Unclogging A Sink On Shabbat

Unclogging A Sink On Shabbat Day: Thursday Date: January 9, 2014 Parshat: Beshalah Source: Yalkut Yosef: 308 Many sinks have a trap above the drain to prevent food particles and other undesirables from going down and clogging the drain. If the trap got full and is blocking the water from draining properly one may clean it out on Shabbat even though technically the items have no purpose and are muktzeh. One may not pick up a stone on Shabbat and use it to hold a door open or closed because a stone has no purpose on Shabbat and is muktzeh. However, if he decided before Shabbat that he wants to use that specific stone as a door stop then he may use it. If he used it during the week for that purpose then he doesn't need to set it aside since by using it he showed that he wants it to be his door stop. One needs to decide before Shabbat that he wants to use it for that purpose. If he didn't do so it is too late to decide on Shabbat itself. The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org