Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

The Mishnah Berurah (315:§31) writes that a tablecloth may be spread on a table even if the edges hang down to the floor on all sides. Even though erecting even a temporary tent is forbidden, since the cloth is not spread in order to use the space underneath, it is permitted. However, regarding setting up a table by placing a board over four walls, the Mishnah Berurah (§22) explains that even though there is no intention to use the space underneath the table, one should be strict in accordance with the opinion of the Taz that it is subject to the prohibition of erecting a temporary tent. What difference is there between setting up a table and spreading a tablecloth?

Answers to the questions will be published in Issue #52. Answers should be emailed to daf-hayomi-behalacha@dirshunj.org or faxed to 732-987-3949 by ז' אב / July 19 to be entered into a raffle for a set of Dirshu Mishnah Berurah. When submitting your answers to the Question of the Month, please include your full name spelled in both Hebrew and English together with your address.

How to prepare clothes to be worn during the Nine Days

The poskim advise preparing laundered clothing for use during the Nine days (when freshly laundered clothing may not be worn) by wearing them for a short while before Rosh Chodesh. Different poskim suggest differing lengths of time, from half an hour to several hours. If clothing were not previously prepared, some poskim say that one may dirty them by wiping them on the floor, but others hold that they still may not be worn. Another possibility discussed by contemporary poskim is whether clothing may be ‘prepared’ by wearing them on Shabbos Chazon (according to contemporary custom which permits freshly laundered clothing to be worn). Some forbid it on grounds of hachanah (forbidden preparation on Shabbos for weekday), others permit changing one’s clothing a number of times on Shabbos. There is an opinion that only permits changing to a second set of clothing when getting dressed in the morning.

( תקנ"א סעיף ג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 40 ו-51 )

Haircuts and laundry for children

Haircuts are forbidden during the week of Tisha B’av and the Ashkenazic custom is to refrain from haircuts the entire Three Weeks. During the week of Tisha B’av the prohibition even applies to children but there is a machlokes if the Ashkenazic custom applies to children before the week of Tisha B’av.

Likewise, there is a machlokes if the Ashkenazic custom to stop laundering from Rosh Chodesh Av applies to children’s clothing before the week of Tisha B’av. Regarding clothing for infants and toddlers the custom is to permit laundering until Tisha B’av.

( תקנ"א סעיף יד, ס"ק פב )

Placing foods in a kli sheini

It is forbidden min haTorah to place a raw food or liquid into a kli rishon--a vessel in which food has been cooking. It is also forbidden min haTorah to pour hot water from a kli rishon onto a raw food, since the hot water will cook the outer shell of the food.

It is forbidden mid’rabonon to place a raw food into a kli sheini (a vessel into which food or liquid was transferred after it cooked in a kli rishon) if the contents of the kli sheini are still yad soledes bo. The reason for this decree is that when one does so, it appears as if one is cooking. Raw spices may be placed in a kli sheini, since this does not create the impression of cooking. It is also permissible to pour hot water from a kli sheini onto a raw food (see below for exceptions to this rule).

A solid food which was submerged (before Shabbos) in a kli rishon that was removed from the fire is not considered fully cooked. Therefore, it may not be placed into a kli rishon on Shabbos. It is proper to adhere to this rule even in the case of a food that becomes fully cooked when submerged in hot water. Placing such food into a kli sheini is permissible.

שו"ע שיח,ד,ומשנ"ב לא,לד,ו-לה;וראה משנ"ב פא,, ופמ"ג א"א לב;וראה עוד משנ"ב מח ו-סה

Cooking in a kli sheini

As a general rule, cooking cannot take place in a kli sheini. There is a certain category of food that is possible to cook via a kli sheini, however : foods that are not eaten raw but that do not need the heat of a kli rishon in order to make them edible. Submerging this type of food into a kli sheini or pouring hot water from a kli sheini onto it is sufficient to make it edible. It is forbidden min haTorah to cook such foods in a kli sheini. Food items in this category are known as kalei habishul. Chazal offered two examples of such foods: 1) salted fish that was aged for a year, and 2) a fish known as koliyas ha’ispanin.

Herring is a food that does not need to be washed off with hot water before it is eaten. Nonetheless, some Rishonim maintain that herring is the koliyas ha’ispanin. They reason that even though it is sufficient to wash it off with cold water, hot water enhances it even more.

שו"ע שיח,ד,משנ"ב לו,וביה"ל ד"ה חוץ; וראה ביה"ל ד"ה היא; וראה עוד שו"ע,ה

Pasteurized milk

The poskim list a number of types of foods that are included in kalei habishul: 1) very salty foods that need to be rinsed with hot hater in order to make them edible, 2) very thin or soft foods, and 3) tough items that need to be softened in order to be eaten.

Contemporary poskim disagree about whether milk is classified as a kal bishul. They also disagree about whether the pasteurization process is considered cooking. There is additional discussion about whether powdered spices and ground coffee are in the category of kalei habishul. Some hold that ground coffee is not a kal bishul, since before it was ground it was a hard coffee bean, which is not a kal bishul.

שו"ע שיח,ד,משנ"ב לח-לט, וביה"ל ד"ה קוליס;ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 48 ו-56

It is forbidden to reheat a cold liquid, even though it was previously cooked. Shulchon Aruch rules that if it is no longer yad soledes bo, then it is subject to the prohibition of recooking. Rema rules that this is only the case after it has completely cooled off.

A cooked, dry, solid food may be reheated, even if it is completely cold.

Preparing tea bags on Shabbos

Preparing tea essence on Shabbos

The proper way to prepare coffee, tea and cocoa on Shabbos

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.