Rabbi A. Wiesenfeld

קיצור

הלכות שבועות

A Summary of the Halachos

Rabbi A. Wiesenfeld

  Relevant to the Yom-Tov

 of

S H A V U O S

Compiled by

Rabbi A. Wiesenfeld

ראש כולל – גני גאולה

מח”ס כשרות במטבח,

 וישכם אברהם על הל’ שבת,

ברכות, תפילין ופאות הראש

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Rabbi A. Wiesenfeld

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פעיה”ק ירושלים תובב”א

אייר תשע”ד

PREVIOUS HASKAMAS

INTRODUCTION

 

The Gemarah says that when Rabban Gamliel was the nasi, he would only accept into his yeshiva talmidim who were “tocham k’baram”, students who were of sterling quality, whose “insides matched their outsides” – whose inner righteousness measured up to their external behaviour. Those who did not meet this criterion could not enter the beis hamedrash. When Rebbi Elazar ben Azariah became the nasi, the Gemara says, he dropped that requirement, and four hundred more seats had to be added to the beis hamedrash. The Gemara says that when Rabban Gamliel saw this dramatic change, he felt depressed, thinking, “I prevented Torah from being learned! Look how many students I could have had! I could have had hundreds more students – and look what I lost!”

   The Chiddushei HaRim is troubled by this Gemara. Why did Rabban Gamliel only realize the impact of his decision after the benches were brought in? He knew that there were four hundred more students who wanted to come into the yeshiva! What did he mean when he lamented that he could have had all of those students? It was his decision that one must be of sterling character to study in the beis hamedrash. Why then, was he despondent when he saw those students learning with Rebbi Elazar ben Azariah?

The Chiddusei HaRim answers, that after Rebbi Elazar ben Azariah let them into the beis hamedrash, and after they started learning, Rabban Gamliel saw what became of them! They became different people, with different character traits. Rabban Gamliel’s despair, says the Chiddushei HaRim, stemmed from his realization that he had not fully appreciated what Torah could do for people.

 Although there are many symbolic customs on Shavuos that enhance the spirit of the Yom Tov, such as flowers, dairy foods, and staying up the whole night, it is incumbent on us to realize that the real spirit of Yom Tov is Kabbolas HaTorah, to become re-enthused and inspired to grow in Limmud HaTorah and the fulfillment of its laws.

The Yom Tov of Shevuos is more than just the anniversary of Matan Torah. If one merits, one can experience one’s own personal Matan Torah on Shevuos. Chazal tell us that for this reason the Simcha on Shevuos is greater than any of other Yom Tov[1].

Much effort was expended in simplifying these halachos. In order to preserve the simplicity of the work, intricate halachic explanations were purposely omitted.

This booklet is intended solely to acquaint the reader with underlying halachic principles and thus afford him a sence of what constitutes a question, which he may then present intelligently to his Rav. It is in no way intended as a halachic manual or an authoritative collection of halachic decisions.

I take this opportunity to thank those who worked to edit and proof-read the English text and Hebrew footnotes of this work. Rav Dovid Silber, Rav Efrayim Klein, Eiden Tal and Pnuel Perry.

Many thanks to Hagoan HaRav Dovid Ostroff Shlita for looking over the entire manuscript for halachic accuracy and provided invaluable comments on each part.

I owe a lot of hakaros hatov to HaGoan HaGodol Rav Ezriel Aurbach Shlita for clarifying many of these halachos and giving me some of his time to answer questions on this subject.

השבח וההודיה להשי”ת ע”כ החסד והטובות שגמלני

 מעודי ועד היום

ומה אשיב לה’ כל תגמולוהי עלי

שגיאות מי יבין

CONTENTS

MEAT AND MILK…………….……….PAGE 14

HILCHOS BRACHOS………….………PAGE 21

STAYING UP ALL NIGHT…………..PAGE 27

HILCHOS YOM–TOV………………….PAGE 34

HILCHOS SHAVUOS

There is a widespread minhag on Shavuos to eat dairy products[2]. One of the many reasons brought for this practice is that eating dairy foods serves as a remembrance for the two breads that were offered in the Beis Hamikdash on Shevuos.    This is achieved through the Shulchan Aruch’s ruling that after eating cheese, one must remove all the bread from the table before continuing with a meat meal. Consequently, if on Shevuos we eat milchig followed by flaishig, we will have to serve two separate loaves of bread and thereby remember the two breads that were offered on Shevuos[3]. [According to this reason, therefore, the minhag has little to do with eating dairy foods per se; rather, the dairy food simply serves as a means to assure that one will have two loaves of bread at the meal].

