Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 316:32-317:1

Sugya Map

• The Issue: The parameters of Melachat Tochein (Grinding) regarding soft vegetables and the intersection of Borer (Sorting) in the context of food preparation on Shabbat.
• The Nexus: Does the prohibition of Tochein apply to items that are not "grown from the earth" in the traditional sense, or items that lack the requisite tichun (grinding process) for their standard culinary use?
• Nafka Minot:
  • Mashing cooked vs. raw vegetables (Tochein vs. Koseis).
  • The "immediate use" (l’altar) clause—does it mitigate Tochein as it does Borer?
  • The definition of Tochein as a process of refinement versus a mere change in geometry.
• Primary Sources: Shabbat 74a, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 321, Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 316:32-317:1.

Text Snapshot

The Arukh HaShulchan (R. Yechiel Michel Epstein) pivots from the mechanics of Borer to the threshold of Tochein.

"וכל זה בבורר... אבל לענין טחינה, אין דרך טחינה אלא בדבר שגדיל מן הארץ... ויש להסתפק אם שייך טחינה במבושלים" Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 316:32.

• Leshon Nuance: Note the shift from the Mishnah's objective definition of Tochein to the Arukh HaShulchan’s focus on Derech Techina (the standard way of grinding). The dikduk here—the use of "ויש להסתפק" (and there is room to doubt)—signals a departure from the more rigid, exclusionary definitions found in the Magen Avraham regarding the necessity of a "growth" component.

Readings

1. The Rambam: The Categorical Imperative

The Rambam Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Shabbat 8:15 articulates the av melacha of Tochein with uncompromising focus: "הטוחן כל שהוא חייב." He does not distinguish between raw and cooked, nor does he dwell on the derech of the individual, but rather on the ma'aseh (the act). For the Rambam, Tochein is a transformative act of tikkun (preparation). If the act results in a finer state of a material originating from the earth, the melacha is complete. The Arukh HaShulchan leverages this to suggest that the issur is rooted in the toledah of the Mishkan—specifically the grinding of the sammanim (dyes)—where the state of the matter is the primary focus, not the culinary intent.

2. The Chazon Ish: The Materiality of "Derech"

Conversely, the Chazon Ish Orach Chaim 57 introduces a more granular, phenomenological approach. He argues that Tochein is restricted to substances where grinding is a derech (a normative process). If one mashes a banana or a cooked potato, the Chazon Ish argues this does not constitute Tochein because the "grinding" here is not an act of refinement for long-term storage, but an act of immediate consumption preparation (derech achila). The Arukh HaShulchan anticipates this by questioning whether Tochein is conceptually tethered to the Tikkun Kli (fixing of a vessel/material) or simply the physical act of particle reduction. His conclusion—that we treat the act with caution—suggests he views the issur as having a shifting boundary depending on whether the substance has already undergone a tikkun (i.e., cooking).

Friction

The Kushya: The "Immediate Use" Paradox

If Borer is permitted l’altar (for immediate use) because it is considered derech achila rather than derech borer Shabbat 74a, why should Tochein not enjoy the same dispensation? If I mash a banana to feed an infant l’altar, I am merely preparing food, not performing a constructive act of manufacturing. The Magen Avraham OC 321:10 is notoriously strict here, yet the Arukh HaShulchan remains ambivalent.

The Terutz: Distinguishing the "Act" from the "Result"

The terutz lies in the nature of the melacha. Borer is an act of separation—it inherently presupposes a mix that needs to be "fixed" into a usable state. Tochein, however, is an act of creation (changing the state of the material). When you grind, you are creating a new entity (flour/mash) out of a raw entity (grain/vegetable). L’altar does not undo the creation of a new state. Therefore, while Borer (which is about the choice of what to eat) can be mitigated by the timing of the meal, Tochein (which is about the transformation of the matter) remains a melacha regardless of when the product is consumed. The Arukh HaShulchan hints that the leniency in Borer is a specific chiddush of the Chazal regarding the Hachana (preparation) of food, which does not necessarily extend to the Melachot that define the Mishkan.

Intertext

• Shulchan Aruch 321:10: The Rama notes: "ויש אומרים דאין טחינה אלא בדבר שגדיל מן הארץ... ודוקא שדרך לטחנו." This serves as the primary source for the Arukh HaShulchan's hesitation. The restriction to gadal min ha'aretz is not merely taxonomic; it is teleological.
• Responsa Chatam Sofer, Orach Chaim 73: The Chatam Sofer discusses the nuance of shachikah (rubbing) versus tichinah (grinding). He posits that if the final state is not a "powder" or a "fine paste" that one would typically store, the issur is weakened. This aligns with the Arukh HaShulchan's emphasis on derech techina.

Psak/Practice

In practice, the Arukh HaShulchan serves as a "safety buffer." While he acknowledges the logic of those who would permit mashing soft, cooked foods, he concludes with the minhag of the chachamim to avoid such actions unless absolutely necessary for a child or the infirm. The meta-psak heuristic here is: When a melacha is defined by a process (derech), and that derech is ambiguous in the modern context (e.g., modern food processors vs. manual mashing), one must default to the strict construction of the Rambam rather than the lenient derech achila arguments.

Takeaway

Tochein is a melacha of state-change, not merely a utility of food preparation; the Arukh HaShulchan teaches us that while the definition of grinding has evolved, the stringency of the prohibition remains anchored in the physical transformation of the gadal min ha'aretz.