We now enter the first of several melachos pertaining to the weaving process. There are several prerequisites that one must accomplish before sitting down to weave. The first is threading the warp.
Here’s how weaving works: woven cloth is a series of perpendicular threads criss-crossing one another repeatedly. The vertical threads are called the warp and the horizontal threads are called the woof (or the weft). The first step in weaving is to string the warp threads on a frame so that they are taut. The woof threads are then passed over and under the warp threads. The first step, stretching the warp threads on a frame, is the melacha of maisach.
We will continue our discussion of weaving in the next melacha.
This is just an introduction to the concepts of the melacha of maisach; it is not a substitute for a full study of the halachos.