Shaking Off Water and Snow from Garments on Shabbos

Question

I was recently learning the Gemara in Shabbos 146b, which states that the Torah forbids shaking off a garment on Shabbos. While Rashi explains that this is referring to removing dust, Tosafos explains that the Gemara is referring to shaking off dew. When one shakes off this dew, it is as though one has cleaned the garment on Shabbos. I have a few questions to ask Rav Auerbach about how to apply this Gemara as far as halacha lemaaseh is concerned.

I am not really sure why, but I have a custom to shake my hands off before drying them on a towel on Shabbos. Sometimes, when I wash for bread, water gets on my sleeves. On Shabbos, can I shake the water off my hands when there is water on my sleeves?

While we are on the topic of shaking water off garments, I have a new black plastic raincoat that I wear on Shabbos. I would like to know: If it gets covered with rain or snow, can I shake it off? What about shaking snow off a woolen overcoat?

Rav Auerbach 

As you correctly noted, the Gemara (Shabbos 146b) writes that the Torah forbids a person from shaking off his garment. Tosafos understands that he is shaking off water from the garment, and that is comparable to the melacha of kibus, washing one’s clothes.

As far as washing is concerned, although it is permitted to wash hard leather on Shabbos — for example, mud on shoes — there is a concern when doing so that one may be washing off mud-covered threads, and that would be meleches melabein. This is because the threads on a shoe are quite thick, and when covered with mud, washing them off can be considered meleches melabein.

However, when it comes to the threads on a plastic raincoat, these threads are much thinner and far less noticeable than the threads on shoes. I looked at one of these raincoats and could hardly make out the threads. Therefore, I do not believe that there is any issue of meleches melaben with shaking off snow or any other wet precipitation on Shabbos.

You also asked whether it is permitted to shake the water off your hands when it inadvertently causes water to be shaken off the sleeves of your jacket. This halacha is a chiddush, and it applies only if one specifically intends to remove the water in order to beautify the garment. Therefore, in the case you describe, where you do not intend to remove the water for that reason, shaking your hands is permitted.

Since you are asking me this question, I will tell you why you shake off your hands before drying them on Shabbos. Most Rishonim do not have a problem with drying wet hands on Shabbos. This is because the principle that sheriyaso zehu kibuso — soaking an item is like washing it — does not apply when it is derech lichluch. The Yereim mentions such a custom in order to avoid the problem of wetting a towel, which could potentially fall under the category of sheriyaso zehu kibuso.

The Shulchan Aruch (302:10) recommends first trying to remove excess water from your hands so that you do not overly wet the towel, which some consider to be meleches kibus. According to the Rama, there is no issue at all with drying wet hands on a towel, but the Mishnah Berurah (ibid. 50) writes that it is worthwhile to follow this practice.