Question: Can we inflate an air-bed with a foot-pump on Shabbos for an unexpected
guest?
Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC
340:8) writes that one can put feathers back into a cushion on Shabbos though
one can’t replace it with fresh feathers as this is tikkun mana, fixing
an object (See Mishna Berura 340:32). Based on this, R’ Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss
(Minchas Yitzchak 6:30) forbids pumping up a mattress on Shabbos, as one is
putting ‘new air’ into the mattress. Additionally, one should avoid acts that
involve a lot of tircha, exertion on Shabbos.
R’ Pesach Eliyahu
Falk (Machazeh Eliyahu 69:2), however disagrees. There is a big difference
between a cushion that is considered broken minus its stuffing, and an
inflatable mattress, that is more like a water bottle that is supposed to be
emptied and filled as needed (See Minchas Shlomo 1:11:5)
Similarly, R’
Bezalel Stern (Betzel Hachachma 4:92:1; 93) writes that one may inflate a
mattress on Shabbos. One can’t compare air that has no real substance to
feather stuffing (See Igros Moshe CM 2:47:3).
R’
Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras
Shabbos Kehilchasa 15:89; 34:24) writes that one may only inflate the mattress
if it had previously been inflated, though not for the first time it’s been
used.
In conclusion, while it is ideal
to inflate mattresses before Shabbos, one can do so on Shabbos for a guest,
especially if the mattress has been used before.
thank you
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