananel, Rambam, Ramban and others) agree that it is permitted to select only when three conditions are met.
One must select by hand and not with an implementOne must remove food from wasteOne must select in order to eat the food immediately
II The Melakha of Selecting with a utensil (meraked)
מַתְנִי׳ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: תּוֹלִין אֶת הַמְשַׁמֶּרֶת בְּיוֹם טוֹב, וְנוֹתְנִין לַתְּלוּיָה בַּשַּׁבָּת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין תּוֹלִין אֶת הַמְשַׁמֶּרֶת בְּיוֹם טוֹב, וְאֵין נוֹתְנִין לַתְּלוּיָה בַּשַּׁבָּת, אֲבָל נוֹתְנִין לַתְּלוּיָה בְּיוֹם טוֹב.
MISHNA: Rabbi Eliezer says: One may suspend and stretch over a base the strainer through which sediment is filtered from wine, on a Festival. And one may place wine through a strainer that was already suspended the day before; however, one may not suspend the strainer on Shabbat.
And the Rabbis say: One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival, and one may not place wine for filtering through a suspended strainer on Shabbat; however, one may place wine through a suspended strainer on a Festival.
רבי זירא אמר: משום מרקד.(...)
אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא, כְּווֹתִי דִּידִי מִסְתַּבְּרָא: מָה דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל מְרַקֵּד — פְּסוֹלֶת מִלְּמַעְלָה וְאוֹכֶל מִלְּמַטָּה, אַף הָכָא נָמֵי: פְּסוֹלֶת מִלְּמַעְלָה וְאוֹכֶל מִלְּמַטָּה.
Rabbi Zeira said: It is for the category of sifting, as straining is similar to sifting flour in a sifter, which is a form of selecting.
Rabbi Zeira said: According to my opinion, that this is not typical selection but rather a specific type of selection, it is reasonable, as what is the manner of sifting? The refuse remains atop the sifter and the food is below. Here too, when straining wine, the refuse remains atop the strainer and the food is below.
Comment:
Meraked is one of the 39 Melakhot forbidden on Shabbat
Where do we find this Melakha in the Mishkan?
What is the difference to the Melalkha of Borer? Find suggestions.
גְּמָ׳ אָמַר זְעֵירִי: נוֹתֵן אָדָם יַיִן צָלוּל וּמַיִם צְלוּלִין לְתוֹךְ הַמְשַׁמֶּרֶת בְּשַׁבָּת וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ, אֲבָל עֲכוּרִין — לָא.
GEMARA: Ze’iri said: A person may place clear wine and clear water into a strainer on Shabbat, and he need not be concerned over the prohibition of selecting, as the wine is drinkable even without this filtering. However, doing so with murky liquids, no, one may not strain them.
מַתְנִי׳ נוֹתְנִין מַיִם עַל גַּבֵּי הַשְּׁמָרִים בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּצּוֹלּוּ. וּמְסַנְּנִין אֶת הַיַּיִן בְּסוּדָרִין וּבִכְפִיפָה מִצְרִית.
MISHNA: One may pour water over sediment that is in a strainer on Shabbat so that it will become clear and clean. And similarly, one may filter wine through cloths and through an Egyptian basket made from palm leaves. Since these liquids are drinkable even without filtering, doing so does not violate the prohibition of selecting.
דְּבֵי רַב פָּפָּא שָׁאפוּ שִׁיכְרָא מִמָּנָא לְמָנָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא מִדִּיפְתִּי לְרָבִינָא: הָאִיכָּא נִיצוֹצוֹת! נִיצוֹצוֹת לְבֵי רַב פָּפָּא לָא חֲשִׁיבִי.
The Gemara relates: The members of Rav Pappa’s household would carefully pour beer from one vessel to another so that the dregs from one vessel would not pass to the other. Rav Aḥa from Difti said to Ravina: But there are the final drops, which remain when one pours the beer into another vessel. When pouring the final drops from the dregs left in the vessel, one is in violation of the prohibition of selecting. ... They would not attempt to separate them, as the last drops were not significant to the household of Rav Pappa, because beer was always readily available in his house.
(א)הבורר אוכל מתוך פסולת ... ובירר מין ממין אחר בנפה ובכברה חייב ... ואם ביררם בידו כדי לאכול לאלתר מותר:
(1) One who selects food from waste ... with the aid of a sifter or strainer he is chayav (liable) ... but if he sorts it with his hand in order to eat it immediately it is permitted.
