859. Doors and Bolts

Shabbos 26:8

Let us discuss a door that (a) formerly had a hinge but currently does not, (b) is prepared for use in sealing a yard, and (c) drags on the ground when it is opened and closed. In such a case, if the door is attached to and hanging on the wall, it may be used to seal the yard and it may be locked, otherwise it may not be used. If the door is raised above the ground so that it does not drag, it may be used to seal the yard. The same rules apply to partitions of various materials.

Shabbos 26:9

Let us now discuss a door that is simply a big piece of wood inserted into a doorway and removed in order to open it. If the doorway does not have a stoop-like ledge at the bottom to indicate that the door is a utensil used to close it, one may not use such a door. If there is such a ledge, the door may be used. Similarly, in order to use the bolt of a door, it must have a bulb at one end to indicate that it is a utensil for bolting a door. Otherwise, it is indistinguishable from a random piece of wood.