Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Halacha forbids placing any kind of food on an open flame on Shabbat. Even though the food has been fully cooked, and one simply wants to reheat it, he may not place the food on an open flame. Thus, for example, it is forbidden to place a pot of rice over an open flame on the stove on Shabbat to reheat it, even though it had been cooked before Shabbat. Warming food on Shabbat is permissible only if one uses a "Blech," a metal sheet covering the stove, or a hotplate, which has a metal surface covering the heating element. Once the fire is covered, and not exposed, it is permissible to place certain foods on the covering on Shabbat. Namely, one may, according to our custom, place solid food that has been fully cooked on a Blech or hotplate on Shabbat. For example, it is permissible on Shabbat morning to place a pot of rice on a Blech or hotplate to be reheated. Even though the pot has been in the refrigerator all night and the food is cold, one may place the pot on the Blech or hotplate, since the fire is cover

What are the conditions for reheating dry food on Shabbat? For example, if a person placed foods such as chicken and rice in the refrigerator after the Shabbat meal on Friday night, may he reheat it on Shabbat morning? According to all opinions, it is forbidden to place cold food directly over a flame or in an oven on Shabbat. Even though the stove or oven was turned on before Shabbat, and the food had been fully cooked, one may not place the food over an open flame or inside an oven on Shabbat. This is forbidden according to all views. However, according to Hacham Ovadia Yosef, as he writes in his work Yehave Da'at, one may reheat fully-cooked, dry food over a "Blech," that is, a metal sheet covering the flame. Since people do not normally cook in this fashion, placing food on a metal sheet does not resemble standard cooking, and is therefore permissible on Shabbat. Placing food on a "Blech" differs in this respect from placing food over an open flame or in an oven, which are, of course, conventional methods

Halacha strictly forbids reheating liquids on Shabbat. Once a soup, gravy or stew has cooled off, one may not place it on a stove (even if it is covered with a "Blech") or a hotplate to be reheated on Shabbat. Doing so may constitute a Torah violation, which is punishable with Sekila (execution by stoning). The question arises as to whether one may set an electric hotplate on a timer, and place cold soup on the hotplate before the hotplate is activated by the timer. For example, one may wish to set the timer to activate the hotplate at 10 AM, and place the soup on the hotplate just prior to that time, so that he could have hot soup during Shabbat lunch. Since the hotplate is cold and inactive at the time he places the pot, perhaps we should not consider this person to be reheating the soup on Shabbat. This issue is subject to a debate among the Halachic authorities. A number of recent Poskim, including the Hazon Ish (Rabbi Abraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1879-1954), Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Russia-New York, 1895-1986

Halacha forbids stirring food in a pot that is on the fire or a blech on Shabbat. The Shulchan Aruch does, however, permit serving on Shabbat from a pot that is over the fire or on a blech. Thus, for example, if one does not want to take the pot of soup off the fire because he needs to keep it there until Shabbat morning, he may serve from the pot even while it is sitting on the fire. Since serving involves merely taking some soup or food with the ladle, and not mixing, it is permissible. One must ensure, however, not to mix the contents of the pot as he serves, such as by taking specifically from the bottom of the pot or moving the ladle around in search of a particular item. Shulchan Aruch, Siman 252:1 See Menuhat Ahava, Helek 2, Page 348

The Shulhan Aruch, in a famous ruling, distinguishes between solid and liquid foods with regard to the permissibility of reheating on Shabbat. When it comes to liquids, the Shulhan Aruch rules that "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul," which means that once a liquid food has cooled, reheating it constitutes cooking and is forbidden. It is therefore forbidden to reheat cold liquid food on Shabbat in any manner. With respect to solids, however, the Shulhan Aruch maintains that "En Bishul Ahar Bishul," meaning, the food cannot be "cooked" twice. Even after the cooked food has cooled, reheating it does not constitute a new "cooking." It is therefore permissible to reheat solid foods on Shabbat over a covered flame or hotplate. Common examples of such food include rice and kibbeh. The authorities debate the question of whether or not one may reheat on Shabbat food that is mainly solid, but has some liquid, as well. It must be clarified that we do not refer here to foods that contain liquid inside; nearly all foods have some

