Melacha of Tying

The Melacha of Tying is one of the 39 Melachos of Shabbos. From the Torah, it is defined as tying a knot that exists due to its strength and is intended to remain tied.

In the Mishna

These are the knots for which one is liable: A camel driver's knot and a sailor's knot. Just as one is liable for tying them, one is liable for untying them. R' Meir says: Any knot that can be untied with one hand, one is not liable for it.

There are knots for which one is not liable like the camel driver's and sailor's knots. A woman may tie the opening of her dress, the strings of her hair covering, and of her belt, and the straps of shoes and sandals, and wine and oil skins, and a pot of meat. R' Eliezer ben Yaakov says: One may tie before an animal so it doesn't escape. One may tie a bucket with a belt but not with a rope. R' Yehuda permits it. R' Yehuda stated a rule: Any knot that is not permanent, one is not liable for it.

In the Gemara

Where was tying done in the Mishkan? Rava said: They would tie the tent pegs. Abaye said to him: That was tying to be untied! Rather, Abaye said: The weavers of the curtains would tie threads that tore. Rava said: You've explained tying, what about untying? And if you'll say it's because if two threads got tangled they would untie one and tie one - before a human king they wouldn't do this, before the King of kings they would? Rather, Rava, and some say R' Ilai, said: The trappers of the chilazon would tie and untie.

The Tzemach Tzedek's Commentary

Initially it appears the Gemara's conclusion learns the obligation of tying from Rava regarding chilazon trappers. However, examining Rashi's commentary on the Mishna shows he brings Abaye's explanation. This is puzzling. The Tzemach Tzedek proves from this that the basic obligation of tying is actually learned from Abaye, as there were no challenges to his explanation regarding tying itself - the challenge was only regarding untying. However, we need Abaye’s teaching to learn that tying applies specifically to permanent knots, as this is primarily learned from Abaye's explanation. While Rava's case sometimes involved opening and untying the knot, as Rava himself states "the chilazon trappers would tie and untie", (since at the time of tying there was no obligation to untie it, it's considered a permanent knot but we don’t know that it has must specifically be a permanent knot.)

The Halacha

The Alter Rebbe rules in Shulchan Aruch siman 317: Tying and untying are among the Avos Melachos, as in the Mishkan the chilazon trappers would tie and untie their nets, since all nets are made of knots, and they are permanent knots. Sometimes they needed to take threads from one net to add to another, untying here and tying there.

From the Torah one is only liable for a permanent knot meant to remain forever, meaning he ties it intending it to remain as long as possible and as long as he doesn't need to untie it. Even though he may need to untie it soon and will untie it, since when tying it he doesn't set a specific time to untie it, and it could remain forever, this is called a permanent knot and one is liable for tying and untying it. But if he sets in his mind any specific time that he will definitely untie it, even if it's a very long time, this is not considered permanent from the Torah and he is exempt for both tying and untying it. However, the Rabbis also consider this permanent since it remains for some time, and it is forbidden both to tie and untie it.