Siman 307 – Shabbos speech

123. “V’dabayr dovor” – your speech on Shabbos should not be like it is during the week . Therefore do not say that you will do such-and-such tomorrow if it is something that is forbidden to do on Shabbos, even something midrabbonon. The poskim disagree if you are allowed to say it if it is a mitzva (e.g. “I will write a sefer Torah tomorrow”). It is proper to be machmir if there is no need to say it on Shabbos. (ShA 1 – MB 1)

124. This decree is suspended if it will result in a loss. Therefore if a gentile who owes you money is in town for Shabbos you can go to catch him. You will show up and he will leave the money by his host so you can collect it after Shabbos. (MB 1)

125. There are two categories of mundane speech:

1. Mockery and levity is ossur at all times.

2. Common topics like the news are allowed. On Shabbos you should minimize such speech even when it is oneg Shabbos for you. You need to use the time for learning Torah. In any case you must avoid distressful news. (ShA 1 – MB 2, 3, 4)

126. It is praiseworthy to avoid all types of mundane speech even if it gives you pleasure. Men of good deeds are very careful not to speak even necessary statements unless it is said in Lashon Hakodesh. (MB 5)

127. It is a mitzva to change from the usual morning greeting and say “Good Shabbos” instead. (MB 5)

128. **A rule**: Anything forbidden for you to do or say on Shabbos is likewise forbidden for you to instruct a non-Jew to do or say – even if the instructions are given to him on erev Shabbos. If you refrain from doing something because of a mere minhag or chumra, you may instruct a gentile to do it. (ShA 2 – MB 8)

129. If a goy does a melacha for a Jew (e.g igniting a fire) on Shabbos, you aren’t allowed to benefit from it until after Shabbos – even if the goy was not instructed. If you already had a light and the goy merely **adds** to the light – you may benefit from it. (MB 11)

130. During the week, you can’t give money to a gentile to buy something for you on Shabbos. You can tell him to buy for himself and promise that you will buy it from him after Shabbos. (ShA 3 – MB 13)

131. Another hetter is to give the money to the goy but don’t tell him to buy specifically on Shabbos. If the market day is only on Shabbos, this doesn’t help. Do not live in a neighborhood that has the market day on Shabbos – transgressions are too tempting. (ShA 4 – MB 15)

132. 2 cases of hetter:

1. Shvus d’shvus b’miktzas choli: Tell a gentile to bring medicine through a place with no eruv for a person in discomfort.

2. Shvus d’shvus bimkom mitzva: Tell a gentile to climb a tree in order to bring a shofar for tekios. (ShA 5 – MB 20, 21, 22)

133. The poskim disagree about “amira l’amira” – telling one gentile to tell another gentile to do a melacha for you on Shabbos. Is it considered shvus d’shvus? Bimkom hefsed gadol, you can rely on the lenient opinion. (MB 24)

134. You aren't allowed to speak out calculations of how much money you owe someone. (ShA 6)

135. You are allowed to speak about how much you paid for something in the past, that doesn’t make any difference to you nor any other Jew any longer. But this puts the conversation into the category of d’vorim b’tailim that should be avoided by G-d fearing people. Even during the week such speech is not befitting for a talmid chochom – it becomes a session of scoffers and bittul Torah. (ShA 6 – MB 26, 27)

136. You may hint to a workman, “Do you think you can be at my house after Shabbos?” – it is in the category of “hirhur”. A more explicit order of “Be by me after Shabbos.” is ossur. (ShA 7 – MB 29)

137. **A rule**: If it is possible to do something on Shabbos in a muttar way, you may say that you will do it tomorrow. But if the verb that you use entails even an issur d’rabbonon, you must not say that you will do it. Therefore you may say “I am going/walking to a faraway place tomorrow” since, theoretically, you can get around the issur techum Shabbos with guard huts placed every 70 amos. But you may not say “ I am riding/traveling to a faraway place after Shabbos.” (ShA 8 – MB 30, 31)

138. You may tell someone “Please bring me fruit tomorrow”, similar to the above rule. Even though everyone knows that you want the muktza fruit, since the words can be interpreted as to bring non-muktza fruit, you may say it. (ShA 8 – BeH “ossur”)