  

Another reason offered is that, following Matan Torah and having received the halachos of Shechita and Kashering, Klal Yisroel did not have kosher meat and dishes available to eat the Yom-Tov meal. The only food they could eat was dairy, since these were foods permitted from before Matan Torah[4]. Others explain that since the Torah is compared to milk, we eat milk products in honour of the Torah[5]. Another explanation is that milk cannot be stored in vessels of gold or silver, rather it is best stored in plain earthenware vessels. This is comparable to the Torah which imbues itself in those who are humble[6].

 

The Beis Halevi explains based on the Medrash, that Malachim protested the giving of the Torah to Klal Yisroel, since they felt that they were more worthy of receiving the Torah. Hashem replied to them that they themselves did not follow basic laws of meat and milk when they ate meat and milk together when visiting Avraham Avinu. The Malachim, having no defence to this argument, conceded the Torah to us. Since we merited receiving the Torah through the Mitzvah of separating meat and milk, we demonstrate this by eating milk and meat separately[7].

 

Q. When should one eat the dairy food?

A. Although some have the minhag to eat milchig on the night of Shevuos[8], the prevalent minhag is to eat milchig during the day[9]. [Some only eat milchig on the first day of Shevuos, others also eat milchig on the second day[10].]

Some have the minhag to divide the meal into two [since one must eat meat also on Yom-Tov[11]], starting with dairy; clear the table, and continue the meal eating meat [see below what must be done in between][12].

However, many do not eat dairy and meat in the same meal[13], rather they simply end the dairy meal, bentch, and have a break, continuing a short while later with a meat meal using separate challah[14].

A very common application of the minhag is to eat dairy after Kiddush [making sure to eat a kezayis of mezonos], rest after being up all night, and eat meat in the main seudah[15]. One should follow one’s family minhag.

הלכות בשר בחלב

 

Between Milk & Meat

Q. Must one who ate dairy wait before eating meat?

A. No[16], unless one ate hard cheese. Cheese cake is not considered ”hard cheese”. Nevertheless, there are many people who do wait half an hour – or even an hour before eating meat[17]. One should follow one’s family minhag.

Q. Are there any cheeses that one must wait six hours after eating them?

A. The definition of real hard cheese for which one must wait six hours is subject to a major dispute among the Poskim. All Poskim agree that a cheese which has been cured for at least six months or is cured long enough to become wormy is considered ‘hard cheese’, for which one must wait six hours after eating[18]. Many Poskim hold that any type of yellow cheese (not cream or cottage) is considered “hard cheese”[19], whereas many poskim disagree and hold that this type of cheese is not considered “hard”[20].

One should therefore ask his Rav if a particular type of cheese is considered ‘hard cheese’ or not.

Q. What procedures permit the eating of meat immediately after dairy?

A. The following must be done (but not necessarily in this order)[21]:

• Kinuach (eating a pareve food) and Hadacha (rinsing the mouth)
• Washing one’s hands
• Changing the tablecloth[22].

Q. Must one bentch before eating meat?

A. One need not bentch after eating the milchig meal before eating meat[23]. Some Poskim hold that one should bentch, and additionally wait slightly before proceeding to the meat seudah[24].

Q. How is kinuach performed?

A. Any pareve food may be used to cleanse the mouth, with the exception of foods that cling to one’s mouth and do not clean it properly, e.g., leafy vegetables, chewy sweets etc. The food should be chewed well and swallowed. Some Poskim allow one to brush one’s teeth instead of eating something, provided that the tongue is also brushed[25]. [Brushing teeth on Yom-Tov is only permitted if one’s gums will not bleed, the toothbrush is not made wet before or after usage, and toothpaste is not used. It is preferable that one have a separate brush for Shabbos/Yom Tov]

Q. How is hadacha performed?

A. The mouth is rinsed out using any liquid. When using any liquid other than water should swallow it to avoid wasting it.

