Dose of Halacha

Question: We are going away for Shabbos and staying in a hotel. The hotel doesn’t allow us to light candles in our room though said that we can light in the dining room or lobby. What should we do? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 263:8) questions whether more than one family can recite a beracha if they light their candles next to each other. The Rema, however, disagrees, allowing multiple families to light together. While the Kaf Hachaim (OC 263:56) writes that sefardim follow the Rema, R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yalkut Yosef, Shabbos 263:19) maintains that sefardim should follow the Shulchan Aruch and so avoid lighting together. Ashkenazim , however, follow the Rema and would each say a beracha even when lighting next to each other. Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura (263:38) writes that ideally one should light in their bedroom and recite the beracha there, rather than together with others in the dining room. The Magen Avraham (263:21) writes that one cannot light in a public room that one isn’t ...

Question: How can one use one stove for both milky and meaty pots? Do we need to designate any of the burners milky or meaty or can we use them interchangeably for both? Answer: The Rema (Darchei Moshe YD 92:9) writes that there is a machlokes as to whether one can cook milky food in a pot next to a meaty one. According to the Mordechai (Chulin 691) no flavour gets transferred even if the pots are touching each other while R’ Yisroel Isserlin (Hagaos Shaarei Dura 51:3) maintains that some flavour will be transferred from one to the other. Thus, the Rema (YD 92:8) writes that while pots that touch do not transfer taste, lechatchila one should avoid doing so. Following this, the Chochmas Adam (74:4) writes that one must kasher a non-kosher tripod that one stands pots on, though bedieved if one didn’t do so, the food and pots are kosher. R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 1:124; YD 1:40; 59; 3:10 ) however, disagrees, writing that even lechatchila one can use a stove for coo...

Question:   My father is in hospital over Shabbos where he isn’t allowed to light candles. What should he do about lighting Shabbos candles? Can he rely on my mother lighting at home? Answer:   The Mishna Berura ( 263:28) writes that when a married man is not home for Shabbos, he needs to light where he is staying as he can’t rely on his wife’s lighting elsewhere. R’ Moshe Stern (Baer Moshe, Kuntres Electric 6:58:5) and R’ Shraga Feivish Schneebalg ( Shraga Hameir 5:11:3) write that while one transgresses Shabbos by switching on an electric light, it isn’t the same as regular candles and one cannot say a beracha when switching them on for Shabbos. R’ Schneebalg stresses, too, that it is important that it is apparent that these lights were lit specially for Shabbos (See Teshuvo s V e hanhago s 2:157 :4) . The consensus among poskim , however, is that one can use electric lights when necessary. R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer OC 2:17) explains why flicking a light switch o...

Question: Am I allowed to message my family in America after Shabbos goes out here even though it’s still Shabbos there? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 263:17) writes that one who has accepted Shabbos early may ask another Jew who hasn’t yet accepted Shabbos to do a  melacha  on their behalf. Following this, R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 5:92) allows one in Eretz Yisrael to send a fax after Shabbos to someone in America even though it is still Shabbos there providing that they won’t come to break Shabbos by reading business communication. Likewise, R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 6:115:2; 8:152:3; 8:158:2) quotes R' Yisroel Yaakov Fisher, R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and R’ Yisrael Belsky who allowed one to send a fax before or after Shabbos to one abroad even though it was Shabbos for the recipient. R’ Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler (Avnei Yashpei 5:47:1) explains that we only look at where the melacha is being performed. As it isn’t Shabbos for the one perf...