Opening bottles with plastic cap

1. Question: [Monday 11^th Elul, 5780]

Lichvod HaRav, What is the halacha for opening bottles on Shabbos that have a plastic cap? Im talking about soda bottles, grape juice bottles – they have usually a white plastic cap, that once opened leave a plastic ring on the neck of the bottle. thanks

Answer:

You may be lenient to open them on Shabbos. However, I suggest initially opening it before Shabbos, or having a child open it on Shabbos. Again, if not possible, you may open it on Shabbos.

Background: Opening a metal or plastic bottle caps on Shabbos is under the question of whether it transgresses the Rabbinical prohibition of Tikkun Keli [as its done with ones hands, without an instrument and is thus at best only Rabbinical] and/or Michateich, and is practically debated amongst Poskim of today with some siding that it is allowed even by metal caps, and some allowing it only by plastic caps [due top Tikkun Keli] and some forbidding it even by plastic caps [due to Michateich]. The reason behind the leniency by plastic caps versus metal caps is because they were already fully usable prior to being attached to their ring and often remain usable even when attached to the ring and hence the removing of the ring is Halachically meaningless, and is similar to one who got his plastic fork stuck in an item and he pulled it out of that item in order to use. Practically, the widely accepted approach is to be lenient by plastic caps, although nevertheless I do as I suggested above and try to avoid any even questionable Shabbos prohibition when possible.

Sources: Rav SZ”A permitted by plastic caps and not by metal caps; Rav Elyashiv forbade even by plastic caps. See RSZ”A in Minchas Shlomo 91:12; Divrei Moshe [Rav Moshe Halbershtam] 12-13; Minchas Yitzchak [see Divrei Moshe there]; Rav Moshe Feinstein [brought in Revivos Efrayim 4:96]; Az Nidbaru 3:40; RSZ”A in SSH”K 9 footnote 61; Yeshuos Moshe 3:27; Chazon Ish 51:11; Kinyan Torah 5:34; Beir Moshe 3:90; Even Yisrael; Cheishev Haeifod 3:93; Mishneh Halachos 7:47; Dvar Yehoshua 2:45; Tzitz Eliezer 14:45; Lehoros Nasan 7:21; Halichos Sadeh 14 pp. 107-137 in great length