Arukh HaShulchan Yomi · Expert – Beit Midrash Analysis · Standard
Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:19-27
Sugya Map
The definition of the melacha of Koshair (tying) and its counterpart Matir (untying) on Shabbat hinges upon a multi-tiered taxonomy of knots. The primary Talmudic sources in Shabbat 74b and Shabbat 111b delineate the boundaries of this melacha, yet the transition from these raw Gemaric categories to practical Halakha generates profound conceptual and practical friction.
- The Core Issue: What defines a knot as biblically prohibited (de'oraita), rabbinically prohibited (derabanan), or entirely permissible (mutar lechatchila)? The taxonomy operates along two distinct axes: the structural complexity of the knot (professional craftsmanship, or kesher uman, versus amateur execution, or kesher hedyot) and its temporal durability (permanence, or kesher shel kayama, versus temporary utility).
- The Nafka Minot (Practical Ramifications):
- The status of a double knot (kesher kaphul or kesher al gabi kesher) on garments or shoes meant to be undone within twenty-four hours.
- The halakhic status of a slipknot/loop (aniva) tied over a single knot—the ubiquitous method of tying modern shoelaces.
- The legal status of a knot that was intended to be temporary but was inadvertently left tied indefinitely (nitkayem me'elav).
- Primary Source Trajectory: The sugya begins with Mishnah Shabbat 15:1 defining the permissible and prohibited knots of camel-drivers and sailors, progresses to the Amoraic disputes in Shabbat 111b and Shabbat 112a, crystallizes in the codification of Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 10:1 and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 317:1, and culminates in the highly analytical, pragmatic synthesis of the Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:19-27.
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Text Snapshot
To appreciate the linguistic and conceptual precision of the Arukh HaShulchan, we must examine his formulation in Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:21 regarding the mechanics of aniva (looping) and its interaction with standard knots:
"...ועניבה על גבי קשר מותר לכתחילה, דעניבה לאו קשר היא כלל, ואפילו עשוי לקיימא מותר... ומזה נתפשט המנהג בכל העולם לקשור המנעלים בקשר ואחריו עניבה, ואף על פי שמשהים אותם כמה ימים—אין בכך כלום, כיון שמתחילה לא נעשה לקיימא, דבכל יום או יומיים רגיל להתירם..."
Grammatical and Conceptual Nuances
- "לאו קשר היא כלל" (It is not a knot at all): The Arukh HaShulchan employs this absolute exclusion to define the cheftza (physical object) of an aniva. A slipknot is not merely an inferior knot; it lacks the ontological status of a kesher entirely. This structural definition operates independently of the gavra's (user's) intent.
- "כיון שמתחילה לא נעשה לקיימא" (Since initially it was not made for permanence): Here, the Arukh HaShulchan shifts from the structural definition to the temporal/intentional definition. The lack of kayamut (permanence) is determined ab initio (מתחילה). Even if the knot physically endures for days due to neglect ("שמשהים אותם כמה ימים"), its subjective teleology prevents it from retroactively transforming into a biblical or rabbinic violation.
Readings
The conceptualization of Koshair in the Arukh HaShulchan requires a rigorous unpacking of the classic dispute between Rashi and the Rambam, as well as the later analytical frameworks of the Acharonim.
The Axis of Analysis: Structural vs. Temporal
The foundational debate among the Rishonim centers on whether the categories of uman (professional) and kayama (permanent) are cumulative or independent criteria for biblical liability.
[KNOT CLASSIFICATION MATRIX]
Permanent (Kayama) Temporary (Eino Kayama)
+-----------------------+-------------------------+
| | |
Professional | BIBLICAL (De'oraita) | RABBINIC (Derabanan) |
(Uman) | | |
+-----------------------+-------------------------+
| | |
Amateur | RABBINIC (Derabanan) | PERMITTED (Mutar) |
(Hedyot) | (Rambam) | |
| OR BIBLICAL (Rashi) | |
+-----------------------+-------------------------+
1. Rashi’s Subjective-Temporal Model
Rashi in Shabbat 111b (s.v. kesher shel kayama) holds that the primary determinant of biblical liability is kayamut—the temporal permanence of the knot.
