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    Chapter 2 · The 39 Avot Melakhot

    Hide order - Trapping, slaughtering, skinning, tanning, smoothing, cutting

    Lesson 10 of 28 20 min

    Six melakhot that prepare hide for writing (parchment and Torah scroll). Modern toladot: catching a fly (trapping), leather cream (tanning), cutting paper to size (cutting).

    Lesson goals
    • 01Understand why "trapping" includes closing a window on a fly
    • 02Know the bounds of "tanning" in leather, food, and massage
    • 03Distinguish permitted cutting (for eating) from forbidden (for measure)
    01

    Building the Foundation: Tzod - Trapping Life

    We begin our journey through the melakhot of hide preparation with 'Tzod' – trapping living creatures. This is the first melakha in the series of hide-preparing labors, because before a hide can be processed, the animal must be caught.

    משנה שבת יג:א
    הצד צבי, אף על פי שאינו יורה – חייב. צד ציפורים, אף על פי שאינן יורות – חייב.

    One who traps a deer, even if it is not 'yoreh' (not intended for food) – is liable. One who traps birds, even if they are not 'yorot' – is liable.

    Insight

    The melakha of Tzod is not limited to hunting for food alone. Any trapping of an animal, whether for its hide, its meat, or even just to remove it, falls under this melakha. The emphasis is on the act of trapping itself, which removes the creature from its natural environment into human control.

    תולדהToladah
    An action similar to a primary melakha (Av Melakha) but not identical to it. It is forbidden Biblically, just like an Av Melakha.
    02

    Transitioning from 'Tzod' to 'Shochet': A Critical Distinction

    After trapping, the next stage in hide preparation is 'Shochet' – slaughtering the animal. However, there's a fundamental difference between 'Tzod' and 'Shochet' that is crucial for our understanding.

    1. 1Understand the purpose of the melakha: 'Tzod' aims to remove a creature from G-d's domain into human control.
    2. 2Understand the purpose of the melakha: 'Shochet' aims to separate the soul from the body, preparing the meat for consumption and the hide for processing.
    Kushya

    So, what is the ruling on closing a window on a fly on Shabbat? Is this the melakha of 'Tzod'?

    Terutz

    Yes, if the purpose of closing is to trap the fly and remove it from its natural freedom, this is a Toladah of 'Tzod'. Even if there's no intention to use the fly itself, the act of trapping and removing it from its natural environment is considered a melakha. Conversely, if the fly is already confined within the house, and one closes a window to prevent more flies from entering, there is no prohibition of 'Tzod'.

    03

    Me'abed: Essential Transformation

    The melakha of 'Me'abed' is the transformation of raw material from its natural state to a more stable and useful condition. For hide, this is the tanning process that prevents decay and turns the hide into parchment or usable leather.

    משנה שבת ז:ב
    המעבד את העור – חייב.

    One who tans a hide – is liable.

    Insight

    The principle of 'Me'abed' extends beyond hide. It includes any action that improves and stabilizes raw material, such as adding salt to meat to preserve it (salting) or massaging a sick person with oil to soften their flesh. Common to all is a fundamental change in the material's state, intended to bring it to long-term use or functional improvement.

    הכשרת דבר לשימושHakhsharat Davar LeShimush
    Transforming raw material or an item into a state where it is suitable for a specific use or significantly improved.
    04

    Mechatech: Precision and Measure

    The final melakha in the hide preparation series is 'Mechatech' – cutting something to a precise measure. Originally, this referred to cutting parchment to the appropriate size for writing a Torah scroll or tefillin.

    משנה שבת ז:ב
    המחתך קלף על מנת לכתוב עליו שתי אותיות – חייב.

    One who cuts parchment in order to write two letters on it – is liable.

    Kushya

    Is all cutting on Shabbat forbidden? We cut food throughout Shabbat!

    Terutz

    The central distinction is between cutting 'for measure' and cutting 'for eating' (or other immediate use). Cutting to a precise measure, such as trimming paper to a specific size for future use, is considered 'Mechatech' and is forbidden. In contrast, cutting bread or vegetables for eating, which is not done to a precise measure but as an immediate need, is permitted. The key is intent: Is the action meant to create a tool or material prepared for future use, or is it part of an immediate need that does not involve shaping or setting a fixed measure?

    Practice

    Describe: may you close a jar of flies on Shabbat? Justify via the melakhah of trapping.

    Lesson wrap-up

    Melakhot that look archaic - live in every corner of modern daily life.

    Check your understanding

    Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.

    Question 1 of 4

    Why can closing a window on a fly on Shabbat be considered the melakha of 'Tzod'?

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