Rav Chiya bar Ashi Cleans Rav's Shoes
Rav Chiya bar Ashi served his rebbe Rav devotedly, dropping water on Rav's shoes even on Shabbos to clean them, which opens a Gemara discussion on laundering.
In the daf this week, we learned the story of Rav Chiya bar Ashi. He faithfully attended to the needs of his rebbe, Rav. He would often drop water on his rebbe’s shoes even on Shabbos to clean them. This opened up a discussion about the permissibility of using water to clean clothing on Shabbos. The Gemara concludes that one is not allowed to intentionally cause clothes to become wet on Shabbos. With fabric, the very act of becoming wet is considered laundering. This violates the av melacha of melabein. However, leather, which is significantly less absorbent than fabric, may be cleaned by pouring water over it. One may also rub the shoe gently to clean it of wet mud. (Dried mud involves other prohibitions.) Heavy rubbing may constitute a Biblical or rabbinic violation of laundering even for leather. However, if there is fabric stitching on the shoe, you may not pour water over it. In addition to cleaning the leather you are laundering the fabric stitching. There is another leniency related to cleaning shoes. Whereas Ashkenazim refrain from dusting off their clothes on Shabbos, they are permitted to dust off shoes. (There are circumstances under which dusting off clothes is permissible as well.)