Q. How long after eating dairy are kinuach and hadacha no longer required before eating meat?

A. One hour[26].

Q. If a person did not touch the dairy food – e.g., he ate the cheesecake with a spoon – does he still need to wash his hands before eating meat?

A. No [Some require it – see footnote][27].

Bread/Challah

Q. May bread that touched meat be eaten with dairy?

A. No. It is sufficient to scrape or slice off the part of it that touched the meat[28].

Q. May bread left over from a meat (or dairy) meal be eaten with dairy (or meat)?

A. One may not eat this bread with dairy (or meat), unless all three of the following conditions are met:

• The bread was cut with a clean knife;
• One kept the bread far from the meat (or dairy);
• One checked that the bread is clean[29].

It is recommended that one serve only enough challah for the current meal and set the remainder of the challah aside, so people may subsequently eat it with whatever they wish.

Q. What about other pareve leftovers?

A. One may serve them with the ‘opposite’ food if they had their own serving spoons at the previous meal. Some Poskim prefer that nothing left-over from one type of meal be served at the other type, but are lenient under extenuating circumstances[30].

 

Dairy Bread

Q. May one bake bread with milk in it?

A. Chazal prohibited making dairy bread, lest it accidentally be eaten with meat. However, one may make a small amount of dairy bread, such as a day’s worth, or shape it distinctively as a reminder that it is dairy[31]. Anything that is not normally eaten with meat, e.g., cake or cookies, is not included in the prohibition[32].

Sitting On the Same Table

Q. May two people sit at the same table; one eating meat and the other milk?

A. No. However, if they place a heker (sign) between them as a reminder not to partake of one another’s food, it is permitted. This can be accomplished by placing anything of some height between them that is not normally present, such as a vase, box of tissues, etc. Alternatively, one person may eat upon a mat and the other directly on the table[33].

Tablecloths

Q. May one eat dairy on an unclean tablecloth used for meat?

A. No, since meat residue may touch the dairy. It is best to have separate tablecloths for meat and dairy[34].

Ovens/Hot Plates

Using one oven for both meat and dairy demands vigilance lest one transgress any of the laws pertaining to basar-b’chalav – mixing meat and dairy. Ideally, separate ovens for meat and dairy are the solution for preventing mix ups. Those who do not have separate ovens must familiarize themselves with the answers to the following questions.

Q. What if one wishes to bake a cheesecake in a meaty oven?

A. The food should be covered well enough so that no steam will escape, and must remain covered throughout the baking, lest the food be affected by any taste that may be left in the oven.

Q. What if one must leave it uncovered?

A. The oven should be kashered between usages. This is accomplished following the three steps below:

a)       Clean the oven, removing any moist splatters or grease.

b)      Wait twenty four hours from its last meat use.

c)       Heat the oven at its highest temperature for approximately half an hour.

[This should not be undertaken on a regular basis.]

Q. What if one wishes to cook/bake pareve food in a meat oven that will be eaten with milk?

A. It’s best to cover the pareve food well. If one wishes to bake the food uncovered, the oven should be kashered first. In this case, one may kasher it even within twenty four hours from its last meat use. Pareve food that was baked in a fleishig oven that was clean – may be eaten with dairy; however, it should not be baked there initially with this intention in mind.

• For example, one should not bake a pareve cake in a flaishig oven – even if it is clean – with the intention to eat it together with dairy. But, if it was already baked in it, it may be eaten with dairy, providing the oven was clean.

Q. May one heat up/keep warm milchig food on an electric hot plate that is normally used for meat?

A. Yes, provided it is clean and covered with one layer of aluminium foil [some prefer two layers][35].

v  See ‘Kashrus in the Kitchen’ for more details of these halachos.

 

  מנחה חדשה לה’ בשבועותיכם = ר”ת “חלב” (חת”ס בדרשות ח”ב דף רפח)

הלכות ברכות

 

The following is a brief summary of the halachos of berachos as they may apply on Shevuos (and during the year).