- The Chiddush: If an amateur ties a knot that is intended to remain indefinitely, he has violated a biblical prohibition. According to Rashi, the distinction between a professional knot (kesher uman) and an amateur knot (kesher hedyot) does not dictate the boundary between de'oraita and derabanan in cases of absolute permanence. Rather, any permanent knot is de'oraita.
- The Mechanics: The gavra’s intent to leave the knot in place indefinitely elevates even the simplest structural tie to the level of a melacha. The physical form of the knot is secondary to its functional integration into the user's life.
2. Rambam’s Objective-Structural Model
In contrast, the Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 10:1 establishes a rigid, two-factor matrix. Biblical liability (chayav chatat) is reserved exclusively for a knot that is both professional in its structural execution (kesher uman) and intended for permanence (kesher shel kayama).
- The Chiddush: A permanent amateur knot (kesher hedyot shel kayama), or a temporary professional knot (kesher uman she'eino shel kayama), is only rabbinically prohibited (assur mi'derabanan). Complete permissibility (mutar lechatchila) is granted only to an amateur knot that is temporary (kesher hedyot she'eino shel kayama).
- The Mechanics: The Rambam requires an objective, structural dimension of craftsmanship (umanut) for any act of tying to rise to the level of a biblical melacha. Without this physical sophistication, the act lacks the requisite shiur of creative labor (melechet machashevet) required by the Torah.
3. The Levush and the Shulchan Aruch’s Ambiguity
The Shulchan Aruch in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 317:1 attempts to balance these views, but the Rama introduces a sweeping stringency based on the Levush:
- The Rama's Stringency: We are no longer expert in distinguishing between professional and amateur knots (ein anu beki'in bein kesher uman le'hedyot). Consequently, any permanent knot must be treated as a potential biblical violation, and any temporary knot of double-knot structure must be treated as rabbinically forbidden if left for any significant duration.
- The Ran's Temporal Threshold: The Ran in Sukkah 13a (and cited extensively in the commentators on Shabbat) defines "temporary" (she'eino shel kayama) as a knot meant to be undone within seven days. However, others, such as the Levush, suggest that any knot meant to remain for more than twenty-four hours already borders on shel kayama.
4. The Arukh HaShulchan’s Conceptual Synthesis
In Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:19-20, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein introduces a brilliant, pragmatic synthesis that redefines the parameters of kayamut.
- The Chiddush: The Arukh HaShulchan argues that the definition of kayama is not merely a chronological countdown (e.g., twenty-four hours versus seven days), but is fundamentally teleological and contextual.
- The Mechanics: If an object’s inherent utility requires it to be repeatedly tied and untied (such as shoes, aprons, or hoods), the knot tied upon it is by definition temporary, even if the user occasionally forgets to untie it for several days. The physical nature of the vessel or garment dictates the halakhic status of the knot, overriding occasional, subjective deviations of the gavra.
- The Redefinition of "Ein Anu Beki'in": The Arukh HaShulchan limits the Rama's stringency regarding our "lack of expertise." He asserts that this ignorance only applies to borderline knots of ambiguous structure. However, regarding a standard double knot (kesher al gabi kesher) on a garment meant for daily use, we are absolutely certain that this does not constitute an uman knot, and it is therefore permissible to tie and untie it if intended for daily dissolution.
Friction
The Kushya: The Double-Knot Paradox
The most formidable analytical friction in the laws of Koshair emerges from the collision between the Rama's assertion of our ignorance (ein anu beki'in) and the ubiquitous practice of tying standard double knots on garments and shoes.
The Rama in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 317:5 writes:
"וכל קשר שאינו של קיימא... אם הוא קשר של אומן—אסור לעשותו לכתחילה... ויש אומרים דאין אנו בקיאין איזהו קשר אומן ואיזהו קשר הדיוט, ולכן כל קשר שהוא שני קשרים זה על גב זה... אסור לקשרו בשבת..."
If we are indeed lo beki'in (not expert), then any double knot (kesher al gabi kesher) must be treated as a potential kesher uman. Under the Rambam’s system, a kesher uman that is temporary is still rabbinically prohibited (assur mi'derabanan). Since a standard double knot on a shoe is structurally a double knot, how can we permit tying it on Shabbat even if we plan to untie it that very evening?
