Moving the strainer in the bathtub
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
Go to original →
Question
To the honored Rabbis shlita,
In a place where it is permitted to bathe in a bathtub on Shabbat (laws of Shabbat), what is the ruling regarding the strainer/plug at the drain opening of the bathtub?
a. Before turning on the faucet – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
b. During the bath, when the bathtub is full of water – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
c. After the bath, once all the water has already drained – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
In a place where it is permitted to bathe in a bathtub on Shabbat (laws of Shabbat), what is the ruling regarding the strainer/plug at the drain opening of the bathtub?
a. Before turning on the faucet – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
b. During the bath, when the bathtub is full of water – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
c. After the bath, once all the water has already drained – is it permitted to remove or replace the strainer by hand, or must this specifically be done with a change, for example using the foot?
Answer
Shalom u’vracha.
It is permitted to move the strainer with one’s hands.
The strainer is not muktzeh, and its normal function is not for a prohibited melachah, since generally it does not separate between “food” and waste, but rather between different types of waste.
Comments
Have an additional question on this topic or need clarification? Leave your comment below. (Please note that the comment will not be published but will be sent directly to the answering Rabbi for review and a private response)
