Rashi (explaining the mishna at the bottom of Shabbos 93b, and elucidated by yours truly here.) says that חי נושא אה עצמו/a living being carries itself means that a living being lightens itself. You may be (and, I daresay, should be) asking yourself: What in the world does that mean?
Perhaps you think it means "a living thing feels lighter... it can adjust itself and stuff." I respectfully submit that you should think again. First, Rashi does't say "makes itself feel lighter", but "makes itself lighter". Moreover, R' Moshe (Igros Moshe, O. Ch. IV, 90) explains that Rashi means that the כבדות/heaviness is less that expected for something of that משקל/weight and volume. Again, not "seems", just "is". You may argue that the "seems" is self-understood and obvious. I disagree; respectfully. Lastly, I think a mean-tempered cat (and what cat is not mean-tempered) is much easier to carry when bound.
But, wait, there's more. The halacha of חי נושא אה עצמו does not apply to someone (or some critter) who is neither sick nor bound. Again, you may be (and, I daresay, should be) asking yourself: How sick? I mean, is it enough to have a broken nail or a splinter? If not, how about a terrible flu? If not, how about a coma?
But wait, there's more. חי נושא אה עצמו doesn't even apply to someone (or some critter) who is bound. The rope, chain, duct tape, whatever you fancy is certainly not בטל/nullified by the guy/critter. That guy/critter certainly wants them off and the perpetrator certainly wants them in place. That being the case, whether or not the bound guy/critter carries him/itself -- or is even there at all -- is completely irrelevant; the rope, chain, duct tape, whatever you fancy does not carry itself.
But wait, there is even more. An infant is considered bound. What?! Yes, an infant who can not walk under his own power -- though fully and delightfully and cutefully alive -- is considered bound with regards to the halacha of חי נושא אה עצמו.
My newest granddaughter, now all of a few months old, is working with a psychology graduate student. They have the same name, so they thought it would be cute to work together. Anyway, the grad student is working with my granddaughter to determine at what point an infant realizes that she is in control of the movement of her own limbs. (She has the cutest little cap with electrodes, though she doesn't really care for the fashion statement. Women. Of all ages. Nuff said. Probably too much.) The point is, I realized, the reason a child cannot walk has less to do with strength than their inability to move their limbs with כוונה/intention.
Ah ha! How sick does a living being need to lose the status of חי נושא אה עצמו? When it is unable to move its limbs with כוונה to propel itself. As noted above, "bound" has nothing to do with חי נושא אה עצמו, the halacha includes bound to explain how sick; or in the case of an infant, how young. Very good, then, once a living being is not connected enough to its own body to move it, then it is also not connected enough to lighten itself and thus assist in carrying itself. If, though, a living being has enough umph to move its own body with כוונה, then that umph is also enough to lighten itself enough to be considered a helpful participant in carrying itself.
Perhaps you think it means "a living thing feels lighter... it can adjust itself and stuff." I respectfully submit that you should think again. First, Rashi does't say "makes itself feel lighter", but "makes itself lighter". Moreover, R' Moshe (Igros Moshe, O. Ch. IV, 90) explains that Rashi means that the כבדות/heaviness is less that expected for something of that משקל/weight and volume. Again, not "seems", just "is". You may argue that the "seems" is self-understood and obvious. I disagree; respectfully. Lastly, I think a mean-tempered cat (and what cat is not mean-tempered) is much easier to carry when bound.
But, wait, there's more. The halacha of חי נושא אה עצמו does not apply to someone (or some critter) who is neither sick nor bound. Again, you may be (and, I daresay, should be) asking yourself: How sick? I mean, is it enough to have a broken nail or a splinter? If not, how about a terrible flu? If not, how about a coma?
But wait, there's more. חי נושא אה עצמו doesn't even apply to someone (or some critter) who is bound. The rope, chain, duct tape, whatever you fancy is certainly not בטל/nullified by the guy/critter. That guy/critter certainly wants them off and the perpetrator certainly wants them in place. That being the case, whether or not the bound guy/critter carries him/itself -- or is even there at all -- is completely irrelevant; the rope, chain, duct tape, whatever you fancy does not carry itself.
But wait, there is even more. An infant is considered bound. What?! Yes, an infant who can not walk under his own power -- though fully and delightfully and cutefully alive -- is considered bound with regards to the halacha of חי נושא אה עצמו.
My newest granddaughter, now all of a few months old, is working with a psychology graduate student. They have the same name, so they thought it would be cute to work together. Anyway, the grad student is working with my granddaughter to determine at what point an infant realizes that she is in control of the movement of her own limbs. (She has the cutest little cap with electrodes, though she doesn't really care for the fashion statement. Women. Of all ages. Nuff said. Probably too much.) The point is, I realized, the reason a child cannot walk has less to do with strength than their inability to move their limbs with כוונה/intention.
Ah ha! How sick does a living being need to lose the status of חי נושא אה עצמו? When it is unable to move its limbs with כוונה to propel itself. As noted above, "bound" has nothing to do with חי נושא אה עצמו, the halacha includes bound to explain how sick; or in the case of an infant, how young. Very good, then, once a living being is not connected enough to its own body to move it, then it is also not connected enough to lighten itself and thus assist in carrying itself. If, though, a living being has enough umph to move its own body with כוונה, then that umph is also enough to lighten itself enough to be considered a helpful participant in carrying itself.
Comments