Rav, Bukharian Jewish Cong. of Hillcrest, Kehilat Ohr V’Achdut
On Friday night, Bukharian Jews traditionally eat a dish called Bakhshi Khaltagi — a flavorful blend of rice, meat, and green herbs such as coriander, parsley, and dill. This dish is unique in that it is cooked inside a small bag, which is immersed in a pot of boiling water until fully cooked. On Shabbat day, a similar method is used to prepare Khalta Savo, another bag-cooked dish consisting of rice and meat, sometimes enhanced with the addition of dried fruits for a touch of sweetness.
An important halachic question arises regarding these dishes: Typically, the rice is removed from the bag by shaking it out. Due to gravity and (sometimes vigorous) shaking often needed to loosen the rice out of the bag, the water that has been absorbed into the cloth can be squeezed out during the process. Is there a concern that squeezing might occur, which is forbidden on Shabbat?
Answer:
When considering the permissibility of wringing out garments on Shabbat, it is essential to analyze the issue from two distinct vantage points within the realm of Hilchot Shabbat. We find two melachot that have to do with squeezing, melaben and dash.
I. Melaben
The Rambam explains that laundering (kibbus) clothing is a subcategory of the prohibited labor of melaben (whitening) on Shabbat. Squeezing out a garment to discharge the water absorbed in it is considered laundering and makes one liable for performing this melacha. The water in the garment is considered foreign to the fabric, unlike juice naturally present in fruits. Meaning, melaben involves cleaning a garment by removing dirt, grime, or other impurities through washing, soaking, squeezing, or scrubbing. Even if the garment does not end up fully clean, the act of loosening the dirt still qualifies as melaben. Squeezing refers to applying pressure, wringing, or vigorous shaking to remove liquid from the fabric.
The Kesef Mishneh interprets the Rambam as prohibiting wringing out garments for all liquids, not just water. In contrast, Tosafot (Ketubot 6a) and the Tur (O.C 320) limit liability to wringing out water, as it's the only liquid with a cleansing effect. Nonetheless, squeezing out other liquids from a garment is considered a derivative (toladah) of the melacha of mefarek, violating a Torah-level prohibition. Clear water is inherently cleansing and thus always tied to the melacha of laundering even if the liquid is being discarded. Other liquids, when wrung out merely to dispose of them without benefiting from the extraction, may not trigger the same Torah-level prohibition.
According to Rashba, wringing out water is a derivative of melacha of laundering, while wringing out other liquids relates to the forbidden labor of dash (threshing).
II. Dash/Mefarek
Mefarek (squeezing) is forbidden on Shabbat because it is seen as a derivative form (toladah) of dash (threshing). Just as threshing separates grain from its husk, squeezing separates the desired liquid (juice) from the solid part of the fruit (pulp/peel) which naturally contains it. Mefarek applies specifically when the act of squeezing is done with the intention of obtaining and using the extracted liquid itself, separate from the solid fruit. The most stringent prohibition applies to olives and grapes; extracting their juice is forbidden directly by the Torah. Building upon this, the Rabbis established a secondary level of prohibition (derabanan) for berries and pomegranates (and oranges). This rule serves as a safeguard, instituted because of the Torah law regarding olives and grapes, to prevent confusion and ensure the primary prohibition is not inadvertently violated. However, for most other types of fruits, such as lemons, squeezing is generally permitted.
The Ramban distinguishes between the prohibition of "mefarek" (separating liquids from solids) on clothing versus other items like fruits on the ground. According to the Ramban, there is no Torah-level prohibition of "mefarek" for clothing. However, if a garment is soaked in wine or oil, it is rabbinically prohibited (midrabanan) to wring it out due to the "mefarek" prohibition, as this involves separating the liquid from the solid fabric.
To be continued……
By Rabbi Nissan Shalomayev
Serving From Bakhsh/Khalta Savo Bag
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