15 votes

Where does the notion that the *entire* matza process must be done in under 18 minutes come from?

This does not include the time in the oven, but the notion that the entire process until the dough goes into the oven must be completed within 18 minutes is based on actual opinions on the books. I ...
Isaac Moses's user avatar
  • 47.8k
11 votes
Accepted

What is פנאד"ש?

I have found in the article (p. 8 of the PDF) of Eliezer Papo that it is מאכל ספרדי דומה לבורקס שלנו היום – כיסנים ממולאים בבשר או בגבינה.‏ a Sephardic food similar to our bourekas today – dumplings ...
Kazi bácsi's user avatar
  • 7,434
8 votes
Accepted

Ben Drosai - what was his Zechus?

The Yerushalmi in question is in Avodah Zarah 4:4. Prof. Shamma Friedman has written about the historical Ben D'rsai (who based on the Yerushalmi was not a Jew). According to this article, Rashi ...
Ari Kahn's user avatar
  • 246
8 votes
Accepted

Food cooked on Shabbas for Pikuach Nefesh

Short answer: If a Jew cooked the food, then yes, it may be eaten. If a non-Jew cooked the food it's a debate amongst the Poskim. Sources: The Kitzur Shulchan in 92:9 סימן צב - דין חולה שיש בו ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

How to reconcile a wife's cooking with the Zohar's definition of husband and wife?

Yevamos 63a: אשכחיה רבי יוסי לאליהו א"ל כתיב אעשה לו עזר במה אשה עוזרתו לאדם א"ל אדם מביא חיטין חיטין כוסס פשתן פשתן לובש לא נמצאת מאירה עיניו ומעמידתו על רגליו Rebbi Yosi found Eliyahu. He ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

Sous-vide cooking for Shabbat

In a shiur you can listen to here Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz discussed some of the issues involved with sous vide which is begun before shabbos. They are: Shehiyah. Leaving foods on a heat source. Garuf ...
user6591's user avatar
  • 33.4k
6 votes

What is liquid (prohibited from reheating on Shabbat)?

I asked this exact question to Rabbi Shlomo Mordechai Breslauer, rav of Bais Tefilo in Monsey, NY. He told me to put the substance on a surface that is not slippery (e.g. a paper plate), and hold it ...
Adám's user avatar
  • 6,676
5 votes

Is artificial sweetener (Splenda, Stevia) pre-cooked? (Making Coffee on Shabbat)

Partial answer: OU rules that Splenda is pre-cooked. However it recommends using a kli sheni, not a kli rishon.
DanF's user avatar
  • 70k
5 votes

Gas Pilot on Yom Tov

Google is your friend! The COR, Chabad, the OU, and the Star-K say you can light a burner from a pilot light on yom tov.
msh210's user avatar
  • 73.5k
5 votes
Accepted

Explain why the "kli sheini" rule works regarding Shabbat cooking

No need to worry about this being a bad question. Its Tosfos's question! ושמע מינה כלי שני אינו מבשל - תימה מאי שנא כלי שני מכלי ראשון דאי יד סולדת אפי' כלי שני נמי ואי אין יד סולדת אפילו כלי ראשון ...
Eliyahu's user avatar
  • 5,365
4 votes

What are some general halachot about treif culinary schools?

[I thought about that question as it became even more relevant with the advent of cooking TV shows where a Jew might be involved in cooking non-kosher foods with no intent to eat it or serve it to ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 48.1k
4 votes
Accepted

Why does a Meat Thermometer not need Tevilla?

The OU writes The general rule is that any utensil, made from metal or glass, which touches the food and is used for preparing, serving, or eating the food requires tevilah. Though a can opener and ...
Eliyahu's user avatar
  • 5,365
4 votes

cooking for shabbat in a campfire

You need to be aware of the halochos of hatmono (=insulating food), see below extracted from dinonline. I suggest you read the whole article and then CYLOR. There are two ways of insulating food: ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes

Why can't we have challah in the oven with other food?

According to the OUKosher.org website if the Challa is completely wrapped up one may bake other items in the same oven. This is based on Shach (Yoreh Deah 108:1) who quotes from the Issur V’heter that ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Leftovers and Chillul Shabbat

If you have made a neder to use this particular food only on shabbat, then you would have to keep the neder. However, if you have set it aside for shabbat, then you have only determined that you will ...
sabbahillel's user avatar
  • 42.9k
4 votes

Can one cook meat and fish dishes at the same time in the same oven?

