Collecting Air-Conditioning Water on Shabbos

 Courtesy of Ohr Olam Mishnah Berurah

Question: Is it permitted on Shabbos to place an empty bowl [or cup] to collect the water which is dripping from an air-conditioner unit146?

Discussion: In halachic terms, a keli (utensil) is an object which is prepared to be used for a specific purpose [or purposes]. A plate, for instance, is used for food, a soup bowl for hot or cold soup, and a cup is used for drinking. Chazal147 decreed that it is forbidden to “negate a utensil’s use” on Shabbos. That means that one may not deliberately148 disable a utensil from functioning in accordance with its intended use. Several examples will illustrate this precept:

• It is forbidden to place a soup bowl [or cup] near or underneath an oil-based candelabra to catch the spillover oil so it can be saved and reused in the future. Since the oil which will pour into the bowl is muktzeh,149 the bowl may no longer be moved for the rest of the Shabbos.150
• It is forbidden to place a pillow underneath a chicken about to lay an egg to receive the egg before it falls and breaks. Since an egg that was laid on Shabbos is muktzeh,151 the pillow will not be able to be moved for the rest of Shabbos. The pillow, therefore, has lost its intended designation, since it cannot be used for sleeping for the duration of Shabbos152.
• It is questionable if one may use a blanket [or a garment] to clean up a sticky mess, since the blanket can then no longer be used for its intended use as a cover.153

Although the prohibition of “negating a utensil’s use” is explicit in the Talmud, the reason behind this rabbinic injunction is not clearly specified. The rishonim,154 however, offer two explanations for this prohibition:

1. A utensil which become dysfunctional is no longer considered a utensil. Just like it is forbidden to physically break a utensil on Shabbos, so too its forbidden to disable its function, even if physically it is still intact. This is a form of sosser (demolishing) miderabanan.
2. When a utensil can no longer be freely moved around but must remain in its place, it is considered immobilized. It is as if it is being glued to its place. This is considered as a form of boneh155 (constructing) miderabanan.

Based on the above, some poskim hold that it is forbidden to place a bowl meant for serving soup or a cup meant for drinking to collect muktzeh156 water that is dripping from an air conditioning unit. Since the water will remain in the bowl for the rest of Shabbos and the bowl can no longer be freely moved, it is considered as if one has negated the utensil’s use.157

There are several practical solutions for one who needs to deal with an air-conditioning leak on Shabbos or Yom Tov:

1. Collect the water in a utensil which is designed for such a purpose, such as a pail, a dish pan or a garbage can. [Alternatively, use a garbage bag, paper towels or any disposable utensil.] Chazal’s decree forbidding to “negate a utensil’s use” applies only to when the utensil can no longer be used in the way that it was meant to be used. A pail, etc., however, is intended to be used to collect any refuse, including water leaking from an air-conditioning unit.158
2. Before placing the bowl or cup under the air-conditioning unit, place a non-muktzeh object, e.g. a spoon, into the bowl or cup. This will permit the moving of the bowl even once it is filled with the muktzeh water.159

If the above options are not practical, and it is a case of great need, such as when the water will cause damage to an expensive floor or carpet, or it will create a big mess or an unpleasant smell, one may rely on the poskim who hold that the prohibition of “negating a utensil’s use” does not apply in this case. These poskim maintain that since the collected muktzeh water is repulsive and may be disposed based on the graf shel rei’i dispensation,160 the bowl can then be freely moved, and the usage of the bowl has not been negated.161

A related subject is whether it is permitted to pour used mayim acharonim into a bowl or plate not normally used in that manner. The poskim agree that this is permitted for several reasons: 1) Mayim acharonim water are technically not muktzeh, since it is not halachically forbidden to drink them.162 2) Although mayim acharonim are not drunk since a ruach ra’ah envelopes them, they can be used to clean a toilet bowl, etc.163

146. Same issue applies to dirty water dripping out of a radiator or a leaking pipe.

147. Shabbos 43a; 154b.

148. The poskim agree that only a direct action that causes the utensil’s usage to become negated is forbidden. If it happens in backhanded manner (grama), it is permitted. See Mishnah Berurah 265:5 for an illustration of this concept.

149. The oil is muktzeh since it was set aside from before Shabbos to be part of a burning lamp and may not be removed since doing so may be a violation of kibui (extinguishing). Even after the oil drips out of the lamp it is still muktzeh, since once an item becomes muktzeh in the beginning of Shabbos it remains so for the rest of Shabbos. See Chapter 279 for more information.

150. O.C. 265:3. Technically, the oil could be poured out of the bowl which would then allow the bowl to be moved. But since the oil is being saved for later use, it is unlikely that it will be poured out; the utensil, therefore, is considered immobilized.

151. See O.C. 513:1 for the background as to why a newly hatched egg is muktzeh.

152. Mishnah Berurah 513:11, based on O.C. 310:6.

153. Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 22, note 54).

154. This is discussed by Rashi and Tosafos, Shabbos 43a. See also Ritva for an alternative reason.

155. See Bach, E.H. 169:5.

156. The dripping water is muktzeh because it is classified as nolad gamur, newly created on Shabbos; Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 13, note 130); Ashrei ha-Ish 17:221; Shevet ha-Levi 9:128; 11:204.

157. Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 22:26.

158. Rav Y.S. Elyashiv (Shevus Yitzchak, Muktzeh 20-8); Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 22, note 128; Be’er Moshe 5:85. See Sefas Emes, Shabbos 42b, s.v. v’im.

159. Ashrei ha-Ish 17:221, based on Mishnah Berurah 265:6; Orchos Shabbos 19:352. It is questionable whether putting some clean water in the bowl before the muktzeh water drip in is sufficient; see Mishnah Berurah 310:32, Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 13, note 131 and Orchos Shabbos 19, note 520 for an elaboration on this subject.

160. See CHD to Chapter 308 for a full explanation of this term.

161. Beiur Halachah 338:8, s.v. assur, quoting Chayei Adam, based on the view of the Tur. See Orchos Shabbos 19, note 519, who suggests that nowadays all opinions might allow it.

162. Beiur Halachah 338:8, s.v. assur; Shulchan Shelomo 338:7.

163. Rav Y.S. Elyashiv (Shalmei Yehudah 10, note 41).