This creates a severe conceptual paradox:
- If the double knot is structurally identical to an uman knot (due to our lo beki'in status), it should be rabbinically forbidden even for a duration of one hour.
- If it is not an uman knot, why does the Rama forbid tying a double knot on a sack or vessel that is meant to be opened within a few days?
Terutz A: The Temporal-Intentional Dissolution (The Taz / Magen Avraham Model)
The Magen Avraham and the Taz resolve this by dividing the temporal spectrum into three distinct zones:
- Zone 1: Under 24 Hours. Within this window, the temporal element is so utterly transient that the category of Koshair cannot conceptually attach to the act, regardless of the knot's physical structure. Even if the knot is structurally a kesher uman, tying it for less than twenty-four hours does not constitute the shem melacha (halakhic designation) of tying.
- Zone 2: Between 24 Hours and 7 Days. Here, the lo beki'in status of the double knot becomes active. Because it might be a kesher uman, and because it remains tied for more than a day, it enters the domain of rabbinic prohibition.
- Zone 3: Beyond 7 Days. This is classified as kesher shel kayama according to many authorities, rendering even an amateur double knot rabbinically or biblically forbidden.
Terutz B: The Arukh HaShulchan’s Structural-Functional Breakthrough
The Arukh HaShulchan Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:21-22 rejects the artificial chronological segmentation of the Magen Avraham and offers a deeper, more elegant conceptualization based on the Levush.
He distinguishes between two types of double knots based on their functional context:
- The Concept of "Kesher Kefula" in Context: A double knot tied on a shoe or a garment is fundamentally different from a double knot tied on a rope or a sack. On a shoe, the double knot is not a self-contained, permanent physical entity. It is part of the gavra’s daily dress cycle.
- The Lomdische Distinction:
- In a functional garment knot, the physical structure of the knot is subservient to its teleological purpose of immediate wear and removal. The aniva (loop) or the temporary double knot on a shoe is designed to be easily collapsed. It is physically designed for rapid dissolution, which strips it of the ontological status of a "knot" in the context of Shabbat.
- In a utility knot (e.g., ropes, sacks), the knot is tied to secure an object for storage or transport. In this case, the temporal duration is ambiguous, and the structure of the knot is meant to resist tension. Here, the Rama's lo beki'in applies in full force, and one may not tie a double knot even for a short duration.
The Arukh HaShulchan writes with razor-sharp precision:
"ולכן במנעלים ובגדים שדרכן להתירם בכל יום או בכל שני ימים... אין זה קשר של קיימא כלל... ואין כאן איסור כלל" Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:22.
By shifting the focus from a rigid chronological clock to the functional reality of the object (regular pattern of use), the Arukh HaShulchan vindicates the universal Jewish custom of tying shoes and garments without violating the strictures of the Rama.
Intertext
The conceptual framework developed by the Arukh HaShulchan resonates deeply with earlier halakhic loci and provides the bedrock for subsequent responsa.
1. The Mishnaic Anchor
In Mishnah Shabbat 15:1, the Tannaic dispute regarding knots centers on the knots of camel-drivers (kesher gamalim) and sailors (kesher sapanim):
"אלו קשרים שחייבין עליהם: קשר הגמלין, וקשר הספנין... ואלו קשרים שאין חייבין עליהם כקשר הגמלין וכקשר הספנין... קושרת אשה פתח חלוקה..."
The Gemara in Shabbat 111b explains that the camel-driver's knot is tied to the iron ring of the halter, and the sailor's knot is tied to the ship's prow. These knots are structurally complex and meant to remain indefinitely.
Conversely, a woman tying the opening of her chemise (פתח חלוקה) is permitted to do so lechatchila, even if it consists of a knot and a loop, because it is undone daily.
The Arukh HaShulchan anchors his leniency for shoes in this Mishnah: if a woman's chemise is permitted because of its daily cycle of wear, the exact same logic applies to the straps of modern shoes and boots.
