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    • Oven Kashrus: For Yom Tov Use

    Oven Kashrus: For Yom Tov Use

    By: Rabbi Avrohom Mushell

    To download and print a handy UPDATED summary of the halachos regarding oven use on Yom Tov, click here.

    Summer 2001

    Yom Tov celebrations could never be complete without the traditional piping hot delicacies from past generations. However, the kosher homemaker must be well educated on how to prepare Yom Tov meals without fear of transgressing a Torah or rabbinic prohibition.

    When mentioning the prohibition of work on Shabbos the Torah writes, “Do not do any melacha (work prohibited on Shabbos).”1 This prohibition applies to melacha performed for food preparation, as well as other non-food purposes. In stating the prohibition of melacha on Yom Tov the Torah writes, “You shall not do laborious work.”2

    In addition, when giving the initial command about the Yom Tov of Pesach, the Torah writes, “No work may be done on them (first and seventh day of Pesach), except for what must be eaten for any […]

    Sheimos Guidelines

    Sheimos Guidelines

    By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

    Updated June 2024

    The Torah forbids discarding objects with innate kedusha (holiness) into the trash or recycling bin. Objects which have innate kedusha must be placed in sheimos, which must be buried.

    (Objects that acquire kedusha after being used for a mitzvah do not need to be placed in sheimos but do need to be disposed of with special sensitivity. This is discussed further below.)

    SHEIMOS: Disposing of Objects with Kedusha

    The following objects are included in this category:

    Any of the names of Hashem

    Sefer Torah or Sefer Torah cover

    Seforim, whether handwritten, printed, photocopied, or downloaded and printed (e.g., Chumashim, Siddurim, Machzorim, Gemara, Shulchan Aruch, etc.)

    Bentchers

    Pages of a sefer that became detached or fragments of a sefer, even if there is no writing or print on them

    A sefer’s cover that has been removed from the sefer

    Binding tape that became detached from a sefer

    Printed material primarily intended to quote or explain Torah, even when containing […]