Halacha Review: When Pesach Begins on Shabbat | Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon | Beit Midrash

Shabbat and Holidays
The Laws of Pesach

קטגוריה משנית

1. Motzei Shabbat HaGadol – According to the Mishna Berura, we say "V’yehi Noam", however we rule according to the Eretz Yisrael Calendar, and one Responsa that it is not customary to say it.

2. Preparations for Seder night – one should prepare salt water before Shabbat. If it was not prepared, one may prepare a small amount on Shabbat – just enough to cover the karpas. First put the salt and then add the water (the opposite of weekdays.)

3. The charoseth should be prepared before Shabbat. If it wasn’t prepared in advance, the nuts should be cut into larger pieces. As far as kneading: first put in wine and then add the nuts etc. Make a soft mixture and, ideally, mix with a finger (according to the Chazon Ish, a spoon may be used.) If one makes a thick mixture, using these two changes mentioned above, also has upon whom to rely. If one adds a small amount of beverage in the charoseth before Shabbat (more than just a few drops), more of the beverage may be added on Shabbat.

4. Shank bone – it should be roasted before Shabbat, of course. If not, use a cooked shank bone.

5. Seder night on Shabbat eve – we do not recite Magen Avot in "M’ein Sheva", but we do recite Va’yechulu".

6. Shalom Aleichem – some recite and some do not. It may be a good idea to say each line once instead of three times. Skip Aishet Chayil.

7. Preparations for the seventh day of Pesach – Eiruv Tavshilin should be made on Thursday before the Yom Tov, using matzoh with another cooked food. Even if one will not cook on Yom Tov for Shabbat, but will only light candles, one should make Eiruv Tavshilin, since he will light candles for Shabbat and heat food and the like. If you are a guest in someone’s home, you are not required to make Eiruv Tavshilin.

8. Seventh day of Pesach – it is possible to permit cooking from the seventh day of Pesach for Shabbat "matzoh shruya" ("gebrocht" – even those who keep this stringently) and legumes. However, one should be careful not to eat them accidentally on the Yom Tov. The legumes should be carefully checked prior to cooking, in case there is wheat present. In our times, with proper refrigeration, it is recommended to prepare the legumes on Chol Hamoed or even before the chag. (When preparing on Pesach, one may use Pesach dishes – from the essence of the law, especially if one does not use the dishes for at least 24 hours. However, it is preferable to use disposable dishes.)

9. Shabbat juxtaposed to the seventh day of Pesach – there are opposing views regarding the permissibility of eating chametz. The essence of the Halacha here is to be lenient, especially foods that are not actually chametz, but it is customary to sell them to a gentile (opened before Pesach, there is no kosher for Pesach certification – even though the ingredients are not chametz, and the like.) And one may certainly be lenient regarding legumes.