May one play with word games on Shabbos, such as Scrabble?

The object of Scrabble is to form words from letters. Forming words is not a melacha at all and therefore as far as forming words is concerned, it is not a problem. (In the previous shiurim we learnt that one may slice a cake between the letters and it is not considered erasing – as only cutting an actual letter is erasing - here too one may form a word and it is not called writing).

However, the Chayei Adam [1] writes that one may not play a game where it is normal to write down, as a g’zeira lest one will write on Shabbos, and part of the game of scrabble is to write down the score. Accordingly it seems that one may not play scrabble on Shabbos and indeed the Sh’miras Shabbos Kehilchasa [2] cites the Chayei Adam and does not quote opinions who oppose it. [3]

Is one permitted to etch a line in a book with one’s fingernail in order to remember where one left off?

On the one hand a single line is meaningless [4] and does not stand for anything. On the other hand, one etches it onto the page for a reason. The Mechaber [5] says that one may etch a line with one’s fingernail onto the page in order to remember where there is a mistake and correct it after Shabbos. However the Mishna Berura explains that the Shulchan Aruch is referring to inscribing onto parchment, which has a hard texture and the parchment will reform leaving no mark, which is not the case with paper which is soft and where the mark will remain. Therefore it is forbidden to score or make a mark on paper.

Accordingly, one may not etch or score a mark in a book in order to remember where one is at, or to mark a mistake.

May one fold over a page corner which makes a crease in the page in order to remember one’s place?

 It is permitted to fold a page even though it creases the page because one has no need for the crease itself nor does one fold the page with the purpose of creasing the page.

If I see that the button on my sleeve is loose, am I permitted to pull the thread without knotting it afterwards?

The Shulchan Aruch [6] says that one may not pull the thread that binds two pieces of cloth together in order to draw them closer, on account of úåôø – sewing.

The Mishna Berura [7] adds that the following:

If two stitches are loose and one ties the thread after pulling it, one is chayav (liable) to bring a korban chatas, i.e. one has violated an issur d’oraisso. If one does not tie it, one has violated an issur d’rabanan.

If three stitches are loose and one pulls the thread, one has violated an issur d’oraisso even without tying the thread.

Usually a button is sewn many times over and by pulling the thread one is tightening quite a few stitches. According to the above it would be considered violating an issur d’oraisso even without tying the thread after pulling it, and all the more so if one were to loop the thread around the stitches in order to keep them in place.

May I wear the shirt or jacket when the button is thus loose?

The problem with wearing such clothing in this state is the problem of carrying without an eiruv. A button or hook is usually regarded as part of the clothing and has no intrinsic value of its own, but when a button thread has become loose and one refrains from buttoning it lest it falls off, it is possible that the button is not considered as part of the clothing and it is better to refrain from wearing such clothing in a reshus harabim where there is no eiruv. [8]

One may wear clothing in a reshus harabim which have threads hanging from buttons that have totally fallen off provided that one is not disturbed by their presence and one does not intend to remove the threads. [9] It is forbidden to remove a loose button or loose threads from a garment on account of the issur of tearing, [10] being that the threads are still part of the garment.