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An Infirm Visitor and the Shabbat Elevator
Sources address whether a sick or disabled person may ride an elevator operated by a gentile on Shabbat, examining the permissibility of benefiting from a non-Jew's labor when illness or infirmity prevents normal use of stairs. The discussion centers on the rules of amirah le-akum (instructing a non-Jew) and when leniencies apply for those in pain or significant need.
חולה שנפל מחמת חלי למשכב ואין בו סכנה אומרים לעכו״ם לעשות לו
Using a Gentile-Operated Elevator on Shabbat
Jewish legal sources address the permissibility of benefiting from labor performed by a non-Jewish attendant on Shabbat, examining the principles of instructing a gentile (amira l'akum), indirect benefit (maaseh Shabbat), and practical distinctions based on the attendant's primary clientele and level of instruction.
אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: חָבֵר גּוֹי
Attending Celebrations During Year of Mourning
Sources address the halakhic status of a mourner's participation in festive meals and joyful gatherings during the year of aveilus, including the distinction between ordinary celebrations and those connected to mitzvot. The sources establish different time frames for various relatives and exceptions for obligatory communal or religious occasions.
אִם הָיְתָה חֲבוּרַת מִצְוָה אוֹ קִידּוּשׁ הַחוֹדֶשׁ מוּתָּר
Starting Work Before Shabbat That Continues Automatically
These sources examine whether one may begin a melacha (creative work) before Shabbat if the work will continue and complete by itself during Shabbat. The sources present the foundational permissibility of such pre-Shabbat initiated processes, alongside rabbinic restrictions and practical distinctions.
מֻתָּר לְהַתְחִיל מְלָאכָה מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא נִגְמֶרֶת מֵאֵלֶיהָ בְּשַׁבָּת
Mashing Cooked Foods on Shabbat
These sources address the halakhic status of crushing, grinding, and mashing soft or already-cooked foods on Shabbat, including whether such actions constitute the prohibited melacha of tochen (grinding) and under what circumstances mashing is permitted for immediate consumption.
שנתבשלו בקליפתן מותר לדוך
Sleeping in the Sukkah: Obligation and Exemptions
Sources discuss whether one must sleep in the sukkah during Sukkot, including what constitutes sufficient sleep, when discomfort or inability permits exemption, and the halakhic parameters of the dwelling obligation across different nights of the holiday.
אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין וִישֵׁנִים בַּסֻּכָּה כָּל שִׁבְעָה
Amirah L'Akum: Instructing Non-Jews on Shabbat
Sources explore the rabbinic prohibition against asking a non-Jew to perform work on Shabbat, including early tannaitic foundations and later discussions of exceptions for cases involving illness, medical need, or matters of mitzvah. The sources address both Torah-level melachot and rabbinic prohibitions, with particular attention to leniencies that may apply when there is significant need.
אָסוּר לוֹמַר לְנָכְרִי לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ מְלָאכָה בְּשַׁבָּת
Kiddush Without Wine: Medical Exemptions
Classical and later rabbinic sources address the halakhic status of kiddush when wine cannot be consumed due to health or other constraints. The sources discuss alternative beverages, the role of bread, and practical solutions when wine is unavailable or inadvisable.
אם אין לו יין ומקדש על הפת
Kiddush in the Place of the Meal
Sources discuss the halakhic requirement that kiddush must be recited in the location where one will eat, and address whether kiddush made in the synagogue fulfills the obligation or whether one must repeat it at home. The sources establish that kiddush is valid only when recited in the place where a meal actually takes place.
אֵין קִדּוּשׁ אֶלָּא בִּמְקוֹם סְעֻדָּה
Kiddush in the Place of the Meal
Sources establish the requirement that Kiddush be recited in the same location where one will eat the Shabbat meal. The sources address the halakhic basis for this requirement, practical applications when moving between different homes or rooms, and the connection between Kiddush and the meal itself.
אֵין קִידּוּשׁ אֶלָּא בִּמְקוֹם סְעוּדָה
The Slit in Lechem Mishnah
Sources discuss the practice of making a slit or break in one of the two Shabbat loaves. The Talmud establishes the requirement for two loaves on Shabbat, while later authorities document varying customs regarding which loaf is broken and how the break is made.
מַנִּיחַ פְּרוּסָה בְּתוֹךְ הַשְּׁלֵמָה וּבוֹצֵעַ
Serving Fully Cooked Food from a Slow Cooker on Shabbat
These sources address the halakhic permissibility of removing and handling fully cooked food from a heat source on Shabbat, including the conditions under which cooked food at yad soldet bo (a temperature the hand recoils from) may be served and whether a vessel may be returned to the heat source after removal.
כׇּל שֶׁבָּא בְּחַמִּין מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁבָּת — שׁוֹרִין אוֹתוֹ בְּחַמִּין בְּשַׁבָּת