Tag Archives: Hilchos Shabbos

Going Up: All About Shabbos Elevators

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Summer 2024

Historians claim that two hundred and twenty-four slaves were needed to operate the pulleys of the elevator system in the Colosseum of Rome. Thankfully, technology has come a long way since then. Modern elevators run on electricity which has necessitated the development of a Sabbath Mode. In Sabbath Mode, an elevator cab moves continuously up and down the elevator shaft, stopping at every floor. However, as will be explained, not all Sabbath Modes are the same.

Physics 101: How Elevators Work

There are two basic types of elevators in common use today: hydraulic and traction.

Hydraulic-Type Elevators

Hydraulics make use of the principle that liquid moved with low force over a large distance can be converted to movement with high force over a short distance. Take, for instance, a simple hydraulic jack (see Fig. 1). If the piston on the right has a surface area ten times that of the piston on […]

Warming Up: Do’s and Don’ts of Slow Cookers and Hot Plates on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Yaakov Heinemann

Summer 2024

Slow cookers and hot plates are the workhorses of many kosher kitchens as they enable the Sabbath-observant hostess to serve piping hot dishes to her family and guests to enhance the Shabbos seuda. In recognition of their importance in a Jewish home, it behooves us to review the halachos involving these appliances about which many users might not be aware.

This article will try to clarify the potential issues and how to address them in a practical way.

Slow Cookers

There are two basic types of electric slow cookers: an insert type (often referred to as a Crockpot®), in which a stoneware vessel sits inside a heated base; and a flatbed type, in which a metal pot sits atop a griddle base. Halachic issues involving their use include hatmana, shehiya and chazara. These will be explained below. (There are some more expensive models equipped with variable thermostats which make their usage on […]

Keeping Your Cool: Using a Refrigerator on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Chananya Jacobson

Summer 2024

As electricity began to be used as an energy source in the late 1800s and early 1900s, poskim considered how to view electricity from a halachic perspective. The posek hador, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zt”l, ruled that electric incandescent lighting is considered fire and, to reinforce this psak, he himself would recite Borei Meorei Haesh on an unfrosted incandescent light bulb. While this psak rapidly gained universal acceptance,[1] it only covered incandescent light bulbs, which are very similar to fire in that they generate both light and heat. What about the many other applications of electric power which do not share these characteristics?

Electricity and Halacha

There are two basic approaches to this issue. The Chazon Ish writes that activating any electric device is boneh (building), since the completion of a circuit involves attaching two parts and bringing the electrical device “to life.”[2]

Other poskim, especially Rav Shlomo […]

The Kashrus of Tea—With No Strings Attached!

By: Rabbi Baruch Beyer

Summer 2013

Americans generally do not drink as much tea as the rest of the world. This may have something to do with a certain party they had in Boston a while back. That being the case, you might be surprised to learn that tea is second only to water in worldwide beverage consumption. In fact, some estimates place tea consumption in the billions of cups daily. That’s a lot of tea. However, with recent health benefits being ascribed to tea, its popularity in this country is definitely on the rise. In this article we will explore the world of tea vis-a-vis kashrus and halacha. First, a little background is in order.

BACKGROUND

Tea is a processed leaf. It is grown on a tea tree which, if allowed to grow wild, would reach 30 or more feet in height. On tea plantations, the main trunk of the seedlings is cut to produce a […]

The Kashrus, Shabbos, and Pesach Guide to Cosmetics

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Updated February 2024

Ezra Hasofer established ten takanos (laws) covering a wide spectrum of Jewish life.1 The purpose of these takanos was to enhance Torah study, Shabbos, the Jewish communal court system, and the sanctity of the Jewish home and marriage. One of the takanos was that salesmen should travel from town to town to supply perfume and fragrances to the women of each community.2 It is clear that these items were important in Jewish life since ancient times.

The STAR-K hotline receives numerous inquiries relating to cosmetics and halacha. One must know the answers to questions regarding these products that are commonly used. Does lipstick require kosher certification? During Pesach, may one use perfume or makeup that contains chometz? Are any cosmetics permissible for use on Shabbos and Yom Tov?

Because these halachos are complex, it is important for consumers to have a clear grasp of the numerous issues and […]

Navigating the Ins and Outs of Renting an Airbnb (Including Guidelines for Shabbos and Pesach)

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Winter 2024

Who would have imagined, just a few years ago, that you could go on vacation and rent a stranger’s private home? But that is exactly what people now do every day, with the rise of Airbnb and similar short-term rental platforms that list millions of units in over 100,000 cities.[1]

A Torah-observant individual who enters into such an arrangement will encounter numerous halachic challenges when signing up as an Airbnb “guest.” This includes properties listed as “kosher” – even ones in Israel – since an owner usually cannot vouch for every renter who has used the kitchen, nor for each renter’s kashrus standards, which can vary widely. Likewise, one who owns and is the “host” of an Airbnb property will have to address his own set of halachic concerns. Let’s analyze some of the more common ones.

Kashrus Concerns During the Year (Excluding Pesach)

The primary area of concern for […]

Kosher Consumer Misconsumptions

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Fall 2021

STAR-K’s
consumer Kosher Hotline is constantly abuzz with kashrus inquiries. Close to
5000 consumer calls were logged between Purim and Pesach 5781 alone. Questions
range from product information to complex kitchen shailos, from reliable
kosher airline caterers to wines whose kosher certification symbols are so
small you need a high-powered magnifying glass to read the rav hamachshir’s
name.

Even
with all the available information, consumers still get confused or make incorrect
assumptions that could lead to severe halachic consequences. The following
examples of kosher consumer misconceptions are based on real Kosher Hotline
inquiries. Hopefully, this article will help clarify some common errors.

