Post-Its on Shabbat

As a Shammas I have come up with an idea of placing post-it notes in advance to mark pages/call-up names in the ring-binder file. All for ease of finding said names. This involves peeling post-it note off backing - but no tearing or writing.

Is this acceptable?

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You are asking a question about ‘Tofer’ - sewing, which is a prohibited Melachah for Shabbat.

The Halchah is that joining any two things together, by manners other than sewing - e.g. glue, is Tofer and prohibited.

The key is the intention and the manner of sticking things together.

The more permanent the intent and the manner of sticking the more the problem is.

The more temporary the intent and the manner of sticking, the less.

For example, pretty well everyone allows adhesive tabs on nappies to be used on Shabbat on the basis that these tabs are designed and intended to be taken on and off.

Question is how does a post-it note compare to this.

Firstly it’s a weak kind of glue, not meant to be permanent.

Secondly the post-it and the paper don’t really become a single item even when stuck together.

Thirdly the intention isn’t really to bind the tab to the page, but to mark a place.

Fourthly the manner of use would involve continually moving the post-its around.

There are people who are strict, but I don’t think it’s a problem.

The best way to do it would to have no permanent place for sticking post-its from or to which they are transferred on Shabbat. Just leave ‘em wherever they were, move them to where they need to be for that moment, with the intent of moving them on to where they would be needed next.

And that’s fine.

Hope that’s helpful.