Hello Everyone,
Today we will learn about inflating balloons and other toys on Shabbat. The question is based on the prohibition of “building” on Shabbat. An uninflated (“flat”) balloon is obviously useless. So to inflate the balloon is “building” (or “making”- the translation is not that important). But inflated toys often are “uninflated” (if there is such a word) after their use and reinflated later. The Gemara does not talk about inflatable toys, but it does discuss pillows whose stuffing came out. The Gemara says that if the stuffing comes out of a pillow it can be put back. This is not considered to be an act of “building.” So the question discussed by Poskim is if air used to reinflate a toy is “new” air or “old” air. We will see this discussion today.