מותר לערות בנחת מכלי לחבירו ובלבד שיזהר שכשיפסק הקילוח ומתחילין לירד נצוצות קטנות הנישופות באחרונה מתוך הפסולת יפסיק ויניחם עם השמרים שאם לא יעשה כן הניצוצות מוכחי שהוא בורר (מותר להגביה החבית על איזה דבר כדי שיקלח ממנו היין היטב) (רוקח ה' י"ט וב"י):
It is permitted to pour slowly from one Keili to another as long as one ceases pouring when he notices that it stops flowing and begins to trickle from within the waste. If one does not cease, the trickling will be a noticeable act of separating. (It is permitted to raise the Kli onto something to enable the wine to flow more freely (Rokeach, Bet Yosef).
Comment:
III Using a strainer
משנה תורה, הלכות שבת ח׳
המשמר יין או שמן או מים וכן שאר המשקין במשמרת שלהן חיב. והוא שישמר כגרוגרת. אבל מסננין יין שאין בו שמרים או מים צלולין בסודרין ובכפיפה מצרית כדי שיהא צלול ביותר.
Mishneh Tora, Hilkot Shabbat 8:14
A person who filters the dregs from wine, oil, water, or other liquids, using a utensil appropriate for this purpose is liable, provided he removes the dregs from an amount of liquid equivalent to the size of a dried fig. One may, however, filter wine that has no dregs, or clear water, with a handkerchief or with an Egyptian basket so they will become crystal clear.
בית יוסף אורח חיים שי״ט:י״א
והגמ' סמך רבינו לומר שנראה מדבריו דלא ס"ל כהרמב"ם מדלא פירש דמשמרת דזעירי ודרשב"ג לאו משמרת ממש היא אלא נתינה בסודרין וכפיפה דוקא:
Beit Yosef OH 319:11
explains that the Rambam's understanding of Zeiri is that the strainer Zeiri mentions is in actual fact the sudar of the Mishna.
It is not that Zeiri allows for a usual strainer.
ר"ן על שבת נ״ז ב
כפיפה. סל דכל כה"ג הוי שינוי כיון שאינו מסננן במשמרת ומיירי ביין עכור ומיהו משתתי הכי דאי ביין צלול אפילו במשמרת שרי כדאיתא בגמרא ואי ביין עכור דלא משתתי הכי אפילו בסודרין ובכפיפה מצרית אסור דמכל מקום בורר הוי אלא כדאמרן: ...
גמ' נותן אדם יין צלול ומים צלולין לתוך המשמרת. דכיון דצלולין הם ורובייהו דאינשי לא קפדי בהו מותר לתת אותן אפילו לתוך המשמרת כדי שיהו צלולין יותר:
Ran on Shabbat 57b
[Using] the cloths and the Egyptian baskets... and everything of this ilk is an alteration, since one is not straining with a strainer. The cloudy wine discussed here is still drinkable; if it were clear wine, even using a strainer would be permissible, as is stated in the Gemara; and if it is cloudy wine which is undrinkable, even [using] cloths or an Egyptian basket would be forbidden, because it would be borer regardless.
(...)
If a majority of people would drink the water or the wine as is, the liquid is considered clear and it is permissible to filter it with a strainer, even if there are some debris inside.
טור אורח חיים שי״ט
ליתן בה שמרים לסננו משום בורר אבל אם נתן בה שמרים מע"ש יכול ליתן עליהם מים כדי שיחזרו צלולין ויין או מים שהן צלולין יכול לסננן במשמרת ואין כאן משום בוררכיון שהן צלולין אבל עכורין לא
Tur OH 319
The Tur agrees filtering when it comes to clear water, permitting even the use of a strainer, but he agrees with the Rambam when it comes to somewhat cloudy water, and he forbids using even a cloth.
שולחן ערוך, אורח חיים שי״ט:י
יין או מים שהם צלולים מותר לסננן במשמרת.
הגה ואע"פ שיש בו קסמים דקין הואיל וראוין לשתות בלאו הכי (סמ"ג)
ולהרמב"ם במשמרת אסור ואפי' מים ויין צלולים ואפי' בסודרים לא התירו אלא בצלולין אבל לא בעכורים
Shulchan Aruch OH 319:10
Clear wine or water may be filtered through a strainer...
(Rema: even if there are thin slivers of wood because it is drinkable as it is)
And according to the Rambam, filtering with a strainer is forbidden — even for clear water or wine. Even [using] cloths is permitted only with clear liquids, but not with cloudy ones.
במשנ"ב סימן שי"ט סעיף ט"ז ס"ק ס"א (בשם האחרונים)
בירך על כוס מים בשבת וראה בו זבוב וכדו', כיצד יעשה?
ישפוך מעט משקה עם הזבוב ואין איסור 'בורר' בכך ,ולכתחילה צריך לעשות זאת קודם שיברך, אולם גם אם עושה זאת לאחר הברכה אין זה הפסק...
Mishnah Berurah 319:19:1 (in the name of the Acharonim)
Someone blessed a glass of water on Shabbat and saw a fly 🪰 in it how would he remove it?
One will pour a little drink with the fly, and there is no prohibition of "borer" by doing so.
