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Rav Eliyahu Reingold, Rosh Kollel in the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, spent many years learning in the Telshe Yeshiva and Kollel where he was recognized as one of their foremost talmidim. He taught in the Telshe Mechina before coming to the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. He is a noted Baal Halacha and Baal Mussar, serving as a well-respected posek for the Yeshiva and community. Besides his responsibility in leading the Kollel, he delivers a high level shiur to advanced students, and provides many halacha shiurim throughout the year. His heartfelt weekly mussar shmuess in an inspiration to all.
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Kotzair 4 - Storing Items in the Ground (Klal 12 Siman 3) Hilchos Shabbos - S0350
Sponsorships for the upcoming Klalim, which discuss the 39 melachos of Shabbos, are available. Please contact Rabbi Reingold for more information at rabbireingold@gmail.com or 301.996.5910
We are beginning siman 3. The Chayei Adam introduces a scenario of a person who wishes to place something into dirt for the purpose of preservation and not for the purpose of it taking root.
The Chayei Adam writes that it is muttar to place flowers or herbs into the ground to keep them fresh for the purpose of smelling on Shabbos. It is not considered kotzair since they have not taken root. Sometimes, even if they were not placed in the ground for the purpose of planting, the item will take root anyways, so one must be careful to note whether it has taken root or not before removing it. Additionally, the Chayei Adam points out that one cannot have any intent that the item take root, because if they were placed in the ground with that intention, it will be kotzair to remove it.
Regarding smelling the plant, it is assur to smell an edible plant on Shabbos. Chazal were concerned that once a person is smelling it, they may decide to eat it, which would be kotzair. However, this concern does not apply to plants which are not edible, since there is no added benefit to detaching it. Thus, there is no issue smelling such plants on Shabbos, and the point of the Chayei Adam is that if the item has not taken root, and is not placed in the ground for the purpose of planting, it would be muttar to remove them from the ground on Shabbos.
Regarding placing the plants back in the ground, the Chayei Adam is not concerned that by thrusting the plants into the ground the person is creating a hole (choreish or boneh). This concern only applies if one wishes to place the plants into the ground for the first time on Shabbos, because the person is building an opening (boneh) or digging a hole (choreish). However, once it has already been placed in and out of the ground once, it creates enough width in that area of the ground that there is no concern of melacha (and it is possibly detrimental to the hole for the dirt to be so loose).
Thus, the Chayei Adam is teaching us that something can be placed in the ground for the purpose of maintenance, and not for planting, and it is not considered connected to the ground. This is different than placing something in water, because the water serves as a growth medium and is a normal way to grow plants. Using the ground for storage is less common, so Chazal did not enact an issur in this case.
Summary
It is muttar to place or remove plants from the ground that were placed there for the purpose of storage, provided that:
They are not placed with any intention that they take root;
They have not taken root;
They plants were previously placed in the ground before Shabbos, such that one is not making a new hole when replacing them