6. Locking ones door with placing a peg in the doorstep behind the door:

A. The law by a peg without a handle:[1]

A Nagar which is a peg that is inserted into the hole that is by the doorstep [behind the door] in order to lock the door, since it is inserted below into the doorstep it appears more like building than the insertion of the rod into the wall from the side [of the door]. [Therefore] one may not lock with it despite it being designated for this purpose, and even if one mended it in a way that shows on it that it is designated for [locking, it may not be used].[2] Rather it must be tied to the [door] from before Shabbos, (in which case it is then permitted to lock with it even if it had never been locked with beforehand and even if it had not been designated for this) as since it is tied and attached to there from before Shabbos it does not appear like one is building on Shabbos.  

See below B-D regarding how it is to be tied and the law regarding if the inserting of the peg will create a new hole and the law regarding if the peg has a handle!

 

B. How does one tie the peg?

By a peg that has a bolted head:[3] If its head has a bolt, meaning that its head is thick and is fit to be used to crush and grind peppers, then since it is similar to a vessel it does not appear so much as one is building [when inserting it into the lock], as it is unusual to insert a vessel into a building [and] nullify it there[4]. Therefore it does not need to be tied on strongly and rather even if it is attached with a thin rope in which case [the peg] is not fit to be taken with it, [meaning] that if one were to want to take the [peg out] from [the lock] and move it using this rope then [the rope] would immediately tear [from the peg], [nevertheless] this suffices even if it is not tied onto the door itself but to the latch of the door (or to the doorpost. As even though it is not so recognizable that it was tied to there before Shabbos to serve as a lock for the door being that it is not tied to the door itself as well as that it is not tied strongly, nevertheless it does not appear like building on Shabbos since it appears like a vessel).

[Furthermore] even if the rope is long and thus the peg is not hanging at all in the air when it is removed from the hole in the doorstep[5], but rather is entirely resting on the ground, [nevertheless] this poses no problem since it was tied to there from before Shabbos through a rope.   

By a peg that does not have a bolted head[6] but is attached to the door:[7] If the peg does not have a bolted head then if it is tied to the door itself, even if it is tied with a thin string which is not fit to [remove the peg from the lock], it suffices. (As it is well recognizable that it was tied there before Shabbos for the sake of locking the door, being that it is tied to the door itself, even though the knot is not strong, and thus [inserting this peg into the lock] no longer appears like building on Shabbos). [As well this suffices] even if the entire [peg] rests on the floor when it is removed from the hole[8].

If the non-bolted peg is not attached to the door: [9] However, if it is not attached to the door itself, but rather to the latch (or doorpost) then the knot must be strong enough that [the peg] is able to be removed [from its hole] through [pulling at the rope], (as when [the peg] is well tied with a strong rope it is recognizable that it is designated to be used for locking the door, even though it is not tied to the door itself, and thus [inserting it into the lock] no longer appears like building on Shabbos). [This applies] even if the entire [peg] rests on the floor when it is removed from the hole that is in the doorstep[10].

C. A peg that inserts into the ground:[11]

However, all the above [is only allowed] if the doorstep is elevated [from the ground to the point that] its hole [in which the peg is inserted in] does not reach the ground. However, if the hole goes beyond the bottom of [the doorpost] and reaches the ground in a way that when the peg is inserted into the hole, the peg punctures a hole under [the doorpost] into the ground, then it appears like building and is forbidden to be locked with in any circumstance, [including] even if it has a bolted head and is tied to the door with a strong rope.

If there is a set hole in the ground to which it is inserted into: However, this only applies if the peg constantly punctures a new hole into the ground. However, if to begin with one made a hole in the ground large enough for the head[12] of the peg to be inserted into, and thus the peg no longer adds to the hole already made in the ground, then it does not appear like building, and is permitted to be locked with, in the ways explained above [regarding tying the peg].

 

D. Locking with a peg which had a handle inserted into it:[13]

A peg which had a handle inserted into its middle, and is thus similar to a mallet[14] which is a vessel, is permitted to lock with even if it punctures a hole in the ground, and even if it is not tied on at all, as it does not appear like building being that it is readily apparent that it is a vessel. This is not similar to [a peg] that has a bolted head which is also similar to a vessel but must nevertheless be tied and may not puncture the ground, as here one has done an action with his hands by inserting the handle into [the peg] and through doing so has turned it into a vessel, as opposed to by the bolted peg where no action was done with ones hands to give it the status of a vessel.

