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Today’s Daf Yomi Question:
Ten people may dry with one towel and then carry it home with no concern of them coming to squeeze it. But doesn’t the water get squeezed out of the towel during its actual use by ten people?
Magen Avraham [shin chof] says that it must be that it isn’t for sure going to squeeze out. and chazal didn’t prohibit it as a gezeira since if drying ones self would be prohibited one would not be able to shower and it would not stand [RASHBA].
They aren’t using the towel to get wet, so they surely aren’t Mechaven to squeeze it.
This is probably why the Mishna mentioned drying the face and hands in this case, so that the towel is not getting as soaked as the spunge.
Rashi says that the Mishna is picking a common example but the same would be for drying the whole body. The reason this example is the common case is because this way it stays dry enough for their purpose. However, if the towel is large enough and they use it for the whole body the Halacha would be the same.
It would seem from your words that in a case of inevitability – Pesik Reisha – the issur of Sechita would apply. Why then may one walk with his wet cloths on Shabbos (Mishna 146b) presumably including his wet socks – which are being squeezed?
The language of the Tur and Shulchan Aruch is that we aren’t worried that he’ll squeeze it out, not that it is not a problem when he does so. Since socks were not common in the days of the Mishna we can’t extend the Heter of the Mishna to apply to putting on socks that fell into the water. And according to the Rashi that the Mishna is talking about when it got wet from rain water, then the socks that you were standing on surely didn’t get that wet in the first place.
If anyone would be Mattir socks it would have to be through the Heter of Chilazon, that being that it is very uncomfortable when it gives off water you are trying your hardest to make sure it doesn’t come out. Also, now that we wear closed shoes, the water doesn’t go anywhere so he never really gets rid of it.