792. Unloading an Animal

Shabbos 21:10

If an animal is carrying a sack of grain, one may unload it in an unusual manner. He may place his head underneath in order to shift it to the other side, where it will fall. Here’s how to proceed when a person on a journey enters a city on Friday night and his animal is carrying a load. When he reaches the first courtyard in the city, he should remove those utensils that may be handled on Shabbos. For those that may not be handled, he should loosen the ropes that holding the sacks, allowing them to fall. If the sacks contain things that might break, then if they are small, he should place cushions under the sacks to catch them when they fall. This is allowed because, if he wanted, he could slide the pillows out from under the sacks, which are small and light. Therefore, using the cushions in this way does not negate the ability to use a utensil that was fit for use on Shabbos. If the sacks contain large pieces of glass, he should release them and let them fall. Even if the glass breaks, he will not incur a great loss because pieces of glass such as these are meant to be melted down. The Sages were not concerned with situations in which one would only incur a small loss. If the sacks are large and contain fragile utensils, he may unload the sacks gently. One may not leave a load on an animal over Shabbos because of the discomfort it causes the animal.

Shabbos 21:11

If a person presses fruit together into a single mass, he is liable for gathering. Accordingly, one whose fruits have become scattered throughout his courtyard may collect them individually and eat them but he may not place them in a basket or other vessel as one does during the week. If one were to follow the usual weekday practice, there is a chance that one might press them into the vessel and violate the labor of gathering. Similarly, salt and comparable such things may not be collected into one block, which appears as if one is gathering.