Initially this should be done before he blesses, but even if he does it after the blessing, this is not considered a Hefsek (interruption).
משנה ברורה שי״ט (נה)
שהוא בורר - ומיירי שרוצה לשתות לאחר זמן דאם בדעתו לשתותו לאלתר הלא קי"ל דאוכל מתוך פסולת כשבוררם שלא ע"י כלי מותר אם בדעתו לאכול מיד וכאן אף שמערה מכלי לכלי מ"מ עיקר הברירה נעשה על ידי ידיו ואם נתן קיסמין בפי הכלי שמערה בתוכו כדי שיסתנן היטב בזה אפילו לאלתר אסור אם אינו מפסיק כשמתחילין הניצוצות לירד משם דחשיב כבורר ע"י כלי
Mishnah Berurah 319:55
This is referring to one who wishes to drink later, as, if the intent is to drink it immediately, the halakha is that selecting food from waste not with a utensil is permitted when the intent is to eat immediately.
Here, although one is pouring from one vessel to another, the essential selecting is performed by hand.
If one placed slivers at the mouth of the vessel into which it is being poured so that it would filter well, this is prohibited even for immediate use, unless the person stops when the drops begin to fall, as this is considered selecting with a vessel.
כף החיים על שולחן ערוך אורח חיים
שי״ט:קי״ג
כלי הנקרא ליבריק שעושין בו משקה מעשב הנקרא ט"י ויש לכלי זה שני פיות אחד רחב והשני פיו קצר וסתום ויש בסתימתו נקבים דקין כדי שיעבור מי הט"י דרך אותו הפה ולא יעברו העשבים של הט"י אלא נשארין תוך הכלי ומי הט"י עובר דרך נקבי הפה הנז' צלול בלתי שום עשב, נ"ל דבשבת אסור לשפוך מי הט"י דרך פי הקצר המנוקב הנז' דהו"ל מסנן מי הט"י דרך פה הנז' וכיון שלכך נעשה הפה הקצר הנז' כדי שיסונן מי הט"י בו הרי הוא כבורר ע"י כלי דאסור אפי' לשתותו מיד ולכן יש ליזהר ולשפוך מי הט"י בשבת דרך פיו השני הגדול' ויכול לערות ממנו בנחת לכלי כדי שישארו עשבי הט"י בהליבריקו, בי"מ או' מ"ח, ומ"מ צריך ליזהר נמי שלא ישפוך כל מי הט"י אלא ישאיר מעט עם העשיבים כדי שלא יהא בורר וכנז' בש"ע סעי' זה. וה"ה בכל דבר שמערה מכלי אל כלי ונשאר שם שמרים או פסולות צריך להשאיר מעט משקה עם הפסולות או עם השמרים כדי שלא יהא בורר והיינו אם אין שותהו לאלתר (...):
Kaf HaChayim 319:113
There is a vessel... in which one prepares a drink called tea from a plant, and this vessel has two openings. One is wide, while the other mouth is narrow and covered, but the covering has small holes so that the liquid can pass through that opening but the tea leaves cannot, and they remain in the vessel.
The liquid passes through these holes in the opening clear, without any leaves.
It appears to me that it is prohibited on Shabbat to pour the liquid through that small, perforated covering, as it is considered filtering the liquid through that opening.
Since that small opening is designated specifically to filter liquid, this is tantamount to selecting by means of a utensil, which is prohibited even for immediate drinking.
Comment: Kaf HaChayim
This is a multi-volume digest and commentary on Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah sections of the Shulchan Aruch, especially relied upon by Sephardic Jews, written by Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer (Bagdad 1870-1939 Jerusalem)
משנה ברורה שי״ט
(מב) לא בעכורים - היינו אף בעכורים קצת דאלו בעכורים לגמרי הלא אף לדעה הראשונה אסור וכנ"ל ובזה טוב לחוש לדברי הרמב"ם:
Mishnah Berurah 319:42
One may be lenient when it comes to filtering clear water with a strainer, but "not with cloudy (liquids) — that is, even a bit cloudy" ... "in this matter, it is appropriate to be concerned about the words of the Rambam."
Chazon Ish (53, d.h. מין האמור)However, it is possible that despite the fact that inside near the spout of the vessel there is a netting of sorts that prevents the leaves from pouring out with the liquid, since there is no actual use of a sifter here, one could say taht this is merely a case of Selecting by hand, which is permitted when removing food from waste for immediate consumption.
Shemirat Shabbat KeHilkhata I, 3:58 (regarding the use of tea bags and tea strainers)Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach holds that (…) the water which comes out is the same water which has just been poured in, and it was separate and drinkable even before the whole process took place.
A vessel specifically designated for selecting for immediate use is not included in the prohibition of Selecting with a utensil.
