Delayed Melachah — Eruvin 88a

Delayed Melachah — Eruvin 88a

רש"י עירובין דף פח/א

שופכין לתוכו - דתיימי מיא, ואי נמי לא תיימי, דיש בו מים מבעוד יום, כיון דרוב ימות השנה עשוין ליבלע הכי נמי כי נפקי לבראי לאו להכי איכוון, וכיון דלא נתקיימה מחשבתו שרי דאפילו מתכוין לאו איסורא דאורייתא איכא הכא, דהא לאו ברשות הרבים זריק להו איהו גופיה, אלא מאיליהן יוצאין הלכך כי לא מיכוין שרי לכתחלה:

The Eglei Tal (fol. 84b) writes that a person who places grain in a mill that runs on water power is only liable (by Torah law) for the grain that is ground in the first turn of the water wheel. The grain that is ground in the second turn of the wheel is considered only a grama — caused by the person, but not performed by him. Hence, there is no Torah prohibition involved.

The Eglei Tal proves this point from Rashi here, who writes that a person who water spills water in a reshus ha'yachid deliberately intending the water to flow into a reshus ha'rabbim does not violate a Torah prohibition.

R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Teshuvos Minchas Shlomo, Tinyana 31:3) questions the comparison: Perhaps it is only in the case of Hotza'ah, which is defined as a Melachah Geru'a (lit., "a deficient melachah") — viz., one in which the object that is the subject of the melachah is not changed in any way. Perhaps it is specifically because of its "deficiency" that it is necessary for a person to actively remove the object from domain to domain. On the other hand, in the case of any other melachah, perhaps setting the melachah in motion suffices to render one in violation of a Torah prohibition — even, in the case of the water mill, for the second turn of the wheel.

In fact, in regard to wind mill, the Eglei Tak writes that even if the person placed the grain in the mill at a time in which no wind was blowing, but later the wind began blowing and ground the grain, that the question of whether the person violated a Torah prohibition is the subject of a dispute among the Rishonim.

Hence, in the final analysis, R' Shlomo Zalman at the end of his teshuvah, forbids placing a milking machine on a cow's udders while it is "off," if it is set to go on afterwards.

Delayed Melachah — Eruvin 88a

רש"י עירובין דף פח/א

שופכין לתוכו - דתיימי מיא, ואי נמי לא תיימי, דיש בו מים מבעוד יום, כיון דרוב ימות השנה עשוין ליבלע הכי נמי כי נפקי לבראי לאו להכי איכוון, וכיון דלא נתקיימה מחשבתו שרי דאפילו מתכוין לאו איסורא דאורייתא איכא הכא, דהא לאו ברשות הרבים זריק להו איהו גופיה, אלא מאיליהן יוצאין הלכך כי לא מיכוין שרי לכתחלה:

The Eglei Tal (fol. 84b) writes that a person who places grain in a mill that runs on water power is only liable (by Torah law) for the grain that is ground in the first turn of the water wheel. The grain that is ground in the second turn of the wheel is considered only a grama — caused by the person, but not performed by him. Hence, there is no Torah prohibition involved.

The Eglei Tal proves this point from Rashi here, who writes that a person who water spills water in a reshus ha'yachid deliberately intending the water to flow into a reshus ha'rabbim does not violate a Torah prohibition.

R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Teshuvos Minchas Shlomo, Tinyana 31:3) questions the comparison: Perhaps it is only in the case of Hotza'ah, which is defined as a Melachah Geru'a (lit., "a deficient melachah") — viz., one in which the object that is the subject of the melachah is not changed in any way. Perhaps it is specifically because of its "deficiency" that it is necessary for a person to actively remove the object from domain to domain. On the other hand, in the case of any other melachah, perhaps setting the melachah in motion suffices to render one in violation of a Torah prohibition — even, in the case of the water mill, for the second turn of the wheel.

In fact, in regard to wind mill, the Eglei Tak writes that even if the person placed the grain in the mill at a time in which no wind was blowing, but later the wind began blowing and ground the grain, that the question of whether the person violated a Torah prohibition is the subject of a dispute among the Rishonim.

Hence, in the final analysis, R' Shlomo Zalman at the end of his teshuvah, forbids placing a milking machine on a cow's udders while it is "off," if it is set to go on afterwards.