Misconception 1: Putting an oven into Sabbath Mode allows
one to cook on Shabbos.

Chas v’shalom! The Sabbath Mode does not allow one to cook on Shabbos. The
Sabbath Mode makes a modern oven halachically compliant so that it may be used on
Shabbos and Yom Tov. The purpose of the Sabbath Mode was to address new
technological and computerized features that have created […]

Security Cameras on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2015

Q: It has become common for businesses and stores to have security video cameras which monitor the foot traffic in front of their properties. Similarly, many apartment buildings have video cameras which record anything that enters or exits the building. Is a Jew allowed to walk in front of such a video camera on Shabbos? Can a Jew operate a video camera knowing that other Jews will walk in front of it on Shabbos?

A: In order to answer this question, we need to address four issues.

(1) The video camera may be connected to a monitor that displays the recorded image. May a person walk in front of a video camera on Shabbos if it will cause his image to be displayed on a monitor?

One of the forbidden melachos on Shabbos is kesiva, writing. Drawing a picture is also considered to be kesiva mideoraissa (writing which is forbidden by the Torah). 1However, […]

Eruv Chatzeiros in a Hotel on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Fall 2013

Q: When a person stays in a hotel for Shabbos, does he need to make an eruv chatzeiros to allow him to carry items in the hallways and lobby?

A: In order to answer this question, we need to review some of the basic halachos of eruv chatzeiros.

In the times of Chazal, it was common for private houses to be situated around the perimeter of a rectangular central courtyard, known as a chatzeir. The chatzeir was used by the members of these houses for chores, such as washing clothes and grinding grain. The Torah considers a chatzeir to be a reshus hayachid (a private domain) if it is surrounded on all sides by walls of the houses and one could, therefore, carry in the chatzeir on Shabbos. However, due to the fact that a chatzeir is less private than a house, the Rabonnon forbade carrying in a chatzeir […]

Me’ein Olam Habah, Instant Style: Instant Foods in the Kosher Home

By: Rabbi Avrohom Mushell

August 2013

(Click here for a helpful Glossary of Terms used in this article.)

Our fast paced lifestyles have opened a market for easy to prepare and pre-cooked types of foods. Ready to eat, heat-and-serve or just add boiling water. Packaging labels proclaim that you can have that old fashioned home cooked flavor in only a fraction of the time. For the kosher consumer there are a variety of concerns that present themselves when using these quick to prepare concoctions. As can be expected, the less you have to do at home to prepare, the more that has been done at the factory to make the food edible. Therefore, one must be sure that the product has reliable kosher certification.

One must also be cautious as well when using these processed foods on Shabbos. As a rule, when dealing with raw foods, the Shabbos […]

Heating & Cooling – Using Ice from an Ice Maker on Shabbos | Using an Electric Hot Water Heater on Yom Tov

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2008

Q: My freezer has an ice making machine, which has an arm that rises as ice is produced and lowers when ice is removed. I generally turn the machine off before Shabbos by lifting the arm until it is fully raised. If I forget to do this, can I remove ice on Shabbos from the ice maker?

A: There are various types of ice maker machines available, and they do not all work in the same way. However, many of the commonly available models employ the following mechanism. The ice making process begins when the ice maker signals the water valve to open, and a specified amount of […]

When Non-Mevushal Wine Becomes Stam Yeinom | Shipping Packages for Shabbos Delivery

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Fall 2009

Q: I had a bottle of wine stored in the shelving unit on the door of my refrigerator. I was in the kitchen, and I saw my non-Jewish hired help open the refrigerator. She knows that she is not allowed to touch my wine, but did not pay attention to the fact that opening the refrigerator moves the wine on the door. Can I still drink the wine?

Using a Warming Tray on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2009

Q: I would like to buy a warming tray that has been manufactured for the Shomer Shabbos community. It is a glass covered warming tray and has a variable temperature dial with a removable knob. It can be set at a minimum temperature of 110 0F and a maximum temperature of 230 0F. It has a sticker on it stating that it is intended solely for the reheating of cooked foods and is not intended to be used for cooking. How may this tray be used on Shabbos?

A: In order to answer this question, one must have an understanding of the Rabbinic prohibitions of shehiyah and chazarah. The parameters of these two prohibitions differ for Ashkenazim and Sefardim. This response will explain the halachah as it applies to Ashkenazim.

Shehiyah: Shehiyah is the act of placing food on an open flame before the onset of Shabbos […]

Using a CPAP Machine on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2010

Q: My doctor has told me that I have sleep apnea, and advised me to use a sleep apnea machine. Can this device be used on Shabbos?

A: Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of the disorder, is caused by the relaxation of the walls of soft tissue in the airway of the throat during sleep. Common symptoms include loud snoring, restless sleep, and daytime sleepiness. Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure,arrhythmias, diabetes, and sleep deprived driving accidents.1 Recent studies have shown that sleep apnea affects about 16% of men and 5% of women between 30 and 65 years of age.[...] Read More

Getting a Handle On Your Faucet

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Winter 2012

Torah-observant Jews know that turning on the hot water faucet during Shabbos causes cold water to be heated, which transgresses the melacha of bishul, cooking. What many don’t know is that even turning on what you think is cold water can be a problem – if it’s a one-handled faucet.

Let’s first analyze why using hot water causes cold water to be heated. In a typical home setting, cold water arrives from the city supply under pressure. Turning on the hot water faucet allows this cold water into the hot water tank which, in turn, forces out the hot water already in the tank. Since the water in the tank is typically more than 120oF (the minimum temperature for bishul on Shabbos), the incoming cold water is immediately heated by the hot water that is already in the tank. 1

In a one-handled faucet, both hot and […]