עיקר וטפל– Cheesecake

Q. What beracha does one make on cheesecake?

• Ø A cheesecake with a thick layer of biscuit/cake requires only a מזונות[36]. Some Poskim require two berachos – a מזונות and שהכל[37].
• Ø If a cheesecake’s thin layer of מזונות is insignificant enough to be enjoyed in its own right and merely serves to provide structure and enhancement for the cheese, it is considered טפל (secondary) to the cheese, and one makes only a שהכל[38]. Some Poskim hold even in this case the beracha is only מזונות[39].
• If there is flour mixed into the cheese: if it was put in for taste – it is always mezonos, however, if was put in to stick the ingredients together – it remains a שהכל.
• Cheese blintzes and other pastries filled with cheese/cream will always be מזונות.

Whenever making two berachos, מזונות always precedes [40]שהכל.

Q. What about the Beracha Acharona?

A. Aבורא נפשות  will always be recited (provided one ate a kezayis), but an על המחיה is normally not said, even if the cheesecake had a thick layer of cake on the bottom[41].

שינוי מקום – Changing Ones Location

Q. If one changes one’s location while eating/drinking, must a new beracha be recited?

A. Changing one’s location while eating may require one to make a new ברכה ראשונה when continuing to eat in the new location or even if one returns immediately to the original location. This is especially common on Shevuos night when one may walk around or leave the Beis Hamedrash during the night, while in the middle of drinking a coffee or eating cake.

Not every change of location will require a new beracha, and not every type of food will also require a new beracha, even if one did change one’s location. To determine whether one requires a new beracha, two factors must be taken into consideration: a) what is being eaten, b) to which location one moved.

• מזונות – Although one may not initially change one’s location when eating mezonos foods, if one nonetheless did, a new beracha need not be recited[42].  (Rice is not included in this rule)
• שהכל/העץ/האדמה – Eating or drinking foods or drinks that require a בורא נפשות after consumption will require a new ברכה ראשונה if one changes one’s location. This is because regarding foods that do not require one to bentch in the original place of eating, a change of location is considered to be a type of cessation of that eating, and a new beracha will be required.

Therefore, a person eating chocolate or apples, or drinking coffee, coke, etc., should not change his location if he wishes to continue eating/drinking. If he does, however, a new beracha will be required upon continuing to eat.

There are three basic types of location change:

a)      פינה לפינה – Corner to Corner – Moving from one area in a Shul/Beis Hamedrash to another area in the same room – even if one cannot see the original place where one ate – is not considered to be a שינוי מקום[43]. One may – even לכתחילה – move from one side of a room to the other and continue eating in the new location without a new ברכה ראשונה.

 

b)      בית לבית – House to House – Moving from one house to another (e.g., out of the shul building) is considered a שינוי מקום, and before continuing to eat in the new place or upon returning to the original location, a new ברכה ראשונה will be required.

 

c)       חדר לחדר – Room to Room – Moving from room to room is considered a שינוי מקום. Nevertheless, Poskim do debate regarding what qualifies as a “room”, so although one should not initially move from room to room whilst eating, if one does, a new beracha is not required[44].

If one originally has intention to change rooms, one may do so even לכתחילה. Any room that one normally enters while eating is not considered a new location, hence entry into such a room while eating is regarded as having been intended, even when one began eating, and may be done לכתחילה .

ברכה אחרונה

Q. How soon after eating/drinking must a beracha acharona be said?

Drinks: Drinking a coffee/tea normally – i.e., by sipping it – will not require a ברכה אחרונה. However, the Mishna Berurah writes that ‘אנשי מעשה’ should leave over a רביעית (i.e., 86 cc) in order to be able to drink the shiur quickly and recite make a ברכה אחרונה.[45]

Food: After eating a meal or any large quantity of food, one may bentch or recite a ברכה אחרונה up until one starts to feel hungry again. However, after eating an apple or bar of chocolate, or drinking a cup of coke, one should recite a אחרונה ברכה immediately after finishing it (or at least within half an hour). If one forgot, one has until seventy two minutes from finishing to recite the ברכה אחרונה.[46]

Q. On Shevuos, it is very common for one to drink many cups of coffee, tea, or coke. Does one make a ברכה ראשונה on each cup even if they are being drunk close to one another? When should one make a ברכה אחרונה?

