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...

Question :  Can I sunbathe on Shabbos? Answer :  The Shulchan Aruch (OC 303:25) writes that the melacha  of  tzoveia , dyeing, applies to colouring one’s body. R’ Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (Minchas Yitzchak 5:32:2) writes, therefore, that one mustn’t sunbathe on Shabbos, whether for medical reasons or just because they would like a tan. Additionally, he argues, that when it is exceedingly hot, sunbathing can be a painful experience and so must be avoided on Shabbos (See Rambam, Shabbos 21:29). Lastly, sunbathing is normally preceded by rubbing sun-cream into oneself, and often ointments afterwards which is prohibited on Shabbos (See Chelkas Yaakov 4:17:1). R’ Binyamin Zilber (Az Nidberu 2:30) writes that while one can’t sunbathe for health reasons, one may do so on one’s own balcony for relaxation. R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 3:45) writes that while photochromic lenses change colour in the sun, there is no issue of tzoveia as it is temporary and changes right...

Question: Can we inflate an air-bed with a foot-pump on Shabbos for an unexpected guest? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 340:8) writes that one can put feathers back into a cushion on Shabbos though one can’t replace it with fresh feathers as this is tikkun mana, fixing an object (See Mishna Berura 340:32). Based on this, R’ Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (Minchas Yitzchak 6:30) forbids pumping up a mattress on Shabbos, as one is putting ‘new air’ into the mattress. Additionally, one should avoid acts that involve a lot of tircha, exertion on Shabbos. R’ Pesach Eliyahu Falk (Machazeh Eliyahu 69:2), however disagrees. There is a big difference between a cushion that is considered broken minus its stuffing, and an inflatable mattress, that is more like a water bottle that is supposed to be emptied and filled as needed (See Minchas Shlomo 1:11:5) Similarly, R’ Bezalel Stern (Betzel Hachachma 4:92:1; 93) writes that one may inflate a mattress on Shabbos. One can’t compare air that has no r...

Question:   Is one allowed to soak lettuce on Shabbos to get rid of any bugs? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 319:8) forbids soaking karshinim, grain for animals, in water on Shabbos as doing so will separate the dirt and grain which is borer. The Mishna Berura (319:29) writes that this would apply equally to washing dirty potatoes, etc. Nonetheless, R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 1:125) differentiates between soaking karshinim and rinsing fruits and vegetables. Just as one can peel onions and garlics as that is considered derech achila, the normal way of eating them, so too, it is acceptable to rinse fruit before eating them. Additionally, one can’t compare dirty potatoes that everyone would wash, to fruit and vegetables that many would eat without rinsing. Nonetheless, R’ Moshe writes that while one can rinse them off under a running tap, one shouldn’t soak them in a bowl of water. R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (quoted in Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 3:n48) also explaine...

Question: How should one remove the seeds from a watermelon on Shabbos? Answer: The Gemara (Shabbos 74a) teaches that the forbidden melacha of borer involves selecting the pesoles, unwanted items, from the ochel , one’s food. The Rema (OC 319:4) writes that even if it is a lot of bother to remove the ochel , the food that one wants, from the pesoles, the waste, one cannot remove the pesoles on Shabbos. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 319:16) is clear that the prohibition only applies to preparation of food. Eating itself, however, cannot ever be considered as a melacha. Thus, the Chazon Ish (Shabbos 54:1) writes that one must place the piece in his mouth and spit out any seeds. The Ben Ish Chai (Beshalach 2:7) and Kaf Hachaim (OC 319:47) however, do not require this, arguing that this isn’t the normal way of eating. One should shake the melon to shake any seeds off it and pick out any remaining seeds before one eats. Similarly, R’ Binyamin Zilber (Az Nidberu 1:26) argues that if o...