Question: I notice that in some synagogues that I visit on Shabbat, some people do not fold their tallitot but rather leave them in their place unfolded. Yet I do see that the majority of people do fold their tallit and put it away. I actually asked one person why he doesn’t fold it and put it away neatly. He responded that really one is not allowed to do so. I would appreciate if you would clarify this matter. Consequently, when in a hotel am I allowed to let room service in to make the beds on Shabbat morning?
I. Hager
Brooklyn, NY
Synopsis: Last week we cited the Mishna (Shabbos 113a) and we inferred from Rashi (ad loc) that we may fold articles even four or five times if they are to be worn on the Sabbath; similarly, we may arrange the beds if for the Sabbath need. Though the Mechaber (Orach Chayyim 302:3) places the restrictions that only new and white unlaundered garments may be folded, Mordechai and Kol Bo state in the name of Ra’avad that folding against the creases is permissible. We also saw from Magen Avraham (ad loc. O.C. 302) that if the room is to be used during the day, an unmade bed presents itself as an impingement of the Sabbath.
Answer: Yet we find that the Mechaber (Orach Chayyim, supra 14:4) states as follows, “One is permitted to take his friend’s tallit [without the latter’s knowledge] and recite a blessing upon it, as long as he folds it [again] if he found it folded.”
The Magen Avraham posits that he folds that tallit even in a manner different from the way he found it. (This halacha of the Mechaber is found in Hilchot Tzitzit, and refers primarily to weekdays.) However, on Shabbat he does not fold it at all, and even then it is permitted for him to take [the tallit].” This is based on the rule in Bava Metzia (29b), “Nicha lei le’inish de’tiavid mitzva bemamoneih – A person is pleased when a mitzvah is fulfilled with his possession” (lit. money).
We apply this rule to the tallit scenario, so that although the borrower returns the tallit unfolded and not in the condition in which he found it originally (because he had borrowed it on Shabbat and was therefore prohibited from folding it), the owner will rejoice in the fact that his possession enabled a fellow Jew to fulfill a mitzvah. On the other hand, when it comes to his own bed, an individual is allowed to make it despite the folding that may be involved, even though he has no further use for it on Shabbat, to prevent an infringement on the spirit of sanctity of the Sabbath.
Regarding the tallit, the Mechaber himself seems to rule that as long as one does not fold the tallit in the original manner, one is permitted to fold it even on Shabbat. The Mishna Berurah (Orach Chayyim 302:3-18) explains how we rule in this matter, stating: “Because this type of folding has no lasting effect and therefore there is no liability for transgressing [the labor of] metaken (lit. fixing) [on Shabbat] at all, it is permitted in this manner even in the event that one of the four above mentioned conditions [i.e., folded by one person only, new garments never laundered, white garments, and where no other garment is available to change into] is not met, and even if there is no intention to wear the garment [again] on that day [Shabbat].” [What is actually meant here is folding the tallit against its original creases, i.e. inside out.]
The Mishna Berurah continues, explaining the Mechaber’s last words in this chapter, “and his words seem to be correct” to indicate that “so have the Acharonim, the later halachic authorities, concluded in their rulings.”
“However,” adds the Mishna Berurah (ibid.), “he who wishes to be more stringent and not fold at all, that is [considered] far better.” He then concludes with the statement of the Magen Avraham regarding the making of beds on Shabbat [as cited above] which, though generally prohibited as the preparation of something needed later, on Saturday night, would be allowed if it is a bed in his house [i.e., in a room he frequents] and it is unpleasant for him to leave the bed unmade, as making the bed has thus become a legitimate need of Shabbat itself.
Indeed, when in a hotel where the non-Jewish housekeeping comes in to the room on a daily basis, and the guest has not asked for housekeeping to come into their room on any specific day, the Sabbath or otherwise, there should be no problem presented when they make the beds as well as the take care of the usual replacement of towels, toiletries etc.
Referring back to the problem of metaken, Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chayyim 302:sk 11-12) essentially agrees that there is no violation of that particular melacha when one folds in the way that we do, which is not derech uman (lit. the way of a craftsman). As to what would be the possible reason to forbid, namely – tircha (lit., extra exertion), he cites the dispute of Rambam (Hilchot Shabbat 22:22) and Ra’avad. Rambam is of the view that there is no violation of tircha, while Ra’avad considers tircha to be a violation.
Aruch HaShulchan, obviously considering this view, but rejecting it, nevertheless notes that to throw the tallit about without folding it is not proper human behavior.
We can only imagine what our synagogues would look like were everyone to leave their tallitot unfolded and strewn about. We must consider, as well, that though we go home following the Shabbat morning service, we return to the synagogue later in the day for Mincha. As such, the situation is similar to Magen Avraham’s reasoning, which we cited earlier, that an unmade bed in a room that is being used [on Shabbat] is an embarrassment and an infringement on the very sanctity of the Shabbat.
I remember many years ago as a young man I davened in a shul, where there was an individual, a fine gentleman, who would, very ceremoniously, fold his tallit every Motza’ei Shabbat. When asked why he did this, he explained, rather humorously, that perhaps it would assure him shalom bayit [peace in the home] for that week. He was actually re-folding his tallit, which was folded after the morning tefillah against the creases [which means inside out, as noted above].
The reason for such scrupulousness, in this regard, without doubt relates to shalom bayit. Since it has become a tradition for a kallah to buy her chatan a tallit as a wedding present (see Ohr Hameir, Sukkot, cited by Ta’amei Ha’minhagim, Inyanei Ishut), it is only proper to show hakarat ha’tov, gratitude, to her by treating her present with great care.
