Dose of Halacha

Question: I slept in a sukka as a teenager though now that I’m married with children, I am reluctant to leave them alone at night. Is that a good enough excuse to sleep in the house? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 639:2) writes that while one is allowed to eat a snack outside of a sukka , the halachos  of sleeping are stricter, and one shouldn’t even take a short nap outside of a sukka . Nonetheless, the Rema justifies the practice of many who don’t sleep in their sukka . Firstly, he reasons, the sukka may be too cold to sleep in. One who is particularly uncomfortable ( mitztaer ) is exempt from sleeping in a sukka . The Mordechai (Sukka 741) wrote that in his time (13 th Century, Germany) most people didn’t sleep in the sukka due to the cold weather. The Mishna Berura (639:17), however, understands this to refer to someone who doesn’t have pillows and blankets to keep them warm. Seemingly, one who does have would not be exempt from sleeping there. Additionally, the R...

Question: Can I squeeze a lemon for salad dressing on Shabbos? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 320:1) writes that it is forbidden mideoraisa (prohibition of sechita) to squeeze olives and grapes on Shabbos as these fruits are planted primarily to make oil and wine. It is forbidden derabanan to squeeze other fruits such as pomegranates or strawberries to make drinks on Shabbos. The Shulchan Aruch (320:6) writes that one may however, squeeze lemons on Shabbos. Elsewhere (Beis Yosef OC 320), he explains that people in Egypt would do so on Shabbos. Firstly, he reasons, as lemon juice can’t be drunk unless it has been diluted, it isn’t considered a regular juice. Secondly, they would do so into sugared water, rather than into an empty container (See Teshuvos Harosh 22:2). Many of the poskim challenge this, as lemons are primarily grown for their juice. The Mishna Berura (320:22), Kaf Hachaim (OC 320:36) and R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 5:5) write that as nowa...

Question:   Can one take a cold shower on Shabbos? Answer: The Gemara (Shabbos 39b) writes that chazal decreed that one mustn’t wash one’s entire body with hot water on Shabbos, as they suspected that if it would be allowed, people would heat up water on Shabbos. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 326:1) writes, however, that one is allowed to wash one’s face, hands and feet with water that was heated before Shabbos. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 326:4) does allow one to pour cold water over one’s whole body. Nonetheless, the poskim write that the ashkenazi custom is to avoid showering on Shabbos. The Magen Avraham (OC 326:8) writes that one can’t dip in a river as we are concerned that one may carry (outside of an eruv ) or squeeze water out of one’s hair, etc. (See Shut Maharil 139; Mishna Berura 326:21). R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 4:74: rechitza 3; 4:75) writes that while the reasons for this minhag may not apply to taking a cold shower in one’s house, one shouldn’t do so unde...