• If one finishes drinking and he does not intend to have another cup for a while (more than seventy two min.), one should make a ברכה אחרונה  upon finishing.
• If one intends to drink another cup shortly thereafter (within seventy two min), one should have intention that the ברכה ראשונה on the first cup covers only that specific beverage, make a ברכה אחרונה upon finishing that cup, and repeat the process when the desire to drink again presents itself[47].

ברכת הריח – the Beracha of Flowers

Q. Does one recite a beracha over the pleasant fragrance of flowers?

A. A beracha for smelling is only recited over an object whose sole purpose is to provide fragrance; although the flowers may indeed exude a pleasant fragrance, most people buy them for their beauty, so no beracha is recited. If, however, the flowers are taken in hand and actually smelled, a beracha must be recited prior to smelling[48].

ניעור כל הלילה

There is a widespread minhag (not obligation) to remain awake the entire night of Shevuos learning[49]. There are various reasons provided for this. The most famous amongst them being that כלל ישראלhad fallen asleep the night before קבלת התורה , and Hashem had to awaken them. To rectify that indiscretion, we remain awake all night in anticipation of קבלת התורה[50]. The following is a summary of the halachos of berachos for those that remain awake all night.

Q. If one remains awake all night, what must be done in the morning?

A. There are a few halachos that require clarification:

1. נטילת ידים
2. ברכת התורה
3. אלקי נשמה-המעביר שינה

נטילת ידים

v  When the time of עלות השחר arrives, one should wash one’s hands by performing נטילת ידים. [51]

v  One may not make the beracha על נטילת ידים unless he used the bathroom[52]. [Some prefer that this too, is heard from someone else[53]]

v  Some poskim require this to be done as soon as עלות השחר arrives[54], while others say it can wait until one is ready to daven[55].

ברכת התורה

v  After remaining awake all night, there is a machlokes as to whether one may recite ברכת התורה[56]. Therefore, one should listen to someone else reciting ברכת התורה for himself[57].

v  One only answers “אמן” after “המלמד תורה לעמו ישראל” and “נותן התורה”, not after “וצונו לעסוק בדברי תורה”[58].

v  After hearing the berachos, one should say some פסוקים or have intention to be יוצא with אהבה רבה and learn a little after davening[59].

v  If one cannot find anyone from whom to hear the berachos, one may recite them all oneself[60].

v  If one was awake all night, but slept a deep sleep the day before (Erev Shevuos), one may say ברכת התורה normally [even if he slept in his clothes] [61].

v  ברכת התורה should be made (or listened to) immediately when עלות השחר arrives; one may not learn from that stage until he makes it/listens to it[62]. Some Poskim allow one to continue learning until he is ready[63] (especially if one cannot find someone yet to make the berachos for everyone[64]).

אלקי נשמה-המעביר שינה

v  One who was awake all night may not recite “אלקי נשמה”, and should hear it from someone else[65]. If one cannot find someone to recite it for him, one may say it oneself without mentioning ה’ name[66].

v  One who was awake all night may recite all ברכת השחר – [67][מהנותן לשכוי עד הנותן ליעף כח], with the exception of “המעביר שינה” which one may not recite oneself but, rather, should listen to someone else recite it[68]. “אמן” should not be answered before the  “ויהי רצון”but, rather, only after “גומל חסדים טובים לעמו ישראל”[69].

Whenever one is listening to someone else make a beracha for him, a) he must have intention to fulfill his obligation by hearing it, b) one must not answer “ברוך הוא וברוך שמו”.

Q. Can one make “אשר יצר” in the morning even if he didn’t use the bathroom?

A. Although some people make this beracha every morning even if they didn’t use the bathroom, after being up all night, one may only make this beracha after using the bathroom (Some prefer that it be heard from someone else who slept)[70].

Q. Can one make the beracha on Tzitzis?

A. Since one was wearing his tzitzis all night, one cannot make a beracha on it in the morning, rather one should have intention to exempt it when making the beracha on his Tallis. If one is not putting on a tallis, i.e., an unmarried man, one should hear the beracha from someone who is making it and during the beracha move his tzitzis slightly[71], or one can borrow a married man’s tallis [as a present with the condition of returning it], make a beracha on it, and return it[72].