A question recently arose concerning the situation of a guest who was served hot soup during Shabbat lunch. The guest was surprised to see hot soup being served on Shabbat day, as Halacha forbids reheating cold liquid on a Blech or hotplate on Shabbat, a law known as "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul Be'lah." It turned out that the hostess mistakenly thought that one may reheat hot soup on Shabbat, and thus accidentally violated this Halacha. The question thus arose as to whether the soup was permissible to be eaten. Generally speaking, Halacha forbids deriving benefit from prohibited acts committed on Shabbat. Seemingly, then, it would be forbidden to eat the hot soup, as one would thereby be deriving benefit from a Shabbat violation. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his Hazon Ovadia (vol. 4, p. 422; listen to audio recording for precise citation), ruled that the soup may be eaten in this case. He writes that although food that has been prepared in prohibited fashion on Shabbat is forbidden for consumption, this appl

There is a small and utterly indestructible bone in the body called the "luz" bone. It is the bone which sits at the base of the neck. It is from this bone that G-d will reconstruct the entire body when the time arrives for the resurrection of the dead. The "luz" bone is nourished only from the Se'udat Melava Malka, the Saturday night fourth meal. The Melava Malka has three benefits. First, the meal has the benefit of Kabod, honor. It honors the Shabbat queen by escorting it. Second, it brings" Parnassah", success and bounty to the whole week. Third, it brings" Refua", healing to ones aches and pains. The first letters of these three words" Kabod"" Parnassa"and" Refua" spell" Kaper" which numerically equals 300. This might be why Maran put the Halachot of Melava Malka in Siman 300. If one went to sleep on Saturday night without eating the Melava Malka and woke up after Hasot should he eat the Melava Malka at this point? Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel 1923-1998) follows the opinion of the kabbalists that o

Maran (Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch) dedicates a full Siman (Orah Haim 300) to the subject of the Melava Malka –the Saturday night 4th meal. The reason for this meal is, upon a departure of a king from a town, the people make sure that he is escorted with an entourage. Similarly, when G-d who just spent Shabbat with us leaves, we make a special meal in His honor. Maran writes that one should set his table on Saturday night in order to escort the Shabbat. One only has to eat a kezayit for this meal. The halachic authorities write that one must show the utmost respect for this meal by making sure there is a table cloth on the table and that the finest cutlery is being used. The best time to eat this meal is right after Shabbat, if one is unable to have it right after Shabbat he can have this meal until hasot. The Hesed Lealafim (Rav Eliezer Papo 1786-1827) writes that if one is unable to have the Melava Malka meal before hasot, he can eat it until Alot hashahar-daybreak. Rav Haim Palachi (1788-

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Lech-Lecha, discusses a number of different Halachot relevant to Shabbat preparations (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He writes that one should take a haircut on Ereb Shabbat in honor of Shabbat, and although this could be done any time on Friday, it is preferable to have the haircut before midday. The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) always made a point of cutting his hair before midday, whenever he cut his hair, and not only on Friday. Preferably, then, haircuts should be taken specifically before midday, when possible. The Ben Ish Hai then mentions that one should cut his fingernails and toenails each Friday in honor of Shabbat. If one's nails do not grow fast enough to be cut each week, he adds, then one should cut them every two weeks. After cutting one's nails – both fingernails and toenails – one should collect the nails and flush them down the toilet. There is a form of Tum'a (impurity) that rests upon r

Is it permissible to open mail or packages that were delivered to one's home on Shabbat? Rav Shemuel Pinhasi (contemporary), in his work Daber Davar (p. 111), rules that if mail was delivered to the mailbox outside the door to one's home, he should Le'chatchila not bring it into his home until after Shabbat. If the mail was delivered into his home, it is forbidden to open any letters or packages. In fact, it appears from a comment of the Peri Hadash (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698), in Yoreh De'a (118), that opening letters or packages on Shabbat constitutes a Torah violation. Although many other authorities dispute this position, all agree that this is forbidden on Shabbat, at least on the level of Rabbinic enactment. Nevertheless, Rav Pinhasi rules (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that one may ask a gentile to open a letter or package for him on Shabbat, provided that he expresses his request in the form of a "Remez" (a subtle allusion). He might say, for

