Q&A: Is There a Difference Between a Weekday and the Sabbath Regarding a Trash Can
Is There a Difference Between a Weekday and the Sabbath Regarding a Trash Can
Question
I don’t remember ever hearing anything at my parents’ home / from friends / in my hesder yeshiva about a trash can on the Sabbath.
But then I read in various places on the internet (that come up if you search, for example, “trash can on the Sabbath”) that there are various prohibitions and restrictions.
So my question is: what differences are there between a weekday (when I move a trash can, throw things into it, crush the things inside if necessary, arrange
the bag so that it sits better on the sides of the can, and various other actions) and the Sabbath with regard to a trash can?
Thank you very much
Answer
The trash can is a base for a forbidden item, because the garbage is muktzeh. The same applies to the bag. They therefore have the status of muktzeh, and it is forbidden to move them. There is a leniency allowing foul-smelling garbage to be removed under the rule of a “graf shel re’i” (a receptacle of filth). If the garbage may be removed, then it is necessary to discuss whether the trash can is considered a base for a permitted item or not. The halakhic decisors disagree about this.
Discussion on Answer
Moving muktzeh in an unusual manner is also forbidden except in a pressing situation. See an overview here: https://ph.yhb.org.il/01-23-14/
Is there a problem if I do all these various actions in an unusual manner? Thanks.