Maíase and Gírama

This shiur is not intended to be a halachic source and one should not draw any conclusions from it. It is merely a guide to the halachic concepts. The seforim deal extensively with the definitions of gírama and maíase and it is not possible in a short essay to include everything.

What is the difference between maíase and gírama?

A maíase is a direct action and gírama is a delayed action, for example, pouring water onto fire and extinguishing the fire is a maíase, whereas placing plastic bags filled with water in the path of a fire is gírama, because the fire will melt the bags which will cause the water to extinguish the fire. [1]

Is gírama permitted?

The possuk says χ ˙ڢ ÎÏ ÓχΉ one may not perform a melacha, and the Gemora learns that performing ñ doing is ossur, gírama is permitted. Midíoraisso, gírama is permitted but Chazal prohibited gírama unless in face of loss. [2]

Can you provide examples of maíase and gírama?  

v     Maíase: It is an issur díoraisso, on account of zoreíah (planting), to throw seeds onto wet ground where they can take root. The Torah prohibited the planting action even though the seeds will not take root for several days.

Gírama: It is a gírama to throw seeds on dry ground during winter, not a maíase, because seeds cannot grow in dry ground. [3] After it rains the seeds can take root but it is not a direct consequence of oneís action.

 

v     Maíase: It is an issur díoraisso, on account of tochein (grinding), to place grain in a grinder during operation, because the grinder begins grinding immediately. [4]Even though the person is not grinding the grain by hand, placing it into the grinder is equivalent to hand grinding and is an issur díoraisso.

Gírama: It is a gírama to place grain in the grinder when it is not operating, because eventually when the grinder operates, it will grind the grain. It is not a maíase because at present there are no consequences to oneís action. [5]

An interesting point - The Biíur Halacha [6] is in doubt when one places grain into the grinderís receptacle above other grain and consequently the new grain will not be ground immediately. On the one hand it is a gírama, because oneís action does not have direct consequences but on the other hand, the grinder is in operation and the new grain will definitely be ground.

One may ask that placing oil into a lamp is a díoraisso, on account of mavíir (making fire), even though there is oil in the lamp. The answer is that new oil either assists the present oilís combustion or is immediately drawn into the wick and burns, i.e. there are direct consequences to oneís action. [7]

v     Maíase: Trapping and capturing is an issur díoraisso of tzeida ñ capturing. This is brought about either by throwing a net onto an animal or fish, lassoing, or by closing a cage door etc. Oneís action bears direct consequences on the subject as it is no longer free. [8]

Gírama: It is only gírama to set a trap, because setting a trap does not bear direct consequences on the trapped creature. Even if a short while after erecting nets or baiting a line an animal or fish is trapped, it is only gírama because the creature was captured as a result of oneís action, not during oneís action. [9] Some poskim learn that if a trap is set in a place where animals etc. are common, it is a d'oraisso even if the animal enters the trap after being erected. [10]

An interesting point ñ one might ask from cooking and baking, or even planting. We know that it is ossur midíoraisso to place a pot of water on a fire even though cooking takes a while and yet it is bishul, so why is trapping different?

The answer is that indeed one might want to view cooking as gírama and yet the Torah considered such an action to be a maíase. In other words, the melacha of cooking is to place an item near a heat source intending it to cook or bake. The direct consequence of oneís action is that the item begins to cook.

Trapping has a more direct action than setting traps and baiting and therefore the melacha is the direct action of physically trapping.

Are there examples of indirect actions that are considered a maíase?

Closing a cage door on an animal is tzeida even though one did not do anything physical to the animal.

v     Drawing water from a hot water urn, where the remaining water is not fully cooked, is an action of bishul, because the remaining water will cook quicker. [11]

Drawing water from a hot water urn, which in turn permits cold water to pour into the urn, some say is an action, not gírama. [12]

What are examples of gírama?

 

A          Placing a burning candle in sand will cause the candle to extinguish prematurely. It is only gírama because it will only take place later and nothing has altered the burning candle. On the other hand, removing oil from a lantern, according to some opinions, is a maíase because the flame diminishes in that instance.