Is it permissible on Shabbat to ask a gentile to bring for him an item that he had forgotten in his car? For example, if a person forgot his Tallit in the car, or if he purchased some food or drinks for Shabbat and forgot to bring them inside before Shabbat began, may he ask a non-Jew to go into his car and bring the items inside for him? The Jew, of course, may not open the car door or trunk because this will turn on the light in the car. But may he ask a gentile to bring the items inside for him? Rav Shemuel Pinchasi, in his recent work on Hilchot Shabbat, rules that in an area enclosed by a proper Eruv, it is permissible to ask a gentile to bring items from one's car on Shabbat. In such a case, the Jew requests only that the gentile open the door; he does not request that the light be turned on. And although the light will inevitably be kindled as a result of the gentile's opening the door, the rule of "Pesik Reishei," which forbids performing an action on Shabbat that will inevitably result in a forbidden

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 303:26; listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that it is forbidden for a woman to braid her hair, or to undo a braid, on Shabbat. The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) explains (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that braiding hair is forbidden on Shabbat by force of Rabbinic enactment, and not on the level of Torah law. The Torah prohibition of Oreg (weaving) applies only to weaving material that is not attached to its source. Weaving, of course, is done only after the wool has been removed from the animal, and therefore the Torah prohibition of Oreg does not apply to braiding hair attached to one's head. Furthermore, a hair braid is only temporary, and for this reason, too, it does not entail a Torah prohibition on Shabbat. The reason why the Sages forbade braiding hair on Shabbat, the Mishna Berura explains, is because braiding hair resembles building. Indeed, the Torah (Bereshit 2:22) relates that God "built" the rib t

Just one Halacha on Sefirat Haomer. It is our custom, that Ladies do NOT count Sefirat Haomer. There's a great Machloket between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim if ladies make a Beracha on Mitzvat Ase She Hazeman Gerama. Any Mitzvah that's bound by time, it's the Minhag of the Ashkenazim based on the Rabenu Tam to make a Beracha. For example, if a lady wanted to shake the Lulav on Succot, according to the Ashkenazim, she's allowed to shake the Lulav and the Etrog with the the Beracha, 'Asher Kedishanu Bemitzvotav Vitzivanu Al Netilat Lulav'. For the matter if she wanted to count Sefirat Haomer, she's not obligated, but she has the right to make it with the Beracha. However, the Sephardim that follow the opinion of Maran, when it comes to this, our ladies do not make a Beracaha. That's why there is another Halacha that says, for example, that if a person wants to eat within a half hour of the Omer, we explained many times its forbidden to sit down and start a meal of more than 2 ounces of bread within a half

During the period of Sefirat Ha'omer, we refrain from certain forms of festivity as an expression of mourning for the tragic deaths of Rabbi Akiva 24,000 disciples, which occurred during these weeks. The Shulhan Aruch mentions that we do not conduct weddings, or cut our hair during this period. The Magen Avraham (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by Rabbi Avraham Gombiner, Poland, 1637-1683) further adds the prohibition of listening to music. The question was raised as to whether we must also refrain from other activities of a festive nature. For example, during the period of Ben Ha'mesarim – the three weeks between Shiva Asar Be'Tamuz and Tisha B'Av – Halacha forbids reciting the joyous Beracha of "She'he'hiyanu." This Beracha is recited on joyous occasions – such as upon partaking of a new fruit or wearing a new garment – whereby it expresses gratitude to God for bringing us to the given occasion. This expression is incompatible with the Ben Ha'mesarim period, during which numerous calamities befell the Jewis

It is well-known that if a person forgot to count one night of the Omer, he should count the following day, without a Beracha, and he then resumes counting that night with a Beracha. Thus, for example, if a person forgot to count on the twenty-second night of the Omer, then the following day he should count "Hayom Shenayim Ve'esrim Yom La'omer…" without reciting a Beracha. (Our custom is to make a public counting of the Omer each morning during Shaharit, before Ashreh.) He then counts the twenty-third day of the Omer that night as usual, with a Beracha. If, however, one misses an entire day of counting, then he no longer counts the Omer with a Beracha. This means that if a person did not count at all at night or the following day, he must omit the Beracha when counting the Omer henceforth. There is a common misconception that once a person misses a day of counting, he no longer needs to count at all. This is not correct; a person in such a situation must continue counting each night, only without reciting a B

