May one smell a myrtle branch (hadas) that is attached to the ground on Shabbos?

            One may smell a rose or a hadas on Shabbos even though the stalk or shoot is attached or planted in the ground. [1] A b’racha must be made when smelling such plants, see your siddur for the correct b’racha.

The same applies to hadasim or roses placed in a vase on the table.

            What about smelling a red, rosy apple attached to the tree?

            Chazal differentiated between smelling edible fruit and fragrant plants. Plainly there ought not to be a difference between the two. However, Chazal were concerned that were one permitted to smell an edible fruit on Shabbos one might easily pick the fruit to eat it and transgress an issur d’oraisso of “picking” on Shabbos. Although there is also room for concern that one might pick a fragrant plant when smelling it on Shabbos, but since one can benefit from the plant when it is attached and smell it without picking it, Chazal were not concerned that one would pick it on Shabbos.

One may smell a detached apple or etrog on Shabbos; only one should make the b’racha “äðåúï øéç èåá áôéøåú”.

            What about smelling the hadasim on Sukkos that are used for the mitzvah of netilas lulav?

            We’ve missed the boat this year, but the halacha is that on Sukkos one may not smell the hadasim that are being used with the lulav. [2] The reason is because hadasim are usually designated as fragrant and when used for the mitzvah of lulav one designates it for the mitzvah and disassociates it from its regular use. [3]

The Etrog, on the other hand, is not usually designated as fragrant, being that it is an edible fruit. As such one disassociates it from its regular use, i.e. eating and designates it for the mitzvah, but it is not ‘removed’ from smelling because it is not intended for smelling. However, the Shulchan Aruch says that one should not smell an Etrog on Sukkos because there is a dispute as to the correct b’racha made when smelling it on Sukkos. [4]

            Is one permitted to make the b’racha over the blossoming of the trees on Shabbos?

            It is customary around the month of Nissan to praise Hashem with the recital of the b’racha of tree blossoming. The Kaf haChaim [5] writes that one should refrain from the recital of this b’racha on Shabbos lest one handles a tree or lest one picks from the tree. The question is that we learned that when one merely wishes to smell a branch etc. Chazal were not concerned that one will pick the branch. The same logic should apply here as well. Here too one does not smell a fruit and it should be permitted to recite this b’racha. For a valid p’sak one should refer to a rav.

            May one make a picnic lunch in one’s garden on Shabbos?

            Several problems exist when making a picnic and one must be aware of them.

Firstly, one may not wash one’s hands over the grass because watering grass on Shabbos is an issur d’oraisso of Zore’ah. One may argue and say “I am not watering the grass, I am merely washing my hands and by the way the grass is being watered”. It is a semi-valid argument, and we will explain.

We have often mentioned the concept of p’sik reisha, which refers to a melacha being done by-the-way. The halacha is that a p’sik reisha d’nicha lei, i.e. one is content and happy with the outcome of the melacha done by-the-way, is also a melacha d’oraisso and transgressing it on Shabbos is akin to doing a direct melacha.

Accordingly therefore, washing one’s hands over one’s own grass, although it is only a p’sik reisha and not a direct melacha, since one is pleased that one’s own grass is watered it is an issur d’oraisso.

            Would it make a difference if it was not in my own lawn?

            It surely would make a difference because you are indifferent as to the outcome of the washing. This kind of action is classified as p’sik reisha d’lo nicha lei or lo ichpas lei, which means a p’sik reisha that one does not want the outcome or one is indifferent to the outcome. The halacha in this case is a machlokes as to whether it is prohibited or not. The Mishna Berura [6] says that many poskim are of the opinion that it is prohibited.

This case would only hold true in a stranger’s garden or in a forest, but in your close friend’s garden, since you have his interests at heart, watering his garden would please you as well and it would be called nicha lei. [7]

It is unclear whether washing hands in a public park is called nicha lei, where on the one hand you are not responsible for watering the grass but on the other hand you are extremely pleased when the grass in your local park grows nicely. (It is anyway prohibited on account of lo nicha lei).

There are the obvious problems of carrying when there is no eiruv when making a picnic out of one’s own garden.

            Are there any other problems making a picnic?

            The Rama says [8] that it is nearly impossible not to spill liquid when eating and therefore it is correct to be stringent and not have a picnic in one’s garden on Shabbos. If one takes care though to wash hands and drink indoors it is no problem. [9]

Is it permitted to transfer a vase of flowers from the table to the sideboard?

            It is accepted that flowers in a vase are not muktze on Shabbos and Yom Tov and thus the vase they are in is not muktze either. [10] Accordingly one may transfer the vase from one’s table and put it on the sideboard.