May one climb up a tree on Shabbos?

Climbing a tree on Shabbos is not a melacha in itself. Chazal however were concerned that were it permitted to climb trees on Shabbos one might easily pick a fruit, or break a branch, or remove some leaves from the tree.

In order for the breaking of a branch to be an issur d’oraisso it must be broken intentionally [1] and not by merely stepping on it. If so, one may ask, if it does not seem to be a likely probability, why was it necessary to make such a g’zeira (decree)?

It is not for us to question the broad mind of Chazal (and even if we do not fathom their perception, we must still accept everything they tell us); however, to somehow add spice to the necessity of such a ruling we can say the following. Imagine climbing a tree and without realizing it you need to place your foot on a specific spot, on a branch. The branch is now in the way and your only course of action is to break the branch. Such an action is an issur d’oraisso! Likewise, if you were sitting in your tree house and you see a beautiful, rosy apple through the window, you might momentarily forget that it was Shabbos and pick the apple. This too is an issur d’oraisso!

Accordingly one should be permitted to climb a branchless, leafless and fruitless tree.

That is a correct observation but Chazal did not differentiate between the various trees and issued an overall prohibition to climb trees. [2]

May one climb down a tree on Shabbos?

The Shulchan Aruch [3] presents various scenes, as follows. If one blatantly climbed a tree on Shabbos, Chazal did not permit him to climb down. The reason is because in order to climb down a tree one must lean and use other branches. ‘Using’ those branches is prohibited on Shabbos. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztz”l adds [4] that if one is able to jump off the tree from the branch one is on without having to lean on or use other branches, one must do so.

If one forgot the halacha or one forgot that it was Shabbos and climbed a tree on Shabbos, one may descend the tree.

Is there a problem placing something on a tree or removing something from a tree on Shabbos?

For the same reason one is prohibited to climb a tree on Shabbos one may not use a tree either. This prohibition includes placing items on trees and removing items placed on trees before Shabbos. One may not tie one’s horse to a tree either.

Chazal were so steadfast with their decree that they said that even if a shofar was put on a branch before Rosh Hashana and this shofar was needed for blowing, a Jew may not remove the shofar from the tree. [5]

A gentile may be asked to retrieve the shofar because one may instruct a gentile to ‘violate’ an issur d’rabanan for the sake of a mitzvah.

We even find that Chazal prohibited [6] placing certain items on trees before Shabbos lest one will need that item and remove it from the tree on Shabbos. Rav Shlomo Zalman says [7] that this is not a blank prohibition and it only refers to items one uses continuously.

• One may not hang a coat or jacket on a tree on Shabbos.
• One may not put a siddur or a sweater (cardigan) on a branch on Shabbos.

Does this issur apply to all types of trees?

This issur only refers to trees and branches that are above 3 tefachim from the ground.  Anything below that is not labeled as a tree [8] and one may place things on such a branch. [9] If a certain section of a branch is above 3 tefachim and another section is below 3 tefachim, each section is treated differently. One may not place items or remove items from the section that is above 3 and one may remove and put items on the section that is below 3 tefachim. [10]