Many halachic decisors permit cooking meat and fish dishes simultaneously provided at least one of them is covered (SA YD 108:1). After the fact, it is permitted to eat the food even if not covered (...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 48.1k
4 votes
Accepted

May one marinate fish on Shabbat?

The Mishna Berura in 321:5 (21) states that one may not salt raw fish or meat; whether to eat it on that Shabbat or to prevent it from spoiling. He says that it's a Rabbinic decree as it looks like ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

If one accidentally reheats some soup on Shabbos, are they allowed to eat it?

There is a machlokes as to whether you can purposely do this or not. Most poskim say you can't but R' Ovadya Yosef allows it. See here While one mustn’t place a davar lach, a boiled food with liquid ...
Zvi's user avatar
  • 6,175
4 votes
Accepted

Should we prevent a chumra in the laws of Shabbos that exceeds the normal understanding?

R. Eliezer of Metz in Yereim 274 writes explicitly that one should not put any food in a keli sheni nor in a keli shelishi (if they are at the temperature of yad soledet bo) as we do not know which ...
Joel K's user avatar
  • 41.8k
4 votes

Tradition soup on shabbos

This exact type of instant noodle soup is addressed by Rabbi Yoni Levin here Ultimately, there are two potential pitfalls that making such soup on Shabbos would present: Bishul - cooking Makeh B'...
Dov's user avatar
  • 30.3k
4 votes
Accepted

Do sephardim have different halachas for serving cholent from a blech on shabbos?

When it comes to serving the food from a pot on the fire, and assuming the food is fully cooked, then it seems that Beit Yosef permits this. (See e.g. Mishnah Berurah 318:113.) Stirring the pot while ...
Joel K's user avatar
  • 41.8k
3 votes

Sous-vide cooking for Shabbat

From the OK regarding Hatmana: "There is a discussion amongst the Poskim about whether food wrapped in a plastic bag is included in the prohibition of Hatmana. Sous vide may not be included in ...
Tzvi's user avatar
  • 71
3 votes

Making a hot toddy on Shabbat

It seems that you may be able to make your hot toddy using various stipulations. I'm addressing only the issues that you asked about. I can't think of others, offhand, so, obviously, address the ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70k
3 votes

What are the kashrut issues with kosher food at a non-kosher restaurant?

I think you're missing the most important issue: The pots been used to cook the food may have recently been used to cook unkosher food - and thus render the food unkosher. While we normally assume ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
3 votes

What are the kashrut issues with kosher food at a non-kosher restaurant?

According to Rabbi Yitzchak Abadi, there is no issue with Maarith Ayin. Here are some quoted examples and responsa. Some of these responsa are from his son A Abadi. Example 1: Questioner: How can you ...
Aaron's user avatar
  • 10.5k
3 votes

Coffee Urns on Shabbos

R. Ovadiah Yosef (Hazon Ovadiah Shabbat vol. 4, 414ff.) rules on this exact type of urn that it is permissible to use. In presenting the question, he discusses various issues at play that are ...
Oliver's user avatar
  • 11.9k
3 votes

Using a non-kosher toaster oven

R Yitzchok Yaakov Fuchs (in his book Hakashrut, p. 665) writes Baking ovens and toaster ovens that were used for meat and dairy foods and even for prohibited foods may be used to bake or warm up ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 48.1k
3 votes

Ben Drosai - what was his Zechus?

Having found a few other views in recent months, I'm revising my answer: Friedman's explanation for Ben Drosai's identity as mentioned by @AriKahn is well-known and reasonably plausible, but there are ...
Harel13's user avatar
  • 24.9k
3 votes
Accepted

Refilling a percolator on Yom Tov

The Federation Beis Din here in London have an incredible department called 'Fed Tech' which explores various appliances and their halachic status on Shabbos and Yomim tovim etc. Their article on urns ...
Dov's user avatar
  • 30.3k
3 votes

Soup Mandels on Shabbos

HaRav Chaim Bleier shlita in his Chukei Chaim series here (on page 2) addresses this question. He writes as follows: Adding Croutons or Soup Nuts to Soup on Shabbos Croutons and noodles. Deep-fried ...
Dov's user avatar
  • 30.3k

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