Is it permissible to fill an urn with cold water just before the onset of Shabbat, such that the water will be heated on Shabbat? Halacha imposes certain restrictions on placing raw or partially cooked food on the fire before Shabbat. The Rabbis were concerned that since the food is not fully cooked when Shabbat begins, one might stoke the coals to…

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A "Keli Rishon" – a utensil in which food or liquid has been cooked – has the capacity to effectuate "cooking" in the Halachic sense of the term. This means that placing raw food inside a "Keli Rishon" on Shabbat violates the Torah prohibition of cooking on Shabbat. This applies even after the utensil has been taken off the fire, so long as it is s…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Regarding the laws of cooking and warming food on Shabbat, Halacha assigns different statuses to various kinds of utensils. The pot in which food had been cooked is called a "Keli Rishon" ("first utensil"). One may not place food in a Keli Rishon, even after it has been removed from the fire, so long as the pot is still hot. If, however, one poured…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (42) establishes a Halachic equation between hot liquid inside a Keli Rishon – the original utensil in which something was cooked – and hot liquid poured from a Keli Rishon (called "Iruy Keli Rishon"). Namely, as far as the laws of Shabbat are concerned, both liquid inside a Keli Rishon and liquid poured directly from…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Halacha forbids placing any kind of food on an open flame on Shabbat. Even though the food has been fully cooked, and one simply wants to reheat it, he may not place the food on an open flame. Thus, for example, it is forbidden to place a pot of rice over an open flame on the stove on Shabbat to reheat it, even though it had been cooked before Shab…

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What are the conditions for reheating dry food on Shabbat? For example, if a person placed foods such as chicken and rice in the refrigerator after the Shabbat meal on Friday night, may he reheat it on Shabbat morning? According to all opinions, it is forbidden to place cold food directly over a flame or in an oven on Shabbat. Even though the stove…

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Halacha strictly forbids reheating liquids on Shabbat. Once a soup, gravy or stew has cooled off, one may not place it on a stove (even if it is covered with a "Blech") or a hotplate to be reheated on Shabbat. Doing so may constitute a Torah violation, which is punishable with Sekila (execution by stoning). The question arises as to whether one may…

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Halacha forbids stirring food in a pot that is on the fire or a blech on Shabbat. The Shulchan Aruch does, however, permit serving on Shabbat from a pot that is over the fire or on a blech. Thus, for example, if one does not want to take the pot of soup off the fire because he needs to keep it there until Shabbat morning, he may serve from the pot …

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The Shulhan Aruch, in a famous ruling, distinguishes between solid and liquid foods with regard to the permissibility of reheating on Shabbat. When it comes to liquids, the Shulhan Aruch rules that "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul," which means that once a liquid food has cooled, reheating it constitutes cooking and is forbidden. It is therefore forbidden …

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A question recently arose concerning the situation of a guest who was served hot soup during Shabbat lunch. The guest was surprised to see hot soup being served on Shabbat day, as Halacha forbids reheating cold liquid on a Blech or hotplate on Shabbat, a law known as "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul Be'lah." It turned out that the hostess mistakenly though…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

There is a small and utterly indestructible bone in the body called the "luz" bone. It is the bone which sits at the base of the neck. It is from this bone that G-d will reconstruct the entire body when the time arrives for the resurrection of the dead. The "luz" bone is nourished only from the Se'udat Melava Malka, the Saturday night fourth meal. …

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Maran (Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch) dedicates a full Siman (Orah Haim 300) to the subject of the Melava Malka –the Saturday night 4th meal. The reason for this meal is, upon a departure of a king from a town, the people make sure that he is escorted with an entourage. Similarly, when G-d who just spent Shabbat with us leaves, we m…

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The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Lech-Lecha, discusses a number of different Halachot relevant to Shabbat preparations (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He writes that one should take a haircut on Ereb Shabbat in honor of Shabbat, and although this could be done any time on Friday, it is preferable…

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Is it permissible to open mail or packages that were delivered to one's home on Shabbat? Rav Shemuel Pinhasi (contemporary), in his work Daber Davar (p. 111), rules that if mail was delivered to the mailbox outside the door to one's home, he should Le'chatchila not bring it into his home until after Shabbat. If the mail was delivered into his home,…

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Is it permissible on Shabbat to ask a gentile to bring for him an item that he had forgotten in his car? For example, if a person forgot his Tallit in the car, or if he purchased some food or drinks for Shabbat and forgot to bring them inside before Shabbat began, may he ask a non-Jew to go into his car and bring the items inside for him? The Jew, …

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The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 303:26; listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that it is forbidden for a woman to braid her hair, or to undo a braid, on Shabbat. The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) explains (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that braiding hair is forbidden on Shabbat by for…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Just one Halacha on Sefirat Haomer. It is our custom, that Ladies do NOT count Sefirat Haomer. There's a great Machloket between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim if ladies make a Beracha on Mitzvat Ase She Hazeman Gerama. Any Mitzvah that's bound by time, it's the Minhag of the Ashkenazim based on the Rabenu Tam to make a Beracha. For example, if a…

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During the period of Sefirat Ha'omer, we refrain from certain forms of festivity as an expression of mourning for the tragic deaths of Rabbi Akiva 24,000 disciples, which occurred during these weeks. The Shulhan Aruch mentions that we do not conduct weddings, or cut our hair during this period. The Magen Avraham (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by …

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It is well-known that if a person forgot to count one night of the Omer, he should count the following day, without a Beracha, and he then resumes counting that night with a Beracha. Thus, for example, if a person forgot to count on the twenty-second night of the Omer, then the following day he should count "Hayom Shenayim Ve'esrim Yom La'omer…" wi…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Torah introduces the obligation of Sefirat Ha'omer in the Book of Vayikra (21:15): "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer that is waived – they shall be seven complete weeks." The Sages explained that "the day following the Shabbat" refers to the day following the first day of Pe…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraKirjoittanut Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Mishna Berura (work by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), in a very important passage, cites a comment made by Rabbi Abba Bar Mamal in the Talmud Yerushalmi. Rabbi Abba remarked that if he had the support of his colleagues, he would have permitted work during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Even though Halacha imposes certain restrictions on working du…

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There is a Misva to take a haircut and to shave on Ereb Yom Tob, so one does not begin Yom Tob looking disheveled. It is forbidden to take a haircut or shave during Hol Ha'mo'ed, even if one was unable to do so before Yom Tob due to circumstances beyond his control. Even if a Berit is held on Hol Ha'mo'ed, the father, Sandak and Mohel may not take …