Q. How much must one sleep at night in order to make all the above berachos normally?

A. If one slept more than a half hour, he may make all the berachos normally[73].

אכילה קודם שחרית – Eating Before Davening

Q. Until when is it permitted to eat/drink before davening?

A. A very common question when remaining awake all night is at which point one must stop eating or drinking. There is a prohibition to eat or drink before davening. This prohibition starts from a half-hour before עלות השחר. If one began to eat before this time, he may continue until עלות השחר[74]. Similarly, one may eat less than a shiur כביצה until עלות השחר, but once עלות arrives, he must stop eating.

Going to Sleep During the Day

Q. If one removes his tzitzis before going to sleep during the day, must a new beracha on them be made upon awakening?

A. It is preferred that one actually covers himself with the tzitzis while sleeping, thus not requiring a new beracha when putting them back on. If he does not cover himself with them, a new beracha will not be required in any case[75].

Q. Does one say קריאת שמע על המטה when going to sleep during the day after being up all night?

A. No[76].

 

 

 

הלכות יו”ט

 

The Torah writes: “כל מלאכה לא יעשה בהם אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש הוא לבדו יעשה לכם” [שמות יב, טז] – which means that all the 39 melochos that are prohibited on Shabbos, are likewise prohibited on Yom Tov, with the exception of melochos that are connected to food preparation that are normally done close to the time of eating.

 

Flowers

Q. Are flowers in a vase Muktza?

A. Flowers in a vase may be moved on Yom-Tov[77]. Similarly, the flowers/greenery that is hung up in shuls/homes are also not muktza. According to some poskim, the vase should be moved slowly, trying not to shake the water too much[78].They may not be moved from a shady area to a sunny area which may promote their growth.

Q. If one forgot to place the flowers into water before Yom-Tov, may one do so on Yom-Tov?

A. No. This applies even if they were in water before Yom-Tov[79].

Q. May water be added to a vase of flowers already containing some water on Yom-Tov?

A. Yes, but the water may not be changed[80].

Q. May one gather different flowers/leaves together to form an arrangement?

A. No[81].

Showering

Q. Is it permitted to have a shower on Yom-Tov?

A. Although it is permitted – in many cases – to use fire on Yom-Tov (i.e., to cook food), it is only permitted if it is being done for something of equal necessity to everyone (as in the case of food and the need to eat). Since having a shower every day is not halachically considered to be an equal need for everyone, it is forbidden to turn on the hot water [even if the water is heated by the sun] for a hot shower on Yom-Tov[82]. Even if the water was warmed before Yom-Tov, one may not shower one’s entire body at one time[83].

v  Many times people say they need to shower on Yom Tov because they “can’t do without one” or they are a “istinis” [finicky individual] for whom showering is permitted. Such statements have no basis in halacha, since the whole reason why it is forbidden in the first place to heat up water for a shower on Yom Tov is because it is not שוה לכל נפש [of equal need for everyone] since only an istinis needs one every day. How then can such reasoning that one is an istinis be used to permit a shower? This argument will refute such statements even during a three-day Yom-Tov[84].

 

Q. Is there any permitted method?

A. There are a number of options:

• If one is considerably uncomfortable or sweaty, one may take a full body cold shower[85],
• One may heat up water on Yom -Tov [provided it does not switch on/off a fire] to wash a minor part of the body (which is considered an equal necessity for everyone)[86]. One should nevertheless keep one body part still clothed [to prevent him washing his entire body].
• When using water than was heated up before Yom-Tov, one may wash his entire body by washing one limb after another, but not at one time.

Q. May young children/babies be bathed on Yom-Tov?

A. A child that normally gets bathed every day, or one that became particularly dirty, may be bathed[87]. However, in this case, only water that was heated before Yom-Tov may be used [e.g., mix hot water from the urn with cold water in the bath][88].

Whenever it is permitted to bathe, a sponge or bar of soap should not be used. Care should be taken not to squeeze wet hair. A towel may be placed onto the hair to dry it, but it should not be pushed down.

