Kavod Harav,
We are Sephardic and act according to psika of Maran Ovadia Yosef ztz”l
1. Is it permissible to talk to Hashem while doing tasks such as washing dishes or folding laundry? Is there a difference between washing dishes, where one’s hands are presumably wet and soapy, as opposed to folding laundry?
2. Is it permissible to talk to Hashem while walking outside?
3. Is it permissible to fill dirty dishes with water on Shabbat in order to make it easier to clean them after Shabbat? I’ve seen many people do this, but it appears to me to be hachana? Could the Rav explain?
4. The trash bags we have are slightly too small for the trash can, so they must be stretched in order to cover the entire rim. Is this permissible on Shabbat, or problematic because the actual shape of the bag is being changed to a small degree?
5. Is preparing baby cereal on Shabbat considered lisha?
6. I have read on the site that practicing yoga is problematic but I haven’t understood a clear answer: I think that originally yoga was part of practice of avoda zara, nut nowadays the vast majority of people who do yoga, do so for physical and mental health, without any connection to worship of any kind. When I do yoga, I do so for the physical benefits, as it helps me to prevent other physical problems. In this case would I be allowed to practice yoga?
Answer:
1,2 Talking to Hashem as an informal kind of prayer may be done with wet hands, folding laundry, and while walking outside.
3 Since if it not done now, it will cause extra work after Shabbos [and not just the same work at a later time] this is considered a need for right now, to notallow the food to cake on the plates, and would not be considered hachana.
4 The bag is functional and usable before and after the stretching, this is not improving it or creating it, and permissible on Shabbos.
5 Baby cereal which only requires adding water, which absorbs in to the cereal and creates a non liquid substance may not be prepared on Shabbos. [see Igros Moshe O:C 4:74:9, Shmiras Shabbos Khilchisa, end of chapter 8, Shevet Halevi 7:105]
6 Standard modern Yoga is method of excersize and meditation/relaxtion which has no connection [anymore] to religious practices, and is permitted.