Comment:
IV Halakha l'Maase I
Tea Bags
שולחן ערוך, אורח חיים שי״ט:ט
משמרת אפילו תלויה מע"ש אסור ליתן בה שמרים אבל אם נתן בה שמרים מע"ש מותר ליתן עליהם מים כדי שיחזרו צלולים לזוב:
Shulchan Aruch OH 319:9
A filter, even if it was suspended before Shabbat, it is prohibited to place sediment insider - however, if one placed the sediment in it before Shabbat, it is permitted to pour water on it so as to flow through it and return to its clear state.
משנה ברורה שי״ט:לג
(לג) צלולים - והטעם שאין בנתינת מים משום בורר שהמים שהוא נותן צלולים הם ואין בהם דבר שצריך לברר מהם. מותר ליתן בשבת מים ע"ג שמרים ... :
Shulchan Aruch OH 319:33
The reason that pouring the water is not considered Selecting is because the water that one pours is clear, and there is nothing to be selected from it.
Shemirat Shabbat KeHilkhata 3, 171 (cit. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach)
It is appropriate to be stringent and refrain from removing the bag and holding it in one's hand so that the water will seep from it, as although the water was initially clear... in any case this is different, as the holding of the bag so the water will seep from it is more serious, as the water and leaves are already mixed, and by removing the bag and holding it in one's hand it is tantamount to filtering murky, not clear water... However, if the person merely removes the tea bag from the water and does not intend for liquid to come out, it is possible that althoug it is an inevitable consequence that a frew drops will fall from the bag, nevertheless, since they drop out with ease, and the person is merely lifting and holding the tea bag, and the filtering happens on its own, this is not considered Selecting.
Comment:
V Halakha l'Maase II
French Press
Shulchan Aruch OH 319:1 permits sorting only if three conditions are met: the food is taken from the waste, it is done for immediate use, the sorting is done by hand.Since the filter helps to sort the grounds from the liquid coffee, pushing the filter down is an act of בורר which is prohibitedOne may be lenient as long as one is not crushing the ground coffee to the bottom of the vessel with the strainer thereby ensuring that a significant amount of liquid remains mixed with the coffee grounds. This suggestion is based on a comment of the Taz OH 319:13 who allows removing a fly from a liquid provided that some of the liquid is removed together with the fly. We could this method understand from the Taz, that, since one may remove waste from food (here grounds from the liquid) if one removes some the the food itself along with the waste (which would be accomplished by leaving some liquid with the grounds at the beneath the strainer.
The Chazon Ish 53 suggests that when a fly falls into a cup of wine this is not considered a „mixture“. Only the wine surrounding the fly is sonsidered mixed with the fly. By removing the fly with some of the wine, one is removing the entire mixture and avoids the sorting. According to this view we still might have a problem with the Frenchpress since when one does not push the strainer all the way down he is still in violation of בורר, as he is purifying a portion of the coffee.
Mishnah Berurah 319:61 and Biur Halachah d.h. הבורר seem to understand the Taz to be saying that anytime some food is removed together with the waste, there is no problem of בורר because it is simply not the way the melacha is typically done.Since even if the pressing of the strainer is not an act of בורר, pouring the coffee out would seem to be a concern of בורר, since only the liquid will make it through the strainer as you pour, leaving all of the coffee grounds behind. This problem can be avoided by pouring only some, but not all, of the coffee out of the French press
Chazon Ish 53 (end) allows pouring tea through a spout with a mesh filter when there are tea leaves in the kettle, however the Ben Ish Chai (Beshalach 18) disagrees and considers such a mesh to be a specialized sorting instrument.
The Mishnah Berurah (Hilchot Pesach (504:20)) rules that one may remove pieces of matzah from matzah meal, provided that he removes some of the crushed matzah meal together with the pieces of matzah. It seems that the Mishnah Berurah rules that even though the matzah meal is being separated from the undesired pieces of matzah there is no concern of בורר.
How could we see the use of a Frenchpress in light of this opinion? Does using a French press fall under the melacha of בורר or not, and if not under what conditions?
סחיטה - squeezing liquids out of solids.
Rav Asher Weiss maintains that סחיטה is only relevant when a liquid is absorbed or contained in a solid.
Is the liquid "coffee" absorbed in the grounds?
Is there a concern that people are not able to distinguish between pouring some and pouring all of the coffee?
What is the general opinion concerning filters?
In a vessel that is made for immediate use, such as a tea infuser or Frenchpress, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach allows its use, since it isn’t considered a vessel intended for filtration. Describe the difference of a tea strainer and a spoon or ordinary sifter.
The Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 3:25 advises not press the strainer with power, but to leave the Frenchpress stand until the coffee has settled by itself.
With all this in mind what are the opinions concerning the use of a Frenchpress? If you were asked how could you answer? What are the concerns? Is there room for leniency? If you would rule lenient on whose opinion would you rely and how would you advise for practical use?