139. When borrowing on Shabbos (tomatoes, seforim) do not ask “Halvayni”, as usual in Hebrew, since the implication is for a long term loan someone might write it down. Change the wording to “Hash’ilayni”. In English, there is no difference so “Lend me” should be changed to “Give me”. You can even say “…and I will **give** you back.” (ShA 11 – MB 43, 44)

140. You aren’t allowed to pay back (even non-muktza items) on Shabbos – you might come to erase the debt. The only hetter would be paying back food and drink debts. Even so, change the way you say it from “Here, I’m paying back” to “Here, I’m **returning**”. (Rama 11 – MB 46)

141. You aren’t allowed to read (even silently) shtaray hedyotos on Shabbos. This includes finance documents like debts and calculations. There is even a fence for this prohibition: don’t read social letters lest it leads to confusion with shtaray hedyotos. (ShA 13 – MB 52)

142. If it is a letter that you have not yet read, you are allowed to read it – banking on the chance that it contains information pertaining to your body on Shabbos. Just read it silently. (ShA 14 – MB 54)

143. If a letter arrives on Shabbos, tell the non-Jewish deliverer to drop it on the floor or put it on the table. The minhag is not to receive it in your hands, since in some cases that would be completing the melacha of carrying. If the letter is sealed, you can hint to the gentle “I am not able to read it so long that it is sealed.” He will understand and open it for you. The letter is not muktza. (MB 56)

144. Do not read the writing under a mural that is designed on a wall or on a drape. This is also a fence for shtaray hedyotos. (ShA 15 – MB 57)

145. The following literature is forbidden to be read on Shabbos no matter what the language (and is thereby muktza):

1. Mundane riddles and poetry.

2. Mundane fables and parables.

3. War history (unless the author was Jewish and includes mussar lessons, like Josephus).

4. Romance stories.

These are forbidden even during the week because of “moshav laytzim”, besides for other prohibitions. (ShA 16 – MB 58, 62, 64)

146. People who author such literature, the printers, and booksellers are all causing the public to sin which is worse than murder. (ShA 16 – MB 61)

147. Included in “moshav laytzim” is attending theaters and circuses. Beware on Purim when making a comedy performance – make it only to remember Achashvarosh. (MB 59)

148. A gett can be read and learnt from – it is not muktza. (MB 63)

149. Are you allowed to study other subjects on Shabbos? The poskim argue. The minhag is to be lenient but a yoray Shomayim should be machmir. Looking at the stars through a telescope is in this same category. (ShA 17 – MB 65, 66)

150. If a sudden urgent need arises on Shabbos to extinguish a fire that is burning your property, you are allowed to call a non-Jew and even hint to him ***“Whoever saves my stuff will not lose out!”*** It is a special hetter so that the owner doesn’t do it himself out of panic. The poskim argue about applying this hetter to other financial emergencies. (E.g. Sudden rain ruining merchandise. Flood. Barrel of wine sprung a leak.) You can be maykil. If you call a non-Jew and just tell him ***“Look!”***, it’s okay according to all opinions. (ShA 19 – MB 69, 71)

151. If a non-Jew was instructed by a Jew to do melacha on Shabbos, the Jew can benefit from the melacha after Shabbos, waiting the amount of time it took to perform the melacha. But if the melacha was in public and people know that it was done for the Jew, it is forbidden forever even if the non-Jew did it on his own. (ShA 20 – MB 72)

152. Included in amira l’nochri is giving a gentile an object (even on erev Shabbos) and telling him to do melacha even if it is for his own benefit and no benefit is incurred for the Jew. (ShA 21 – MB 73, 74)

153. Let's say you weren't able to light Shabbos candles before shkia, you can still instruct a gentile to do it. This is an example of the hetter called – shvus bain hashmashos l’tzorech mitzva. (ShA 22)

154. Included in amira l’nochri is even **hinting** that he should do the forbidden deed. However you are allowed to hint to him to do a melacha **after** Shabbos. (Rama 22)

155. Hinting to a goy in a way that does not imply his involvement per se, is allowed. For example: ***“The lamp is not burning nicely”*** or ***“I can’t read, it’s too dim”**.* This is not “amira”. It also does not benefit, since you can manage in the dim light. (MB 76)