- Q. Hello Rav, We had a non Jewish cleaning lady over on Shabbat becasue she wasn't able to come on Friday. We had a busy Erev Sabbat and left a massive pile of various washed eating utensils on the counter to dry out. It was clearly a “borrer” mixture with knives/forks mixed in among various size plates, bowls, etc.
When the cleaning lady sees it, she will put everything back in their proper places for storage in the cupboards and drawers which would violate borrer. My understanding is that generally, I can't allow her to do melacha for me that I can't do. However, even I would be able to un-mix the mixture by placing everything spread out on the counters or tables and then once its not in a mixture, I could put everything away in their proper places.
Since it is possible for me to put them away in a permitted way, am I allowed to let her put them away without unmixing it first? Thank you!
A. Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a explained that since you are not asking the maid to do it and she does the replacing back by and at her own convenience and easiest way, there is no Borer prohibition involved.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller Horav, Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a
Important Numbers
