Dose of Halacha

Question: I’ve heard conflicting things about whether we should wear Shabbos clothes on Shabbos Chazon. What should we do? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 551:1) writes that we should limit our rejoicing from Rosh Chodesh Av. Thus, the Rema writes that one shouldn’t wear Shabbos clothes on Shabbos Chazon (Shabbos before Tisha B’Av). The Mishna Berura (551:6) writes, however, that the Vilna Gaon and Yaavetz both held that one should wear their Shabbos clothes as normal (See Chayei Adam 333:1; Kaf Hachaim OC 551:13). The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 551:11) explains that people wear Shabbos clothes as one isn’t allowed to publicly display acts of mourning on Shabbos (See Shulchan Aruch YD 400:1). He explains that the Rema was writing about a time and place (Cracow, 16 th Century) when one’s Shabbos clothes typically looked no different to one’s weekday clothes even if they were of better quality. In 19 th Century Europe, however, where people dressed differently on Shabbos than they...

Question: Can I clear off the dirty dishes from my table and load them into the dishwasher on Shabbos? Answer:  Chazal (Shabbos 114b; 118a) decreed that one mustn’t prepare on Shabbos or Yom Tov for the following day (See Shulchan Aruch OC 302:3; 503:1). Different reasons are offered for this prohibition. According to Rashi (Shabbos 114b) the extra tircha, effort, that one has to expend is inappropriate on Shabbos (See Mishna Berura 323:28). Rambam (Shabbos 23:7), however, writes that hachana , preparation, is akin to mesaken¸ fixing something. The Mishna Berura (503:1) explains that this applies even to an action that isn’t a forbidden melacha , such as washing dishes. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 323:6) writes that it is forbidden to wash dishes on Shabbos for use after Shabbos. The Mishna Berura (302:19) writes, however, that while one can’t make one’s bed on Shabbos for the following day, if one is bothered by it being unmade, then one can make it on Shabbos as that...

Question: I was walking back from shul with others on Shabbos and realised that there was some money in my coat pocket. What should I have done? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 310:7) writes that if one left money on a bed, the bed becomes a bassis (base) and is itself muktze just like the money on it. The Mishna Berura (310:24) writes that as coins are muktze machmas gufo (inherently muktze ) one wouldn’t be able to move them just because one needed the space. The same would apply to bank notes which are muktze machmas chesronam (valuables. See Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchas 20:20). While money is muktze, clothing with money in the pocket does not necessarily become a bassis . R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchas 20:72) that providing one didn’t purposely leave the money in one’s pocket, the clothing would not be considered a bassis (See Shulchan Aruch OC 309:4). The Mishna Berura (310:31) writes that as people aren’t that bothered about a little bit of change tha...

Question: One of the lenses in my glasses falls out on occasion and needs popping back into the frame. Can I do this on Shabbos? Answer:  The Gemara (Shabbos 138b) writes that if an oven leg broke on Shabbos, then it is assur miderabanan to move the oven and the leg as one may come to fix it which would be assur mideorasia. The Mishna Berura (308:37) explains that one would either transgress the issur of boneh (building) or makeh bepatish (the finishing act). The Rema (OC 308:16), however, writes that if a chair broke before Shabbos and one sat on it before Shabbos, then they may continue using that chair on Shabbos. Thus, R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 15:77) writes that one can’t put a lens back into its frame on Shabbos. R’ Eliezer Waldenberg (Tzitz Eliezer 9:28) and R’ Binyamin Zilber (Az Nidberu 8:33:4), however, write that there would be no issue in popping the lens back into the frame, as this isn’t considered firmly fixing and one doesn’t...

Question: A guest brought us a bunch of flowers on Shabbos. What could we have done with them? Answer: The Rema (OC 336:11) writes that one may place branches and flowers in water on Shabbos only if there are no flowers that will open up as a result. The Mishna Berura (336:54) clarifies that this only applies to branches and flowers that were already in and had fallen out. One cannot add any new flowers or water to the vase, though. He writes (Shaar Hatziyun 336:48) that if necessary, one may rely on the Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham 336:13) and Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 336:18) who allow one to place a fresh bouquet of flowers in a vase on Shabbos providing that the flowers had fully opened and the water had been filled before Shabbos. Thus, one who had forgotten to place them in the vase before Shabbos would be allowed to add them to an existing vase of flowers (See Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 26:26; n91) . Providing the flowers were picked before Shabbos, they are not muktze...