2. The Shulchan Aruch and Levush Parallel
The Levush Malchut (Orach Chaim 317) is the primary precursor to the Arukh HaShulchan's functional model. The Levush argues that the custom of tying shoes with a double knot is permitted because "the mind of the person is always on untying them."
The Arukh HaShulchan takes this Levush and elevates it from a mere psychological leniency to an objective halakhic definition of the cheftza of the knot.
3. Modern Responsa and Applications
The principles laid down in Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:21-24 serve as the primary source material for addressing modern technological and domestic questions:
[MODERN TYING APPLICATIONS]
Plastic Twist-Ties Garbage Bags
+-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
| Twisting a plastic- | | Tying a double knot |
| coated wire around a | | on a trash bag to |
| bread bag. | | discard it. |
+-----------+-----------+ +-----------+-----------+
| |
v v
[HALAKHIC STATUS] [HALAKHIC STATUS]
No true knotting occurs. Permanent amateur knot.
Twisting is temporary; Permitted by some as it
permitted if undone is "thrown away" (not
within 24 hours. meant to endure as a
useful vessel).
- Plastic Twist-Ties (e.g., bread bag ties): Is twisting metal wire considered Koshair?
- Following the Arukh HaShulchan’s focus on the cheftza of the knot, twisting a wire is not structurally a kesher (it lacks the interlooping of two strands).
- Furthermore, since it is designed to be twisted and untwisted constantly, it lacks kayamut.
- Thus, major contemporary poskim (such as Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Shmirat Shabbat Kehilchatah Shmirat Shabbat Kehilchatah 15:58) permit the use of twist-ties on Shabbat.
- Garbage Bags: Tying a trash bag with a double knot before throwing it into the dumpster.
- Since the bag is being discarded immediately, does this constitute a kesher shel kayama? Physically, the knot will remain forever in the landfill.
- However, based on the Arukh HaShulchan’s teleological model, since the bag is discarded and no longer serves any functional purpose for the user, some authorities permit tying a simple double knot because it is not a "knot of utility" (kesher shel kiyama she'tzricha legufa).
Psak/Practice
The Arukh HaShulchan’s halakhic ruling regarding shoe tying and everyday knots crystallizes into highly practical guidelines:
1. Tying Shoes on Shabbat
- The Optimal Method: The ideal method to tie shoes on Shabbat is a single knot followed by a slipknot/loop (kesher al gabi aniva). This is universally permitted, even if the shoes are left tied for several days, because a loop is structurally not a knot (לאו קשר היא כלל).
- The Double Knot: If one’s shoes are loose and tend to slip, and one needs to tie a double knot (kesher al gabi kesher), it is permissible to do so only if the explicit intention is to untie the knot within twenty-four hours (or at the very least, within the Shabbat day). One should not leave a double knot tied over Shabbat if it was tied on Shabbat itself.
2. Untying a Tightened Knot (Matir)
- If a temporary knot (such as a shoelace) accidentally becomes a tight, permanent-style double knot (nitkayem me'elav), the Arukh HaShulchan Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 317:24 rules that one may untie it on Shabbat.
- Since the gavra never intended to create a permanent knot, the accidental tightening does not retroactively transform the act into a biblical violation of Koshair, and untying it does not constitute a violation of Matir.
Meta-Psak Heuristics
The Arukh HaShulchan demonstrates a profound meta-halakhic commitment to historical continuity and the validity of Jewish practice (puk chazei mai ama dabar—go out and see what the people are doing).
Whenever there is a clash between a highly restrictive, theoretical halakhic analysis (such as the strict reading of the Rama’s ein anu beki'in) and the clean, uncorrupted practice of the masses, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein seeks the conceptual framework that legitimizes the common practice.
He does not do this through apologetic hand-waving, but through rigorous, lomdische redefinitions of halakhic categories—in this case, shifting the definition of "permanence" from a rigid chronological clock to a functional, teleological reality.
Takeaway
The Arukh HaShulchan masterfully reframes the melacha of Koshair: a knot’s halakhic identity is not merely a product of its physical geometry, but of its functional destiny within human utility. Under this teleological lens, the domestic rhythm of tying and untying garments remains a permissible act of living, rather than a minefield of Shabbat violations.
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