Divrei Torah

BS”D

A fundamental difference between Yom Tov observance and Shabbos observance is the allowance of ochel nefesh, food preparation on Yom Tov.  "Ach Asher Yei'achel L'Chol Nefesh Hu Levado Yei'aseh Lachem...” The Torah permits us to cook, bake, and prepare food on Yom Tov proper, in order to eat the food on that day of Yom Tov.  One is not permitted to prepare from one day of Yom Tov for the second day of Yom Tov or for after Yom Tov.  This prohibition of hachana, of preparing from one day of Yom Tov to the next, presents a problem when the second day of Yom Tov falls out on Shabbos or when Shabbos follows a two day sequence of Yomim Tovim.  How can one halachically prepare food on Yom Tov for Shabbos-Yom Tov or for Shabbos? 

To deal with this issue, Chazal instituted a procedure known as Eruv Tavshilin.  The process of Eruv Tavshilin works in the following manner.  On Erev Yom Tov, the head of the household, or a designee, should set aside a baked item such as bread or matzoh, and a cooked item such as meat, fish, or eggs (i.e. a food that is eaten along with bread).  Each item should be at least the size of one kezayis, preferably the size of one beitzah.  He or she should then recite the blessing of "Baruch...Al Mitzvas Eruv" and the proclamation, both found in the Siddur (page 654 in the Artscroll siddur).  This proclamation states that the cooked and baked items should permit us to continue baking, cooking, lighting a flame from an existing fire and do all the necessary preparations from Yom Tov proper to Shabbos.  It is now viewed as though meal preparations for Shabbos have already begun before Yom Tov, and Shabbos meal preparations may continue on Friday.  Once done, the eruv covers all household members and guests.  The foods set aside for the eruv should be saved and may be eaten on Shabbos.

 ***We make an Eruv Tavshilin today, Thursday, April 28^th, so tomorrow we can prepare for our Shabbos meals.***

LIST OF APPROVED STORES

TO BUY CHAMETZ AT AFTER PESACH

Post-Pesach there is an Issur Mid’rabbanan, a Rabbinical prohibition against getting benefit from any chametz, or chametz products, that were owned by a Jew over the Yom Tov.  As such, it is imperative to know which stores, and perhaps even more importantly, which distributors and wholesalers, are Jewish-owned and which are not.  Additionally, if a business is owned by Jews, if they sold their chametz before Pesach, then the problem would also be alleviated.  For a store where there is Jewish ownership and they did not sell their chametz before Pesach, it is a problem for approximately a month after Pesach for items with a longer shelf life (e.g. cereal), and only for 2 weeks for items with a shorter shelf life (e.g. a loaf of bread). Please note, that for liquor, the shelf life can be considerably longer.

Finding the name of a store on the following list means that it is either: (a) not Jewish-owned, or (b) sold its chametz, and that this is also the case for its major suppliers.  Thus, one can buy chametz and chametz products at these stores after Pesach:

• Shoprite