The Torah introduces the obligation of Sefirat Ha'omer in the Book of Vayikra (21:15): "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer that is waived – they shall be seven complete weeks." The Sages explained that "the day following the Shabbat" refers to the day following the first day of Pesach, or the sixteenth of Nissan, the second day of Pesach. On that day we begin counting and continue each day for seven weeks (forty-nine days). The Shibolei Ha'leket (Halachic work by Rabbi Tzidkiya Ben Avraham, Italy, 1230-1300) cites (in Siman 236) a passage from the Midrash which tells that when Benei Yisrael left Egypt, Moshe informed them that in fifty days they would be receiving God's Torah. Moshe had learned this information when God first spoke to him at the burning bush, when He declared, "When you take the nation from Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain" (Shemot 3:12). The word "Ta'avdun" ("you shall serve") is written with a seemingly superflu

The Mishna Berura (work by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), in a very important passage, cites a comment made by Rabbi Abba Bar Mamal in the Talmud Yerushalmi. Rabbi Abba remarked that if he had the support of his colleagues, he would have permitted work during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Even though Halacha imposes certain restrictions on working during the days of Hol Ha'mo'ed, Rabbi Abba nevertheless felt that the Rabbis should have allowed it. He explained that Halacha imposes these restrictions only so that people could spend this time eating, drinking and studying Torah. Instead, Rabbi Abba observed, people spend Hol Ha'mo'ed eating, drinking and engaging in vanity. Rabbi Abba saw that the free time made available by the restrictions on work was being spent on all kinds of unconstructive activities, rather than being used for Torah learning. He therefore felt that it would be preferable to lift the restrictions on work, so that people would at least be productive rather than waste precious time. Along the

There is a Misva to take a haircut and to shave on Ereb Yom Tob, so one does not begin Yom Tob looking disheveled. It is forbidden to take a haircut or shave during Hol Ha'mo'ed, even if one was unable to do so before Yom Tob due to circumstances beyond his control. Even if a Berit is held on Hol Ha'mo'ed, the father, Sandak and Mohel may not take a haircut or shave for the Berit. This prohibition applies even if one customarily shaves every day or every several days. There is an opinion permitting one to shave on Hol Ha'mo'ed if he did so on Ereb Yom Tob and the barber is a poor man who needs this work to earn money for food, but most other authorities dispute this ruling and it is not accepted as Halacha. A person who comes out of jail during Hol Ha'mo'ed is allowed to shave and take a haircut. Even if he had been in a Jewish prison which allowed him to shave and take a haircut on Ereb Yom Tob, he was likely not in the proper spirits to do so, and thus he is allowed to groom himself when he is released on H

(Study of the Shulhan Aruch together with the rulings of Hacham Bension Abba Shaul) The Shulhan Aruch rules that at "Mosi Masa" during the Seder, one eats a Ke'zayit from the top Masa, and a second Ke'zayit from the second Masa, which is the broken piece. The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698) explained that this is done because it is uncertain whether one should eat from the top Masa or from the middle Masa. In order to satisfy both opinions, one should eat a Ke'zayit from both Masot. Hacham Bension notes that according to this explanation, it would seem proper for every person at the Seder to have two Masot in front of him, so they can all fulfill this Halacha. In fact, since Kabbalistic tradition teaches that the special foods should be taken directly from the Ke'ara (Seder plate), everyone at the Seder should, seemingly, have his own Ke'ara. Hacham Bension observes that some people indeed follow this practice, and this is admirable, though practically speaking, this is often very difficult, par

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 440) addresses the question of whether one may allow a non-Jew to enter his home on Pesah with Hames. Does the Torah prohibition against owning Hames require one to prevent a non-Jew from bringing his own Hames into the Jew's home during Pesah? The Shulhan Aruch notes the Halachic principle "Shelecha I Ata Ro'eh Abal Atah Ro'eh Shel Aherim" – the prohibition against having Hames in one's possession during Pesah applies only to a Jew's own Hames. There is no prohibition at all against seeing a non-Jew eating Hames on Pesah, or having a non-Jew bring his Hames into one's home on Pesah. Therefore, if one needs some kind of repair done in his home during Pesah that is necessary for the Yom Tob, and he calls a non-Jewish worker – such as a plumber or electrician – he does not have to prevent the worker from bringing Hames into the home. Of course, if the worker left crumbs, they should be swept and discarded, but there is no need to prevent the worker from bringing Hames into the home.