Double Knot on a Torah on Shabbos

 

Question:

This past Shabbos I borrowed a Sefer Torah for our minyan. I opened it before shul in order to roll it and I found that the gartel around the parchment had a double knot. I tried calling a goy, but I could not find one. I then asked my 5-year-old son to untie it.

Was that allowed? I was relying on the Rashba brought by the Alter Rebbe in Siman 343.

However, I was uncertain if untying a double knot (that was probably tied to stay until next Shabbos because the Torah was in a shul that is only used on Shabbos mornings and not during the week) is a Melocho Miderabonon (and then a child can be used) or if its Doyraysa?

Also, I remember that there is some leniency in tying in Siman 317 for Tzorech Mitzvah. Would that apply here?

 

Answer:

In such a case, if there’s no other Sefer Torah available and there’s no way to open this Sefer Torah without untying the double knot of the Gartel, it is permitted even for an adult to untie it.

Explanation: One may tie and untie a double knot on Shabbos if the prohibition is only Miderabanan and it’s for the sake of a Mitzvah.

 

Sources:

ראה שו״ע או״ח (ודאדה״ז) א (ד). וראה גם קצוה״ש קכג בבדה״ש ט. (ויש גם להוסיף שמתיר שלא ע״מ לקשור הוא מד״ס לרוב הראשונים). ושם כתב להתיר גם כשיש ס״ת אחר, עיי״ש טעמו. וצ״ב. וראה שם שברוח חיים, הובא בכה״ח שם, ל״כ כן. וראה גם כאן

האם מותר להתיר ב’ קשרים של סינר מצד צער התינוק?

 

 

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