Fire/Ovens

Q. Is it permitted to light a fire on Yom-Tov?

A. Yes. However, Chazal forbade creating a new flame, i.e., one which previously did not exist before Yom-Tov. Therefore, it is forbidden to strike a match or turn on an oven or hot plate on Yom-Tov. One may light a fire from an existing flame, such as from a lit candle or a stove’s pilot light[89]. Similarly, one may turn a gas flame higher (but not an electric burner)[90].

• Floating wicks should be prepared before Yom-Tov. If one forgot, they may be prepared normally[91].
• It is permitted to remove the melted wax in order to put in the new candles, however, one should not use his hands, rather a knife/spoon[92].

Q. May a fire be extinguished on Yom-Tov?

A. No[93]. Nevertheless, there are situations when it is allowed. If food is on a flame that is causing it to burn, some poskim allow one to lower the flame, since this is a direct necessity for the preparation of food[94]. However, other poskim only allow it to be lowered if the option of lighting another lower flame is not available[95].

Q. Is there any permitted method to extinguish the fire if it is not burning food, but one simply does not want it on until the end of Yom Tov?

A. Some Poskim allow one to place on it a pot full of water – intending to heat it up for a permitted purpose, e.g., a tea – and let it bubble over, causing the flame to go out, and now one may turn off the gas switch [provided it is not electric] [96]. This should not be done on a regular basis, i.e., one should not light a flame with the intention to do this after the cooking is finished[97]. Others only allow this if it is very necessary[98].

Q. What are the halachos of using an electric oven on Yom-Tov?

A. The temperature may not be increased[99]. The door may be opened at any time, i.e., even when the light is off [100].

Borer/Tochen

Q. Is it permitted to use the following utensils on Yom-Tov: a grater, peeler, perforated spoon?

A. Yes[101]. However, a sieve may not be used for sorting even on Yom-Tov, since it is normally used for large-scale sorting.

Molid

Q. Is it permitted to melt frozen liquid on Yom-Tov?

A. Although on Shabbos it is forbidden to even cause the creation of a new entity, on Yom-Tov it is permitted[102]. For example:

• § One may place frozen liquid near a fire to cause it to melt,
• § One may make ice-cubes according to all opinions[103],
• § One may use a whipped cream from a pressurized can on Yom-Tov,
• § One may make jelly on Yom Tov[104].

Preparing from One Day to the Next

Q. If there are two days of Yom-Tov (i.e. in Chutz L’aretz), may one prepare from one day to the next?

A. No, it is forbidden to prepare from one day to the next[105]. For example, one may not set the table during the first day of Yom-Tov for the following night’s meal, nor cook food on the first day to be eaten on the second.

Q. What if by not doing it will cause a problem or delay on the second day of Yom-Tov?

A. There is an exception when we allow one to perform certain activities on the first day on Yom-Tov for the sake of the second day.

A common example of this is removing challas or fish from the freezer during the first day of Yom-Tov that are needed for the second night seudah. If by waiting until the night of the second day to remove it, it would cause a substantial delay, it may be done on the first day in order for it to defrost in time for the night meal. The condition to allow this is only if it is removed early enough in the day (of the first day) that it is not obvious that it is being removed for the next night[106].

Washing Dishes

Q. May one wash up the dishes from the day seudah if they will no longer be used on Yom-Tov?

A. It is forbidden to prepare on Yom-Tov for after Yom-Tov (even through a non-Jew). Therefore, if the dishes will no longer be used that day, they may not be cleaned[107]. However, it is permitted in the following situations:

They may be washed after the night meal, in preparation for the next morning seudah,

If by leaving them in the sink they will give off a bad smell or attract flies,

If one is particularly disturbed by seeing them dirty in the kitchen.

In all these cases, it is permitted to wash them, even though they will not be used on Yom-Tov itself, because it is really being done in the honour of Yom-Tov.

Q. May dirty dishes be stored in the Dishwasher?

A. Yes. One should watch out for Borer – sorting which is still prohibited (in many cases).

Medicine

Q. Are the halachos of taking medication identical to Shabbos?

A. Yes. However, on the second day of Yom-Tov (except Rosh Hashana), we are more lenient and allow someone suffering from a minor ailment to take medication normally[108].

 

 

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