Hilchos Shabbos Table Learning

A Weekly Guide to Shabbos Laws for Personal Study and Family Discussion

 

✨ This Week’s Topic ✨
📏 Measuring on Shabbos

1. General Prohibition

❓ Is measuring allowed on Shabbos or Yom Tov?
🚫 No. It is forbidden to measure or weigh anything.

This applies in all cases:
• Using hands or tools
• For business or personal use
• Mechanical or digital devices

📌 Examples:
• ❌ Measuring spices with a measuring cup or spoon
• ❌ Weighing oneself
• ❌ Measuring height
• ❌ Using a ruler, tape measure, or scale

📦 Status of measuring tools:
• Considered Keli Shemelachto Le’issur
• 🚫 May not be used normally on Shabbos

 

🤲 Measuring by Estimation

❓ Can one estimate with their hands?
✅ Yes — in a limited way

• ✅ Allowed: Rough estimation (אומד הדעת)
  → Example: Picking up food to get a general sense of its weight
• ❌ Not allowed: Precise comparison
  → Holding a known weight in one hand and comparing with another

 

 

🥄 Using Measuring Vessels Without Intent

❓ Can one use a measuring cup or spoon?
✅ Yes — if there is no intention to measure

• ✅ Allowed:
  • Filling a cup to drink
  • Using a spoon normally
  • Scooping baby formula without precision
• ❌ Not allowed:
  • Using them to measure an exact amount

 

🐄 Measuring Food for Animals

❓ Can food be measured for animals?
🚫 No

• Must give food by estimation
  • ❌ Exact measuring is not allowed

 

🎯 B. Measuring for a Mitzvah

🕯️ On Shabbos

✅ Sometimes permitted

• Only if the measurement itself is part of the mitzvah

Conditions:
• It must be clearly recognizable as for a mitzvah
• If it could have been done before Shabbos → ❌ do not measure now

 

🕊️ On Yom Tov

🚫 More strict

• Measuring is generally forbidden
  • Even for a mitzvah

 

 

 

⚖️ Important Distinction

✅ Allowed:
• Measuring directly for a mitzvah
• When it is clearly recognizable

🚫 Forbidden:
• Measuring only to help a mitzvah indirectly
• Measuring that could have been done beforehand

 

🍷 Practical Examples

❓ Can one measure shiurim (required amounts)?

🚫 Generally no (if it could have been done before Shabbos):
• Wine for Kiddush
• Kezayis of matzah or maror

✅ Possible exception:
• If it was impossible to measure beforehand
• Then it may be allowed for a mitzvah

 

🧭 Bottom Line

• 🚫 Measuring is generally forbidden on Shabbos and Yom Tov
  • 🤲 Rough estimation is allowed (no precise comparison)
  • 🥄 Measuring tools may be used without intent to measure
  • 🐄 Animal food must be given without exact measuring
  • 🎯 On Shabbos: mitzvah measurement is sometimes allowed (with conditions)
  • 🕊️ On Yom Tov: stricter rules apply
  • ⏳ Whenever possible → measure before Shabbos