As noted in a previous TftD, one must be careful about removing unwanted stuff ("shmutz") from a garment; the issues range from potential Torah prohibitions (such as מכה בפטיש/finishing touches and כיבוס/laundering) to the Rabbinic prohibition of עובדין דחול/mundane activities. This is almost an oversimplification, but the activity is usually permitted if the owner is not particularly מקפיד/meticulous about the shmutz -- as demonstrated by his actions. And therein lies, as they say (and you better believe pun intended), the rub.
The reason that seems like an oversimplification is that meaning of being מקפיד depends at least on the person himself, the potential violation, and the context in which he is removing the shmutz. Lets take is slowly and one step at at time.
I find it easiest to start where there is agreement and then work your way in. Everyone agrees that you are allowed to knock bread crumbs off your lap. Everyone likewise agrees that you are permitted to remove -- even scrape with a knife -- that cholent you just spattered over you shirt, tie, and pants on Shabbos morning when you were trying to get that really delicious bit of extra crunchy cholent from the bottom of the crock pot and the spoon got stuck and you pushed a little harder (being really careful... really, honey, I was) and the cholent gave way and just a teensy bit of cholent came flying out of the pot (I know it looks like a lot, but it's really hardly any) and landed on your last clean shirt, tie, and suit pants (I've done this hundreds of times before and never had this happen); hypothetically speaking, of course. On the other hand, everyone agrees that it is forbidden to run water onto your shirt, tie, and pants and then rub them vigorously together to remove the greasy cholent that has soaked into said garments.
What's the difference? Intentionally removing something from the matrix of the fabric itself is called כיבוס/laundering. Removing something the surface of the garment is, at worst, עובדין דחול/mundane activities. Now we are in a position to understand מקפיד. If the worst that could happen from your removal of the shmutz, then מקפיד means "would refrain from wearing the garment until the shmutz was removed" -- highly subjective. Ranging from "eww.. I wouldn't wear that thing unless it were dry cleaned" (you know who you are), down to "meh... if I stand just right, my jacket and tie will cover the big spots and no one looks below my knees, anyway" (that's me).
If, on the other hand, the action could lead to (or at least appear to be) a Torah prohibition -- such as כיבוס or מכה בפטיש -- then מקפיד means nothing less than performing the action with intention. Pulling a stray thread off a shirt, for example, is close to how weavers finish a garment, so one would only be allowed to do that absentmindedly. The fact that you really, really don't care and would absolutely, positively wear the shirt even with that loose thread is not enough to get you out of the מקפיד category. Another way to loose the "no, really... I'm not מקפיד" status is to perform the action with real enthusiasm. Knocking the dust off your tallis with a lot of force, the way you've seen people clean rugs in old black and white moves. That level of enthusiasm is essentially a פסיק רישא that you are מקפיד.
Perhaps you are still wondering how one could end up doing something absentmindedly and still have enough presence of mind to worry if it is permitted or not. If so, then I have to ask: Really? Have you met me?
The reason that seems like an oversimplification is that meaning of being מקפיד depends at least on the person himself, the potential violation, and the context in which he is removing the shmutz. Lets take is slowly and one step at at time.
I find it easiest to start where there is agreement and then work your way in. Everyone agrees that you are allowed to knock bread crumbs off your lap. Everyone likewise agrees that you are permitted to remove -- even scrape with a knife -- that cholent you just spattered over you shirt, tie, and pants on Shabbos morning when you were trying to get that really delicious bit of extra crunchy cholent from the bottom of the crock pot and the spoon got stuck and you pushed a little harder (being really careful... really, honey, I was) and the cholent gave way and just a teensy bit of cholent came flying out of the pot (I know it looks like a lot, but it's really hardly any) and landed on your last clean shirt, tie, and suit pants (I've done this hundreds of times before and never had this happen); hypothetically speaking, of course. On the other hand, everyone agrees that it is forbidden to run water onto your shirt, tie, and pants and then rub them vigorously together to remove the greasy cholent that has soaked into said garments.
What's the difference? Intentionally removing something from the matrix of the fabric itself is called כיבוס/laundering. Removing something the surface of the garment is, at worst, עובדין דחול/mundane activities. Now we are in a position to understand מקפיד. If the worst that could happen from your removal of the shmutz, then מקפיד means "would refrain from wearing the garment until the shmutz was removed" -- highly subjective. Ranging from "eww.. I wouldn't wear that thing unless it were dry cleaned" (you know who you are), down to "meh... if I stand just right, my jacket and tie will cover the big spots and no one looks below my knees, anyway" (that's me).
If, on the other hand, the action could lead to (or at least appear to be) a Torah prohibition -- such as כיבוס or מכה בפטיש -- then מקפיד means nothing less than performing the action with intention. Pulling a stray thread off a shirt, for example, is close to how weavers finish a garment, so one would only be allowed to do that absentmindedly. The fact that you really, really don't care and would absolutely, positively wear the shirt even with that loose thread is not enough to get you out of the מקפיד category. Another way to loose the "no, really... I'm not מקפיד" status is to perform the action with real enthusiasm. Knocking the dust off your tallis with a lot of force, the way you've seen people clean rugs in old black and white moves. That level of enthusiasm is essentially a פסיק רישא that you are מקפיד.
Perhaps you are still wondering how one could end up doing something absentmindedly and still have enough presence of mind to worry if it is permitted or not. If so, then I have to ask: Really? Have you met me?
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