The obligation of Mezuza requires a person to affix Mezuzot on the residence in which he lives. The Gemara describes this obligation as "Hobat Ha'dar" (literally, "an obligation of the resident"), which means that the Misva applies only to the resident. If a person purchases a property but it remains vacant for a period of time, it does not require…

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The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (48) addresses the question of whether it is permissible to fill a pillow with feathers or other material on Shabbat. If the pillow had not been previously filled, the Gemara establishes, then filling it on Shabbat would constitute "Makke Ba'patish" – completing the process of making a functional item, one of the thir…

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One of the thirty-nine Melachot (categories of forbidden activity) that apply on Shabbat is "Koser" ("harvesting"). It is forbidden on Shabbat to detach something from the ground, such as stalks of wheat, or fruits from trees, such as grapes, olives dates and figs. It makes no difference whether the item that is picked is used as food for people or…

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

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

May a woman apply makeup to her face on Shabbat? Although one might argue that makeup should be permissible in the interest of Kevod Shabbat (showing honor to Shabbat), a person cannot show honor to Shabbat by doing something that constitutes a violation of Shabbat. Applying makeup to one's face violates the Shabbat prohibition of Tzovei'a, dyeing,…

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Is it permissible on Shabbat to eat or cut foods containing letters, such as crackers that have the company's name imprinted on its surface, or a birthday cake, or does this constitute erasing, which is forbidden on Shabbat? Most authorities agree that one may bite into and eat a cracker or piece of cake with lettering, even though he thereby "eras…

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May a person spray insect repellent in his home on Shabbat? One of thirty-nine categories of forbidden activity on Shabbat is "Ha'shochet," or slaughtering, which includes as well all cases of "Netilat Neshama" – taking the life of any living creature. Thus, it is forbidden to kill animals or insects on Shabbat. Hence, Halacha would forbid spraying…

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If a person set the light in his dining room on a timer before Shabbat, and during the meal he realizes that he will need the light in the room for longer than he had expected, may he adjust the timer so that the lights will turn off later than initially scheduled? Conversely, if a timer is set to turn lights off in a room at a certain time, and a …

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

The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Poland, 1525-1572), in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch (336), rules that it is forbidden on Shabbat to place flowers in water if this will cause the flowers to bud. Many other authorities take this position, as well, including the Chida (Rabbi Chayim Yosef David Azulai, Israel, 1724-1806) and, more recently, Chacha…

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Is it permissible to invest in a non-Jewish company that conducts business on Shabbat? Rabbi Moshe Halevi, in his work Menuchat Ahava (vol. 1, p. 394), rules that Halacha would allow giving money to a gentile during the week as an investment, even if it is clear that the gentile will conduct his business on Shabbat. Since the gentile does his work …

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

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

Many people enjoy soup on Friday night, whether it's vegetable soup, chicken soup, or "kibbehamda" which contains meatballs and vegetables. Often, a person prefers eating only the broth, without vegetables. The question arises as to how he can separate the vegetables from the broth without violating the Shabbat prohibition of "Borer," which forbids…

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The Shabbat prohibition of "Borer" forbids separating between desirable and undesirable items, such as between foods which one wants to eat and foods which he does not want to eat. Separating is allowed on Shabbat only if one removes the food he wants to eat from the food he does not want to eat (and not the other way around), and he does not use a…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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

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

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPor 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…