Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Linzer answers halakhic questions from rabbis and community members
QUESTION
A family that has some Shomer Shabbat members and some who are not, have friends coming to their second Seder in Baltimore from New Jersey, presumably driving on Yom Tov. Those friends will be bringing wine with them. Can they drink that wine at the Seder? Is tehum a concern at all in this case?
What is the Rosh Yeshiva’s position on toiveling keilim (immersing dishes) on Yom Tov?
Although I’m curious about the specific circumstances (e.g. where are you going to be tovel it? Why couldn’t you do it beforehand?), I think it is fine. See Shulchan Arukh OC 323:7 where the Shulchan Arukh rules that m’ikar ha’din (according to the basic halakha) it is permitted, and Rema implicitly agrees. While in Darkhei Moshe he rules that it is forbidden, and many Ashkenazi Achronim are strict
Can one raise the heat on an electronic pad-entry oven or stove on Yom Tov? I will be leaving the burner on, but just want to know if I can then raise or lower the heat.
I have addressed adjusting the heat on an electric stove top, which is very similar to this question.
If I have an electric countertop burner that I put on a timer for yom tov, can I adjust the heat setting while the burner is on? Does it matter if I’m turning the heat up when the burner is already on or down when it’s already off (there’s a light that says if it’s currently heating or not)?
Do you have general guidelines on interacting with electronic devices on Shabbat/Yom Tov?
There are two issues here—havarah/mekhabeh (igniting/extinguishing), and use of electronics.
What is the Rosh Yeshiva’s position on showering on Yom Tov and bathing children on Yom Tov, both in terms of שווה לכל נפש and modern water heaters?
I shower on Yom Tov, it is clearly שווה לכל נפש and I don’t think גזירת מרחצאות applies. See an extended discussion in Shemirat Shabbat Kehilkhatah 14:7 footnote 21. I am not sure what your concern is regarding modern water heaters. Is it that it might be a grama for a new fire turning on? If that is the case, then as opposed to Shabbat, here it is only a derabanan of a
Is there any way that a Jewish woman can be hired to work as a babysitter on Yom Tov if she lives outside of walking distance? What if we are not certain that she is Jewish (in this case she has a Jewish-sounding name but the family that employs her has never asked her explicitly and maybe its just her father who is Jewish etc.)? The family doesn’t know for sure she lives beyond walking distance. But they think she uses transit of some kind when she comes to them.
Good evening! I was contacted by a woman who has to go to the mikveh this Motzei Shabbat, which is the first night of Pesach. She doesn’t live within walking distance of one, and is wondering if she can go on Friday, or if she has to wait until Monday night. She already practices 4+7 due to fertility purposes, so there isn’t any wiggle room there. Is there any way for her to go early? I assume not, but I wanted to check because of their ongoing fertility challenges. Thank you!
If one holds like the poskim that one can be mekabel Yom Tov Sheini early for needs of the family, etc., would it be okay to accept the second day of Pesach after doing Ma’ariv after Plag HaMinchah and then do the seder prep for the second seder, but wait to do Kiddush until nightfall to be mekayeim doing the mitzvot of the seder during nighttime?
There is definitely reason to say that one cannot. See Levush (OC 488:3) and Mishnah Berurah (299:40),
לבוש אורח חיים סימן תפח סע’ ג
Backyard campfire on Yom Tov. If for the sake of warmth (and using pre-existing flame, etc.), this is fine, right?
Let’s say it’s not that cold out, but the fire is for ambiance/feels nice to be near the warmth. Still ok?
Yes. We have a very low threshold for what justification is necessary when it comes to making (i.e., transferring) a fire on Yom Tov. The Yerushalmi (Beitzah 5:2) speaks about a נר של אבטלה, and many people will light cigarettes,
Is there an issue with rolling sifrei Torah on Shabbat in preparation for Yom Tov? Would the tircha detzibura override any hachanah or quasi-hachanah concerns?
Well, someone could always get to shul early on Yom Tov morning, so not really tircha detzibura. But if you read (not keriah, just read like from a chumash) from the section you rolled it to, then you are using it on Shabbat. You can even point out to someone some interesting feature, like how the days are each a separate paragraph.
Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Dov Linzer will be answering shailas from YCT rabbis and community members on video each week.