A bolt which has a handle:

The same applies by a bolt[15] that is inserted one end into the hole in the wall of one side of the door and the other end into the hole [in the wall] of the other side of the door, [then] if it has a ring in its middle with which one holds onto when removing and inserting [the bolt] and uses it to pull the bolt [into or out of its hole], then [the ring] is [considered] a handle to the bolt and it is permitted to use it to lock with even if it is not tied.

Summary-Locking ones door using a peg: A peg may only be placed on Shabbos behind ones door in order to lock it, even if the peg is not Muktzah, if: A. It is meant to be constantly removed and reinserted.[16] And B. The peg has a handle that was specifically inserted into it, in which case it is allowed to be inserted even if was not tied to the door before Shabbos, and even if it punctures a hole in the earth.[17] or If condition b is not fulfilled [no handle] then it is only allowed if one fulfills condition c and d. C. If the peg reaches into the actual earth when stuck into its hole, then it is only allowed if it enters into a previously made hole. However, to make a new hole by inserting it is forbidden in all cases that the peg does not have a handle.[18] And D. If the peg does not have an inserted handle then it must be tied to the door from before Shabbos[19]. When tied to the door itself it suffices even if it is a weak knot which does not have the ability to lift up the peg out from the hole. However, when tied to the doorpost then if the peg does not have a bolted head it must be tied strong enough to be able to pull the peg out of its hole using the cord.[20]   Q&A One who has a bolt lock screwed onto his door which is made for pressing into a hole that has been drilled into the threshold, as is common in many two door entrances, may one lock it or open it on Shabbos if it is meant to be constantly locked? This matter requires further analysis.[21] However, practically, it would seem that it is permitted to do so, as once something is built and modified for the sake of constant opening and closing as one chooses, it by definition can no longer be considered a part of the structure and transgress the Boneh and Soser prohibition. Thus, even if a window has been left closed for over 24 hours, or even for over a year, is permitted to open it on Shabbos, as it is clearly evident that it is meant for constant opening and closing, and that it is not part of the structure. The same would apply to a door that has been left closed for a long time that it may be opened on Shabbos, and the same would apply for a peg that closes the door, that if the peg is attached to the door and modified for the purpose of opening and closing then by definition it cannot be considered under a building or destroying prohibition, and hence may be opened on Shabbos even if it has been left closed for a long time.

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[1] Admur 313:3

^[2] However, if one placed on it a handle, then it may be inserted under all circumstances even if it is not tied, and even if it makes a hole in the ground.

[3] Admur 313:4

^[4] Meaning leaving it there permanently without ever planning to take it out.

^[5] From here it seems that in the typical scenario the rope is not long enough when hanging to have the peg reach the ground and is thus pulled at and stretched in the process of placing the peg in the ground. 

^[6] Such as a regular large nail and the like.

[7] Admur 313:5

^[8] Meaning that the rope is so long that it reaches the floor and thus has the peg rest on the floor.

[9] Admur 313:5

^[10] Meaning that the rope is so long that it reaches the floor and thus has the peg rest on the floor.

[11] Admur 313:6

^[12] Seemingly the Alter Rebbe is saying that only if the head of the peg is placed in, as in such a case it does not make a larger hole, is it allowed, However, to place in the pointy end of the peg which can make a deeper hole, then it is not allowed.

[13] Admur 313:7

^[14] A mallet is a smaller sized sledgehammer.

^[15] Vetzaruch Iyun how this case [of a bolt] is any different than the case of a rod, explained above [in Halacha 2]. [Alter Rebbe]

^[16] similar to the law by a rod in 313:2 [Brought above in Halacha 1a]

^[17] Admur 313:7

^[18] Admur 313:6

^[19] Admur 313:3

^[20] Admur 313:4-5

[21] The Chayeh Adam Klal 39:10, brought in Mishneh Berura 313:13, writes that when the peg is attached to the door and is pulled up to open and down to close, then according to all it may be opened and closed on Shabbos. However, Tzaruch Iyun what the ruling would be regarding a door that is not meant for constant opening and closing, as from the ruling of Admur by the bolt locks [313:2] it seems that it must be not left there for a long time for it to be allowed to lock with.

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