Dose of Halacha

Question: Can I bid for something on eBay if the bidding ends on Shabbos? Answer: The rishonim give different reasons for why one mustn’t conduct business transactions on Shabbos. Rambam (Shabbos 23:12) writes that we are concerned that one may record the transaction. Rashi (Beitza 37a) adds that there is a prohibition against discussing business matters on Shabbos. The Gemara (Shabbos 18a) writes that one is allowed to open a flow of water before Shabbos that will run onto a garden on Shabbos. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 252:5) writes that one is allowed to have one’s utensils perform work for them on Shabbos. There is a machlokes as to whether this applies to business, too, however. R’ Akiva Eiger (Teshuvos 1:159) writes that one cannot set up a business transaction before Shabbos that will be performed on Shabbos . R’ Avraham Borenstein (Avnei Nezer OC : 51) explains why scheduled business transactions are different to other automated melachos . R’ Meir Simcha of D...

Question: I never received a pidyon haben as a baby and so am undergoing it now. Should I redeem myself or should my father redeem me? Answer: The Gemara ( Kiddushin 29a ) writes that if one failed to redeem his son when he was a child, then his son should do so himself . Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (YD 305:15) writes that one who wasn’t redeemed should redeem themselves when they grow up. The Pischei Teshuva (YD 305:25) quotes the Zichron Yosef (YD 26) who stresses that this must wait until he is bar mitzva. There is a machlokes among the rishonim , however, as to whether the father is still obligated to redeem his son, or whether his grown up son should perform it himself. The Rashba (Shut 2:321) argues that the father’s obligation does not disappear with time. Similarly, the Sefer Hachinuch (392) writes that while the father should ideally perform this mitzva when the baby is thirty days old, the obligation remains even after one’s son has grown up. Thus, the Minchas Chinuch ...

Question: We often host a lot of guests over Shabbos and cook our soup in a large pot. As it is so difficult to remove the pot when it is full, can we remove some soup while it is still on the hotplate? Answer: Rambam (Shabbos 3:11) writes that one mustn’t put a ladle into a pot while it is on the flame on Shabbos as doing so stirs the food which aids the cooking. The Maggid Mishna explains that while it may not properly stir the food, chazal were concerned that one may come to stir it properly. Thus, t he Shulchan Aruch (OC 252:1; 318:18) writes that one mustn’t stir food or remove any from a pot on the stove while it is still cooking. The Mishna Berura (318:113) writes that while the Shulchan Aruch allows removing fully cooked food while it is still on the flame, the Elya Rabba writes that one should remove it from the flame first in deference of the minority opinion (Kol Bo quoted in Shaar Hatziyun 318:136) which maintains that stirring fully cooked food is assur mideoraisa (...

Question: We have invited some friends for Friday night dinner though we are going to have to wait a while for them to arrive. Can we say kiddush and eat some cake and then start the meal when they arrive? Answer: The Gemara (Berachos 20b) teaches that there is a mitzva mideoraisa to recite kiddush on Shabbos. Rambam (Shabbos 29:4) explains that this mitzva applies to the first kiddush that we recite on Friday night. The Mishna Berura (271:8) notes, however, that the kiddush that we say on Shabbos day is miderabanan (See Baer Heitev 289:2). The Gemara (Pesachim 101a) writes that kiddush must be recited bemakom seuda, where one is going to eat their meal. Thus, Tosafos (Pesachim 101a) and the Rosh (Pesachim 10:5) write that kiddush must be followed by a bread meal. The Tur (OC 273:5), however, writes that seuda includes a snack or drinking some wine. Following this, the Magen Avraham (OC 273:11) writes that just as mezonos is considered to be more prominent than ha...