What about the use of a sauna after Shabbos which was heated during Shabbos?

This question was more pertinent in earlier times, when heating a sauna or bathhouse meant adding wood or coals to a fire and stoking it. We will nevertheless discuss it because this halacha has many ramifications to our current lives.

For the sauna to be hot straight after Shabbos, the bathhouse attendant would have to heat the sauna or baths on Shabbos. Since Chazal prohibited deriving benefit from actions performed by gentiles on Shabbos when performed for Jews, it is imperative to determine whether indeed it was done for Jews.

The Shulchan Aruch [1] teaches us that when the majority of the bathers are gentiles, we regard the heating as being done solely for them and Jews may bathe or sweat in the sauna straight after Shabbos. If the majority are Jews, or Jews and gentiles equally, we regard the heating as being done for the Jews and they may not bathe straight after Shabbos. In such a case they must wait the time of bichdei she’ya’asu, i.e. the time it takes to do the prohibited melacha. In this case, if for example it takes 3 hours to heat the sauna or bathhouse, a Jew must wait 3 hours before entering.

Where is this applicable today?

This applies to any action a gentile performs on Shabbos and is used by Jews after Shabbos. If it takes 2 hours to open and heat up a swimming pool that is used mainly by Jews (separate swimming), and the caretaker makes the preparations on Shabbos, the bathers must wait 2 hours after Shabbos before swimming.

Is one permitted to rub oil on chapped hands?

Applying oil to one’s body in Shabbos is not a problem unless it is done for one of two reasons. If one applies oil in order to massage one’s body it is a problem and should be avoided. [2] If applied as medication, one encounters the problem of dealing with and administering medicine on Shabbos. As previously mentioned, Chazal prohibited medication on Shabbos unless one is ill, as described in the previous shiur. Chapped hands or lips are not severe enough to be termed illnesses and therefore one may not apply oil etc. as treatment.[3]

If however, it is customary in that vicinity for healthy people to apply oil on their hands on a regular basis, one may apply oil to chapped hands as well, because then it is not seen as medication. [4]

May one smear oil on one’s body for pleasure?

We mentioned that massaging is a problem but applying oil for its own benefit and not for medicinal reasons is not a problem. Vaseline and any other thick oily substance is prohibited on account of îîøç – smoothing. We are only referring to a liquid.

May one apply oil to leather shoes on Shabbos?

The Mishna Berura [5] explains that there are two problems applying oil to shoes. The basic problem is that oiling leather is one of the methods for treating leather. Tanning is an Av Melacha and oiling leather is part of the process. Oiling new shoes might involve an issur d’oraisso, but even old shoes must not be oiled. [6]

The second problem is coloring. Polishing black shoes black is obviously an issur of coloring, [7] but even oiling shoes when the purpose is to enhance and shine the shoe is also a severe problem. [8]

How can oil, which is neutral, be called coloring?

The idea behind coloring is to give an item a certain appearance. An oiled surface enhances the color beneath it and gives it a shine. The same applies to smearing colorless liquid on lips or painting fingernails with a neutral color on Shabbos. All these enhancers are intended to highlight the natural color beneath and are all prohibited on account of coloring. [9]