When Shabbat follows two days (or even one day) of chag or yuntiff (the Jewish Holiday or Yom Tov) it can get tricky as far as preparing food for Shabbos is concerned. While the Torah explicitly allows us to cook food on yuntiff for our eating needs on yuntiff, we are NOT permitted to cook food in preparation for the following day. This applies both to a yom tov (holiday) as well as to a yom chol (typical weekday), and also applies to Shabbat as well. The reason for this stringency stems from the halakhic concept of “hakhanah” – preparing for after a holiday during the holiday itself, which is a rabbinic prohibition. The idea behind this is that if we were to begin preparing for after Yom Tov while it was still Yom Tov, we would lose sight of and come to forget the fact that it was still a holy time and our attention would be turned elsewhere instead of focusing on the beauty and joy of the day, essentially detracting from our observance and appreciation of the holiday.

And this is why our rabbis instituted something known as an Eruv Tavshilin – literally: a mixing or combining of cooked dishes. So what’s it all about?


 Basically, an Eruv Tavshilin consists of two kinds of foods, one baked, and one cooked – two dishes, if you will – that we set aside before Yom Tov that act as a formal “preparation” for our Shabbat meal. Generally speaking, the two foods should consist of 1) a loaf of challah or piece of matzah (ie, something baked) and 2) a cooked dish, preferably either a hard-boiled egg, a piece of fish, or a piece of meat (ie something cooked). We hold these two foods together and recite the blessing:

 

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh HaOlam

Asher Kidishanu BeMitzvotav v’Tzivanu al Mitzvat Eiruv

 and then we recite a short paragraph in either Aramaic or English (whichever you understand better) which states that:

 

With this Eiruv may we be permitted to bake, cook, insulate, kindle flame, prepare,

and do anything that is necessary on the Yom Tov for the sake of Shabbat.

 (You can typically find this paragraph in the standard Artscroll Siddur on page 654 in fact) We then place these foods aside to be eaten on Shabbat – not during Yom Tov – and that is your Eruv Tavshilin.

 So an Eruv Tavshilin essentially is a statement and an act that we make declaring that having set aside or prepared food already for Shabbat, we are no longer concerned that our preparing more food for Shabbat on Yom Tov will detract from our enjoying and observing our holiday. Basically, whatever additional food we would prepare for Shabbat is superfluous from the food we have already set aside, thus ensuring that our enjoyment of Yom Tov will not be taxed by the feeling that we need to prepare food for Shabbat. Additionally, we are honoring Shabbat by having prepared food and put our thoughts towards it already from before Yom Tov. Truly, the best of both worlds!

 By making an Eruv Tavshilin we therefore preserve the integrity of the uniqueness of Yom Tov and see to it that we can nevertheless prepare for our Shabbat.

 It is very important to note however that without having made an Eruv Tavshilin cooking or warming food up or preparing and kind of food in preparation for Shabbat is strictly prohibited. Having said that, there are a few important points to keep in mind as you consider whether you should make an Eruv Tavshilin:

 

1)    An Eruv Tavshilin only allows you to prepare food for Shabbat on Friday, not the day before. 

2)    Even though after having made an Eruv Tavshilin before Yom Tov one may cook on Friday for Shabbat, nevertheless one should refrain from doing any preparations at least an hour before candle-lighting on Friday night. This helps preserve the integrity of both the idea that we are not taxed/stressed while it is Yom Tov in preparation for Shabbat, as well as satisfying an important opinion in the gemara that permits cooking on friday provided that there is still time to eat the food prior to Shabbat.

3)    One must EAT their Eruv Tavshilin on Shabbat! The Eruv Tavshilin can be eaten at any of the meals. Some have the custom to use the bread or matzah as their lechem mishneh or second loaf of bread with which to make Hamotzi throughout Shabbat and then eat it for the third meal.

4)    In the event that one forgot to make an Eruv Tavshilin before Yom Tov, and they had planned on doing so however, they may rely on the Eruv Tavshilin that the rabbi of their community had made (in this case, myself), since the rabbi has in mind when he makes his Eruv Tavshilin to include everyone in his community. One may not however rely first and foremost on the rabbi’s Eruv Tavshilin, rather each and every household should make their own Eruv Tavshilin.

5)    Even if you don’t plan on cooking for Shabbat, nevertheless if you intend to light Shabbat candles on Friday night you should make an Eruv Tavshilin since the preparation for Shabbat of lighting the actual candles takes place on Yom Tov and in this respect the Eruv Tavshilin fulfills this criteria to help avoid the issue.



 Additional sources and material about the Eruv Tavshilin as well as wonderful and in depth discussion about this topic can be found at any of the following websites:

 

http://www.ou.org/torah/article/4039

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-mitzvos-eruv.htm

http://vesomsechel.blogspot.com/search/label/Holidays%20-%20General

http://www.ortorah.org/erv_tav.htm

And If any of this material seems complicated or if you have any questions regarding how to prepare your Eruv Tavshilin or whether you should make one or not, please don’t hesitate to call me for any reason whatsoever.

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Yom Tov and a fantastic and inspiring Simchat Torah and Shabbat Bereishit!



Sincerely,



 Rabbi Akiva Dovid Weiss