691. Picking Up or Putting Down (But Not Both)

Shabbos 13:4

If a person stood in one type of domain (public or private) and extended his hand into the other type of domain, removing water from a pit in one domain and transferring it to the other, he is liable. The water is treated as if he placed it on the ground. On the other hand, if a container of fruit was floating on the water and someone extended his hand, taking some of the fruit and transferring it to the other domain, he is not liable. Since the fruit wasn’t resting on the ground, the person didn’t remove it from a place that is four handbreadths by four handbreadths. It goes without saying that if the fruit was floating directly on the water and someone transferred it to the other type domain he would not be liable. Similarly, if oil was floating on the surface of water and someone scooped some of the oil up and transferred it to the other type of domain, he would not be liable.

Shabbos 13:5

As previously discussed, one who transfers an item from one type of domain to the other is not liable unless he uproots the object from its place and places it down elsewhere. If a person raises the object from its place but does not place it down, or if he places it down without lifting it up, he would not be liable. Therefore, if a person standing in one type of domain extends his hand holding an object into the other type of domain and another person took it from him, or if the other person placed the object in his hand and he drew his hand back into his own domain, neither person is liable – not the one who picked the item up nor the one who put it down.